PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 2009
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Mr Jim Wells
In Attendance:
Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Roy Beggs
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
The meeting opened at 1.35pm in closed session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
2. Matters arising.
None.
3. Minutes of the meeting on 11 June 2009.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
4. Press Release.
Members agreed a press release to launch the Committee’s Report on Control of Bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland.
5. Consideration of the draft Committee Report on Review of Financial Management in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland and Governance Examination of Fermanagh FE College.
Members considered a request from the Employment and Learning Committee for a copy of the Hansard transcript relating to this report.
Agreed: Members agreed to release a confidential copy of the Hansard transcript to the Clerk of the Employment and Learning Committee in advance of the publication of the report.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 10 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 11 and 12 read, amended and agreed.
1.42pm Mr Shannon joined the meeting.
1.42pm Mr Wells left the meeting.
Paragraph 13 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read and agreed.
Paragraph 15 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 16 and 17 read and agreed.
Paragraph 18 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 19 read and agreed.
Paragraph 20 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 21 read and agreed.
Paragraph 22 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 23 read and agreed.
Paragraph 24 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 25 and 26 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 27 and 28 read, amended and agreed.
1.48pm Mr Wells rejoined the meeting.
Paragraphs 29 - 32 read and agreed.
Paragraph 33 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 34 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 35 and 36 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 37 and 38 read and agreed.
Paragraph 39 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 40 – 42 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 43 – 45 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 46 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 47 and 48 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 49 – 52 read and agreed.
2.08pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
Paragraphs 53 – 57 read and agreed.
Paragraph 58 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 59 and 60 read and agreed.
Paragraph 61 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 62 – 65 read and agreed.
Paragraph 66 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 67 – 71 read and agreed.
Paragraph 72 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 73 and 74 read and agreed.
The Committee considered the Executive Summary.
Paragraphs 1 – 8 read and agreed.
Paragraph 9 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 10 read and agreed.
Paragraph 11 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 12 read and agreed.
Paragraph 13 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 14 – 19 read and agreed.
Paragraph 20 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 21 - 24 read and agreed.
Paragraph 25 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 26 read and agreed.
Paragraph 27 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 28 and 29 read and agreed.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed to include in the report the Chairperson’s letter to Dr Aideen McGinley, Accounting Officer of the Department for Employment and Learning, together with her response.
Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01am on Thursday, 2 July 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed that they would consider a press release to launch the report at the next meeting.
2.23 pm The meeting went into public session.
6. Evidence on the NIAO Report ‘Review of Assistance to Valence Technology: A Case Study on Inward Investment’.
The Chairperson welcomed Mr John Dowdall CB, Comptroller and Auditor General; and Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts (TOA) to the meeting.
The Committee took oral evidence on the NIAO report ‘Review of Assistance to Valence Technology: A Case Study on Inward Investment’ from Mr Stephen Quinn, Accounting Officer, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment; Mr Alistair Hamilton, Chief Executive, Invest NI; Mr Mel Chittock, Managing Director, Corporate Services, Invest NI; and Mr Brian Dolaghan, Director, Engineering and Business Services Division, Invest NI.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
3.35pm Mr Lunn left the meeting.
3.49pm Mr Wells 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.
4.50pm The evidence session finished and the witnesses left the meeting.
7. Any other business.
None.
8. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.51pm.