By Lee Morrow

 A Committee is a group of roughly 11 MLAs who are given a particular role to focus on. There are eleven departments plus the first ministers Committee meaning there are 12 statutory Committees in total.  As well as Statutory Committees there are also standing, ad hoc and Joint Committees.

Committees have 3 main roles in the Northern Ireland Assembly To Legislate- Committees can create or analyze legislation going through the Assembly. They can also make changes or amendments if they feel it to be necessary. To scrutinise- Committees must also scrutinise their area to make sure it is run correctly. They have the power to: Call ministers to account to insure they are doing a good job and to call leaders of public bodies to insure a correct and fair service To Represent-Committees must insure that the view of the Northern Irish public is accepted and followed at all times, sometimes committees even meet in areas of the public to show their willingness to cooperate. It is also crucial that Committees work together. The Committee system is based on the D’Hondt system meaning it should mirror the assembly on seats allocated to members of the Committee. This Means that the DUP will have the most members in a Committee then Sinn Fein…

Statutory Committees have six main powers. 1. To Consider and advise on their departments budget and annual plans in the context of the overall budget 2. To Consider secondary Legislation and take the Committee stage of Primary Legislation. 3. To initiate inquires and make reports 4. To consider matters brought to them by Ministers 5. To Initiate legislation 6. To call for persons and papers

Committees have the power to call for persons and papers. This means they call for important individuals or documents This gives MLAs the power to call individuals to account for the problems they have caused to the community. For example: NI water was held account in 2010 because of frozen pipes Or Health officials because of a hospital infection that killed 4 newborn babies.

Committees are forced coalitions based on the D’Hondt system meaning unionist and nationalists are forced to work together Committees are locally based meaning they are closest to the constituents that the department will affect Most MLAs are in 2 or more committees meaning they will gain knowledge and effectiveness as a Committee member.

 Although Committees advise executive ministers, the ministers don’t have to accept the committees advise. This encourages solo runs.  Members of Committees are considered overworked. Most MLAs work on 2 different committees. This makes MLAs much less effective.  Committees have the power to initiate legislation although they very rarely use this power.

 Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and are set up to deal with specific issues. Their job is to investigate and report back on the issue within a 2 month limit.  For example; an Ad hoc Committee was set up to deal with the murals around Belfast. As a result communities were encouraged to paint over sectarian murals.

 Joint Committees are set up in certain circumstances to deal with issues which may affect more than one Committee.  For example; In 2010 the Finance and Trade/Enterprise Committees formed a joint Committee to investigate the relationship between small businesses and banks in NI.

 Standing Committees focus on the overall running of the NI assembly. Standing Committees have the power to call for persons and papers and there are currently 6 Standing Committees.  Business Committee-Arranges plenary business  Audit Committee-Scrutinises spending plans of the NI audit office  Committee on procedures –Reviews standing orders and assembly procedures  Standing and Privileges Committee-Deals with matters to do with MLAs such as expense  Assembly and Executive review Committee-Investigates the workings of the NI assembly and the executive  Public Accounts Committee-Scrutinises the use of resources and money by government departments and bodies