Committee behind botched grilling of Michelle O'Neill takes day off for training on 'effective questioning'
A Stormont committee which faced criticism over its failure to get answers from the first minister over Sinn Fein safeguarding scandals has received training from an outside organisation on how to ask questions effectively.
The Executive Office committee cleared its schedule yesterday afternoon for the private session, meaning most of its usual scrutiny work was put on hold.
The scrutiny body, chaired by Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw, has faced criticism internally and externally for its attitude to questioning witnesses.
Last year, a witness at the committee accused the Northern Ireland Housing Executive of being “institutionally racist” – a comment which committee member Timothy Gaston sought to challenge. However, Sinn Fein’s Emma Sheerin and chair Ms Bradshaw criticised him for questioning the witness’s “lived experience”.
The chair said she “was never going to challenge” someone giving evidence – saying it was the role of the committee as “scrutineers to possibly bring the Housing Executive in and put that accusation to them”.
It has also faced dissent from TUV member Timothy Gaston – who has questioned why MLAs sent questions to the First Minister in advance of an evidence session and why a prior meeting with her was not recorded by committee officials.
Mr Gaston has faced criticism himself from the chair over his line of questioning to a previous witness to the committee, Kellie Turtle from Age NI. He had asked questions about the charity’s stance on trans issues, citing Ms Turtle’s social media posts.
This prompted Ms Bradshaw to apologise to Ms Turtle, whilst DUP MLA Brian Kingston called upon Mr Gaston to apologise. The matter is currently subject to an investigation by the Assembly Standards Commissioner.
When the News Letter first reported Stormont training sessions in November of last year, a spokesperson for the Assembly said that: “In line with other parliaments, the NI Assembly is committed to ensuring that committee members are provided with regular training and development opportunities to support them in their key role of scrutinising departmental legislation and policy and in holding ministers to account”.