COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2007
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Dr William McCrea MP (Chairperson)
Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
P J Bradley
Allan Bresland
Thomas Burns
Trevor Clarke
Willie Clarke
William Irwin
Gerry McHugh
George SavageIn attendance:
Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Mary Hawthorne (Clerical Supervisor)
Kathy Neill (Clerical Officer)
Alan Rehfisch (Assembly Research)Apologies:
Francie MolloyThe meeting opened at 2.00pm in Public Session
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Apologies
As above.
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Minutes of last meeting
The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 5 June 2007.
Mr Bradley joined the meeting at 2.03pm.
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Ministerial Attendance and Statement
Michelle Gildernew MP, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Malcolm McKibbin, Permanent Secretary, John Smith, Director of Finance and George O’Doherty, Assistant Secretary, joined the meeting at 2.03pm. The Minister made a statement relating to the provision of shortfall funding for the Farm Nutrients Management Scheme through the sale of land at Crossnacreevy and answered questions from the members.
The Minister agreed to provide a copy of the DARD/SIB review of the AFBI estate.
The Minister and officials left the meeting at 2.31pm.
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Matters Arising
The Committee considered the further information provided by the Department on issues raised at last weeks meeting:-
(a) Single Farm Payment
It was agreed to ask DARD for information on derogations from the EU.
(b) Bovine TB
The Committee noted the high incidence of Bovine TB within the UK and RoI. It was agreed to seek further information on badger culls and methods used to reduce TB incidences. It was also agreed to seek papers from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in Westminster which is currently considering this issue.
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Presentation from MSCSDRAG
Representatives from the Mourne, Slieve Croob and South Down Residents’ Action Group (MSCSDRAG) joined the meeting at 2.36pm and gave a presentation on their opposition to a National Park in the Mournes. After the presentation, the representatives answered questions from the members.
The representatives left the meeting at 3.12pm.
It was agreed to obtain a copy of DARD’s response to the DoE consultation paper on the National Park proposal and to write to the Committee for the Environment to advise of the Committee’s interest and request to be kept informed of developments.
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Proposed Statutory Rule
John Speers, Ian McKee and Rosalind Dempsey, DARD officials, joined the meeting at 3.15pm and gave a presentation on The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007.
The officials answered questions from the members and agreed to provide the Committee with information not available to them at the meeting. The officials left the meeting at 3.50pm.
Before responding to the Department It was agreed to seek further research on the threshold levels adopted throughout Europe and the impact of infringements on the Single Farm Payment
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Proposed Consultation
Liz Redmond and Collette McMaster, DARD officials, joined the meeting at 3.55pm and gave a presentation on the Department’s consultation on the proposed statutory rule, the Meat (Disease Control) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007. The officials answered questions from the members and left the meeting at 4.09pm.
Before responding to the Department it was agreed to seek the views of farming representatives on the proposal.
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Correspondence
The Committee considered a request from the South Antrim Rural Network (SARN) to make a presentation to the Committee on its work and role in rural development. Before agreeing to the request, it was agreed to confirm that SARN was acting on its own accord and not representing the Rural Community Network.
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AOB
It was agreed to write to the Minister with further questions following her statement to the Assembly on 11 June 2007 in relation to voluntary modulation rates.
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Next Meeting
The Committee will next meet at 2.00pm on Tuesday, 19 June 2007 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 4.22pm.
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Chairperson
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Date