COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2007
ROOM 152 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Dr William McCrea MP (Chairperson)
Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
P J Bradley
Allan Bresland
Thomas Burns
Willie Clarke
Gerry McHugh
George Savage
In attendance:
Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Mary Hawthorne (Clerical Supervisor)
Kathy Neill (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Trevor Clarke
William Irwin
Francie Molloy
The meeting opened at 1.06pm in Public Session.
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Apologies
As above.
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Minutes of last meetings
The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 16 October 2007.
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Matters Arising
(a) Correspondence Issued
The Committee noted the correspondence issued following the meeting of 16 October 2007.
(b) Correspondence Received
The Committee noted the correspondence received since the meeting of 9 October 2007.
It was agreed to write to the Department again for further details relating to the amounts raised and invested by Agrisearch.
It was agreed to seek further information regarding an injunction taken out against Cavan/Monaghan Councils and their plans for LEADER +.
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Single Farm Payments Appeals
George O’Doherty, Bregeen Glendinning and Valerie Bell, Department officials, joined the meeting at 1.40pm and gave a presentation on the appeals process.
Mr McHugh joined the meeting at 1.45pm.
The officials then answered questions from the members.
Mr Burns joined the meeting at 2.21pm.
Mr Burns left the meeting at 2.50pm.
The Committee and officials discussed the payment arrangements for the SFPs this year.
The officials left the meeting at 2.55pm.
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Closure of DARD Offices
Gerry Lavery and Pauline Rooney, Department officials, joined the meeting at 2.56pm and gave a presentation on the Department’s manpower plans and the future roll-out of DARD Direct.
Mr Burns rejoined the meeting at 3.01pm.
The officials then answered questions from the members and left the meeting at 3.16pm.
It was agreed to invite representatives from NIPSA to address the Committee on this issue.
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The Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007
Question put and agreed.
That, subject to the report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007 and has no objection to the rule.
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The Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Amendment No 3) Regulations (NI) 2007
Question put and agreed.
That, subject to the report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Amendment No 3) Regulations (NI) 2007 and has no objection to the rule.
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AOB
(a) Visit to Enniskillen
The Committee agreed to reschedule the meeting in CAFRE, Enniskillen for Thursday, 29 November 2007.
(b) Draft Budget
It was agreed to commence consideration of the draft Budget proposals at the meeting on 6 November 2007.
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Date of Next Meeting
The Committee will next meet at 1.30pm on Tuesday, 6 November 2007 in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 3.22pm.
Chairperson
Date