COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2009
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Ian Paisley Jnr. (Chairperson)
Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
George Savage
Willie Clarke
Thomas Burns
Patsy McGlone
Jim Shannon
William Irwin
Dr William McCrea
In attendance:
Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Shauna Mageean (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paul Stitt (Clerical Supervisor)
Mark O’Hare (Clerical Supervisor)
Erika Graham (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Pat Doherty
The meeting commenced at 1.33pm in Open Session
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Minutes
The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 15 September 2009.
The Committee welcomed Mark O’Hare to the Committee Support Office.
Willie Clarke entered the meeting at 1.36pm
3. Matters arising
(a) Correspondence issued
The Committee noted the correspondence issued since the meeting of 15 September 2009.
(b) Correspondence received
The Committee noted the correspondence received since the meeting of 15 September 2009.
4. Presentation – DARD – Committee Stage of the Forestry Bill
David Small and Stuart Morwood, departmental officials, joined the meeting at 1.38pm and presented to Committee in respect of the Forestry Bill. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
Jim Shannon entered the meeting at 1.55pm
Thomas Burns entered the meeting at 2.33pm
George Savage left the meeting at 2.36pm
William Irwin left the meeting at 2.36pm
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 2.36pm
George Savage rejoined the meeting at 2.42pm
William Irwin rejoined the meeting at 2.44pm
The Committee agreed that the Chairperson place a motion with the Assembly to extend the Committee Stage of the Forestry Bill to 2 March 2010.
The officials left the meeting at 2.45pm
5. Presentation – DARD – Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Animal Welfare Bill
Colette McMaster, Kate Davey, John Terrington and Paddy McGuckian, departmental officials, joined the meeting at 2.46pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
Jim Shannon left the meeting at 2.48pm
Jim Shannon rejoined the meeting at 2.51pm
George Savage left the meeting at 3.04pm
Willie Clarke left the meeting at 3.09pm
Tom Elliott left the meeting at 3.21pm
George Savage rejoined the meeting at 3.22pm
Willie Clarke rejoined the meeting at 3.28pm
Patsy McGlone left the meeting at 3.33pm
George Savage declared an interest
Patsy McGlone rejoined the meeting at 3.35pm
William McCrea left the meeting at 3.37pm
Thomas Burns rejoined the meeting at 3.40pm
Tom Elliott rejoined the meeting at 3.50pm
Jim Shannon left the meeting at 3.53pm
Patsy McGlone left the meeting at 4.00pm
The officials left the meeting at 4.00pm
The Committee agreed to defer the following planned agenda items until the Committee meeting of 29 September 2009
- Diseases of Animals Bill – Clause 8 amendment
- Presentation – DARD – Efficiency Delivery Plans
6. Presentation – Loughs Agency – SL1 Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Control of Oyster Fishing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
Paul Moore, Derek Anderson, Barry Fox and Ciaran McGonigle, departmental officials, joined the meeting at 4.04pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
William Irwin left the meeting at 4.04pm
William Irwin rejoined the meeting at 4.10pm
Jim Shannon rejoined the meeting at 4.16pm
William Irwin left the meeting at 4.24pm
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 4.26pm
The officials left the meeting at 4.30pm
7. Presentation – Lough Foyle Oyster Sub-Committee (LFOSC) and Whiskey Rock Fisheries Ltd. – SL1 Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Control of Oyster Fishing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
Paul McLaughlin, Batty Connell and Adrian Weir of LFOSC and Liam Farren of Whiskey Rock Fisheries Ltd., joined the meeting at 4.31pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
William Irwin rejoined the meeting at 4.35pm
Barry Fox and Ciaran McGonigle, departmental officials joined the above representatives at the table at 4.47pm
Tom Elliott left the meeting at 4.52pm
Jim Shannon left the meeting at 5.04pm
The officials and representatives left the meeting at 5.04pm
The meeting was adjourned at 5.05pm
The meeting was reopened at 5.15pm
William Irwin left the meeting at 5.15pm
Jim Shannon rejoined the meeting at 5.15pm
Thomas Burns rejoined the meeting at 5.16pm
8. Presentation – Strangford Lough Management Advisory Committee (SLMAC), North East Lobster Fisherman’s Co-operative Society (NELCO) and Northern Ireland Fish Producers’ Organisation Ltd. (NIFPO) – SL1 The Strangford Lough Exclusion Zone Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009
Caroline Nolan and Dr. Pat Boaden, SLMAC, joined the meeting at 5.16pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions. Colin Nelson, NELCO and Dick James, NIFPO joined the meeting at 5.27pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
Tom Elliott rejoined the meeting at 5.20pm
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 5.47pm
The officials left the meeting at 5.58pm
9. Presentation – DARD - SL1 The Strangford Lough Exclusion Zone Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009
Paddy Campbell and Ian Humes, departmental officials, joined the meeting at 5.59pm and presented to Committee in respect the above. Following the presentation, Members put questions.
Thomas Burns rejoined the meeting at 5.59pm
The officials left the meeting at 6.15pm
10. AOB
The Committee noted the evidence session for the Committee Inquiry into the Dioxin Contamination Incident, December 2008 to be held in Buswells Hotel, Dublin on Thursday 8 October 2009.
The Committee agreed to issue an invitation to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries & Food at the Houses of the Oireachtas to meet on 8 October 2009 to discuss issues of relevance to both Committees.
11. Date of the next meeting
The next Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 29 September 2009 at 10.30am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.