Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 5 JUNE 2007
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Dr William McCrea MP (Chairperson)
Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
Allan Bresland
Thomas Burns
Trevor Clarke
William Irwin
Gerry McHugh
George Savage

In attendance:
Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Mary Hawthorne (Clerical Supervisor)
Kathy Neill (Clerical Officer)
Alan Rehfisch (Assembly Research)

Apologies:
Francie Molloy

The meeting opened at 2.00pm in Public Session

  1. Apologies

As above.

  1. Minutes of last meeting

The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 29 May 2007.

  1. Matters Arising

The Committee considered the further information provided by the Department on issues raised at last weeks meeting, including the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme applications and funding, improvements to Kilkeel Harbour and compensation for Strangford Lough fishermen.

It was agreed that members should forward any outstanding queries to the Clerk to the Committee.

  1. Ministerial Briefing

Michelle Gildernew MP, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Malcolm McKibbin, Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Jordan and Roy McClenaghan, Deputy Secretaries and Robert Houston, Chief Veterinary Officer, joined the meeting at 2.12pm.

After a short presentation the Minister answered questions from the members. The Minister agreed to provide the Committee with information not available to her at the meeting.

Mr Savage left the meeting at 3.45pm.

The Minister and officials left the meeting at 4.13pm.

  1. Proposed Statutory Rule

Ian Humes and Paddy Campbell, DARD officials and Gary Mckenna, Department of Regional Development official, joined the meeting at 4.14pm and gave a presentation on The Harbour Works (Environmental Impact Assessment (Amendment) 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 4.28pm.

The Committee agreed to inform the Committee for Regional Development, the lead Committee for this Statutory Rule, that it was content with the proposal.

  1. Forward Work Programme

The Committee agreed the revised Work Programme.

The Committee agreed to consider commencing a public inquiry after the summer recess. Members are to submit potential inquiry topics the Clerk to the Committee and these will be discussed at the Committee’s meeting on 3 July 2007.

  1. Correspondence

The Committee considered a request from the Livestock Marketing Commission to make a presentation on the Red Meat Taskforce. It was agreed that the Commission would attend the meeting on Tuesday, 19 June 2007.

  1. AOB

The Committee agreed to invite the Food Strategy Implementation Partnership to make a presentation at a future meeting.

The Committee agreed that the Chairperson should clear a press release for issue later this week.

  1. Next Meeting

The Committee will next meet at 2.00pm on Tuesday, 12 June 2007 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting closed at 4.35pm.

-------------------------------------------------

Chairperson

-------------------------------------------------

Date

29 May 2007 / MENU