7 October 2025
The First and deputy First Minister must accept an invite to give evidence to the Stormont committee charged with considering options for reform of the institutions, Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole MLA has said.
Both Emma Little Pengelly and Michelle O'Neill have publicly stated that the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC) is the place where reform of the institutions should be agreed - rejecting Opposition calls for the Executive to commit to reform initiatives - but so far neither of their parties have even responded to the Committee's call for evidence.
Today at the AERC, Matthew O'Toole tabled a successful proposal for the committee to invite the First Ministers to attend the committee to give evidence on potential changes to Stormont rules to prevent future collapses, as well as other reforms such as equalisation of their titles, changes to the processes for electing Speakers and enhancing Executive performance by legally compelling departments to work together.
Since entering the official Opposition, the SDLP has championed the cause of reform, including repeatedly challenging the First Ministers not to collapse the Executive by resigning their respective offices before the end of this mandate.
Speaking after the AERC committee, Matthew O'Toole said:
"The SDLP Opposition has been clear in calling out the failures of the Executive since Stormont returned but has also offered practical proposals for change. We can't simply amble along like this, with lack of delivery and the ever-present threat that one of the two big parties could collapse Government.
"We secured this inquiry at the Assembly review committee, and both the DUP and Sinn Féin have said the committee is the place to produce reform plans. If that is their view, then Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little Pengelly need to come and give us their detailed views on reform proposals.
"We need the First Ministers to come and give evidence and there is simply no excuse not to. To refuse would simply indicate what many suspect to be true: that these parties have no interest in changing the dysfunctional, toxic culture at Stormont."