PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 7 MAY 2009
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr George Robinson
In Attendance:
Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Oliver Bellew (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jim Shannon
Mr Jim Wells
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session.
The Chairperson informed members that Mr John Lunny would be leaving the Committee staff and thanked him for his work with the Committee over the last number of months, and wished him well in his new post.
The Chairperson welcomed Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General, and Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts (TOA) to the meeting.
2.03pm Mr Beggs joined the meeting.
1.Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2. Matters arising.
None.
3. Evidence on the NIAO Report ‘Review of Financial Management in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2007; and Governance Examination of Fermanagh College of Further and Higher Education’.
The Committee took oral evidence on the NIAO report ‘Review of Financial Management in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2007; and Governance Examination of Fermanagh College of Further and Higher Education’ from Dr Aideen McGinley, Accounting Officer, Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), Ms Catherine Bell, Deputy Secretary, DEL, and Mr Victor Refauseé, Director of South West College.
Members noted a declaration of interest from Dr McGinley that from 1989-99 she was employed by Fermanagh District Council and was Chief Executive from 1995 to 1999. In that role Dr McGinley was chair of the Fermanagh University Partnership Board (Ref paragraph 2.12 in the NIAO report) and a number of the members of the Senior Management Team of Fermanagh College were known to her. Dr McGinley’s husband was employed by the College as a lecturer on a part-time basis from 1998-04 and as a temporary full-time lecturer from February 04 - June 2006.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
3.25pm Ms Purvis left the meeting.
3.51pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
Members requested that the witnesses should provide additional information to the Clerk on some issues raised as a result of the evidence session.
4.22pm The evidence session finished and the witnesses left the meeting.
4. Minutes of the meeting on 7 May 2009.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
5. Any other business.
The Chairperson informed members that he is a panellist on the interview panel to appoint a new C&AG. The interviews will take place shortly and the Chairperson will keep members informed of the outcome.
The Chairperson reminded members of the visit to National Assembly for Wales on 13 and 14 May 2009.
6. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.23pm.
Paul Maskey
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee
21 May 2009