A “report” from the first and deputy first ministers which this week led an assembly committee to delay its review of Stormont’s structures amounts to less than 140 words.
Sinn Féin, DUP and Ulster Unionist members of the executive and assembly review committee (AERC) on Tuesday rejected a proposal to examine the removal of the veto enabling the collapse of the devolved institutions.
A majority instead argued that it would be better to wait on what committee members, including DUP chair Jonathan Buckley, described as a “report” from the Executive Office, which would include suggestions on where the committee’s work should focus.
The paper from the Executive Office, which had been expected ahead Tuesday’s meeting following a request in October, arrived little over an hour after it had concluded. The standing committee’s next meeting is in early February.
Signed by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, and compiled after consultation with other executive ministers, the correspondence to the committee consists of seven bullet points and amounts to 137 words.
Among its suggested areas for the committee to look at are an examination of assembly questions, an assessment of the effectiveness of the committee system, and a review of all-party groups.
It includes no proposal for substantive reforms, such as the removal of one-party veto that has enabled the suspension of devolution for five of the past eight years or a potential overhaul of the designation system to reflect the growth of the so-called centre ground.
In response to an assembly motion tabled by the SDLP earlier this year, which was ultimately defeated, AERC was widely cited by opponents as the appropriate forum to discuss reforms.
AERC committee member Matthew O’Toole said it was “frankly shambolic” that the first and deputy first minister’s office waited until the meeting had concluded before sending through “basic feedback”.
“When they did respond, they sent a comically short summary response – begging the question why they delayed sending it in the first place,” the SDLP MLA said.
“What makes it worse is that the DUP and Sinn Féin both insisted that we wait to hear the ministers’ response, and used that as an excuse to block progress on work looking at how we reform the Stormont veto.”
Alliance MLA Michelle Guy, who tabled the defeated proposal for the committee to look at the removal of the Stormont veto, said it was “disappointing the Executive Office took so long to respond”.
“However, the response has now been received and given it was cited by some on AERC as the reason to delay agreeing the committee’s priorities, the date of the next committee meeting should be brought forward from February, to be held as soon as possible so we can get on with the job in hand,” she said.
“That would help give the public confidence this committee is serious about its role. Given the series of recent collapses, we have no time to spare when it comes to the issue of securing the future of the institutions.”
The Irish News contacted committee chair Jonathan Buckley, deputy chair Declan McAleer and the Executive Office but none responded.
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