The chairwoman of a Stormont scrutiny committee has accused one of its members of attempting to call her integrity into question.
Angry scenes once again erupted at a meeting of the Executive Office committee when TUV member Timothy Gaston made a proposal that members should seek to obtain handwritten notes of a meeting chairwoman Paula Bradshaw had with First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
The meeting took place ahead of an appearance by Ms O’Neill at her scrutiny committee last month where members attempted to question her about a number of controversies Sinn Fein has faced.
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston (right) has clashed a number of times with Ms Bradshaw at the Executive Office committee (David Young/PA)
However, several committee members pointed out that typed minutes of the meeting had already been provided, with one Sinn Fein MLA describing Mr Gaston’s proposal as “bonkers”.
There were tense exchanges at the committee last month when Ms O’Neill repeatedly refused to answer questions directly relating to recent controversies within Sinn Fein, insisting she could only respond to queries which fell within the remit of The Executive Office.
Sinn Fein had been facing criticism for its handling of a number of controversies, including those of former press officer Michael McMonagle and ex-senator Niall O Donnghaile.
McMonagle, 43, from Limewood Street, Londonderry, was jailed last week after admitting a number of child sex offences.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill appeared before her scrutiny committee last month (NI Assembly/PA)
Two Sinn Fein press officers, who have since resigned from the party, provided job references for McMonagle after the republican party had suspended him amid earlier police inquiries.
The references enabled McMonagle to get a job with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in 2022, with the charity unaware of the allegations he was facing.
Last month it also emerged that former Sinn Fein senator Mr O Donnghaile revealed he had left the party after sending allegedly inappropriate text messages to a teenager.
Ms Bradshaw has previously rejected criticism from Mr Gaston over her holding a meeting with the First Minister ahead of the stormy committee session.
Returning to the subject on Wednesday, Mr Gaston told members that the News Letter newspaper had attempted through a Freedom of Information request to obtain handwritten notes taken during the meeting between Ms Bradshaw and Ms O’Neill, but the request had been declined by The Executive Office.
He then proposed that the committee should attempt to get the notes.
Typed minutes of the meeting have already been provided to members.
He said: “If they don’t want to release them to us we have the powers to compel them and I trust the committee would be serious enough to cite the powers we have in the letter we send to them.”
Sinn Fein member Caral Ni Chuilin said it was not the role of the committee to “do a job for journalists”.
She added: “If they are not happy with the information, go to the Information Commissioner.
“I think that (the proposal) is bonkers to be honest.”
Ms Bradshaw said Mr Gaston was attempting to frustrate the work of the committee.
She added: “When I saw the minutes that were produced, they were a complete record of what happened.”
“We are not here to do the job of the News Letter. You (Mr Gaston) are, but the rest of us aren’t.”
Mr Gaston replied: “This meeting that took place was directly linked to this committee, a witness that was coming here.
“I think this committee should ask for the correspondence they are refusing to release to a member of the public.”
Ms Bradshaw responded: “I am not interested in that because I don’t think there is anything to be gained from this.
“All you are trying to do is continuously frustrate this committee.”
Mr Gaston said: “Absolutely not.”
Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin said: “We got the typed up minutes. You want somebody’s handwritten (notes)?
“I have never sent notes in my life in handwritten form. I type them up so people can read them clearly.
“I don’t understand. You are veering into questioning the integrity of the chair.
“She (Ms Bradshaw) said they (the minutes) reflect the content of the meeting, she has said that multiple times.”
Alliance Party MLA and committee vice chairman Stewart Dickson said the proposal from Mr Gaston could create a “serious chill factor” for the civil servant who had taken the notes.
He added: “I think that is totally and utterly inappropriate.”
Ms Bradshaw then asked the committee clerk, who also attended the meeting with Ms O’Neill, if he had “any issues” with the typed minutes which had been provided. He told her he did not.
Addressing Mr Gaston she said: “You are calling our integrity into question here.”
The proposal was defeated when put a vote.
Mr Gaston and DUP member Brian Kingston voted that the handwritten notes should be requested, but the remaining six members in attendance voted against.