Alliance leader Naomi Long has avoided questions about whether she backs her party colleague Paula Bradshaw, amid a row over the committee chair not declaring messages from the First Minister in advance of a controversial evidence session in October.

Michelle O’Neill was due to answer questions from MLAs on Stormont’s Executive Office (TEO) committee over a series of scandals engulfing her party. On Wednesday, the News Letter revealed that text messages had been exchanged between the pair the night before – which were only uncovered after a Freedom of Information request to TEO.

The messages were not disclosed by the Alliance MLA to her own committee, despite extensive discussion about the timeline and communications around the First Minister's request for a meeting.

In the October 23 meeting of the scrutiny body, Timothy Gaston asked for committee members to be informed “when exactly it [the request for a meeting] was sent, who it was sent to”. Ms Bradshaw responded: “That's fine, we will put it in its entirety, there is no issue there".

placeholder image — Leader of the Alliance party Naomi Long hasn't responded to questions put to her about Paula Bradshaw's handling of the TEO committee. Photo: Liam McBurney

The messages from the First Minister were not provided in a timeline provided to MLAs. In a statement issued via the Assembly Ms Bradshaw has sought to shift the responsibility for her communications with the First Minister not being disclosed onto Assembly officials.

The Assembly statement says “the chairperson is confident she did not mislead the committee. The Chairperson noted that this was an area of the Committee’s administrative business she was not engaged in – rather it was tasked to both the clerk and the DALO” adding that she “is content that all relevant correspondence is in the public domain”.

The News Letter asked the Alliance boss if she agreed with Paula Bradshaw that “she did not mislead the committee” – and whether the South Belfast MLA has acted in keeping with the party's values on transparency? We also asked if is it appropriate for the committee chair to attempt to shift the responsibility for the failure in transparency around the messages onto Assembly officials, when it was her who had the text messages.

Mrs Long did not respond at the time of going to print.