'She's handling them well' - Alliance leader Naomi Long's verdict on under-fire Paula Bradshaw

The committee chair has come in for criticism over her handling of a number of incidents recently. Last Wednesday, Michelle O’Neill appeared in front of the Executive Office (TEO) committee – after having first met the chair in a private meeting at which Assembly officials took no notes or minutes.

During Ms O’Neill’s evidence session, the Alliance MLA closed down a number of lines of questioning – deeming them not relevant to the committee’s remit. That’s despite party colleague Connie Egan revealing a section of the legal advice – which stated that MLAs could ask questions, but it was up to the witness to decide whether or not to answer.

Asked how Paula Bradshaw doing, after widespread criticism of her handling of the committee, the Alliance boss Naomi Long posted on social media platform X: “She’s handling them well”. In response to another X user, who accused Ms Bradshaw of “shielding” Ms O’Neill, the justice minister said “She specifically didn't even when the Minister tried to place her in that position. A chair does have a duty to rule things in/out of order: MLAs had the legal advice and so ought to have framed their questions in light of that”.

Wednesday’s debacle isn’t the first time in recent weeks that the TEO committee chair has come in for criticism. There have been a number of disputes on a range of issues.

Ms Bradshaw recently instructed an Assembly official to cut the cameras after Mr Gaston began to read a letter of complaint about her. The North Antrim MLA said she had set a precedent the previous week by reading a letter of complaint about his questioning of a witness which she had deemed inappropriate. The Alliance MLA subsequently apologised to committee members for a “breach” of the Assembly’s rules in putting the meeting into private session without a vote.

She has also opposed Mr Gaston’s questioning of a witness rather than listening to their “lived experience” – and labelled his view on biological sex “gratuitously offensive”.