COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2008
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr William McCrea (Chairperson)
Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
PJ Bradley
Thomas Burns
Trevor Clarke
William Clarke
William Irwin
Francie Molloy
Edwin Poots
George Savage
In attendance: Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Emma Patton (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paul McVeigh (Clerical Supervisor)
Kathy Gunduza (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Pat Doherty
The meeting opened at 1.32pm in Public Session.
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Apologies
As above.
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Minutes of last meeting
The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 21 October 2008.
Edwin Poots joined the meeting at 1.34pm.
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Matters arising
(a) Correspondence Issued
The Committee noted the correspondence issued since the meeting of 21 October 2008.
PJ Bradley joined the meeting at 1.35pm.
George Savage joined the meeting at 1.36pm.
William Clarke joined the meeting at 1.40pm.(b) Correspondence received
The Committee noted the correspondence received since the meeting of 14 October 2008.
(c) Tabled Correspondence
Members noted tabled correspondence.
The Committee noted the correspondence received from the department on the Single Farm Payment disallowance and the Committee agreed that department officials should present on this at the next meeting.
The Committee agreed that Committee responses, when approved, should be placed on the Committee website
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Presentation - DARD – December Fisheries Council
Liam McKibben, Ian Humes, Dr Walter Crozier and Paddy Campbell, department officials, joined the meeting at 1.49pm and made a presentation on the December Fisheries Council. Following their presentation, Members asked questions.
William Clarke left the meeting at 1.55pm.
Edwin Poots left the meeting at 2.05pm.The officials left the meeting at 2.17pm.
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Pre- consultation – Loughs Agency- Regulation of the Wild Mussel Fishery in the Foyle and Carlingford Areas.
The Committee agreed that officials should present to Committee when a detailed analysis of responses has been undertaken.
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SL1 - EC Fertilisers (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008
It was agreed that the above legislation should move on to the next stage.
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SL1 – The Spirit Drinks Regulations 2008
The Committee noted the above legislation.
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Presentation – DARD/AFBI – Disposal of Chicken Litter
Dr George McIlroy, Dr Sinclair Mayne, Dr Peter Frost, Dr Bob Fay and Brian Ervine, department officials joined the meeting 2.20pm and presented on available technologies of disposal of chicken waste. Following the presentation, Members asked questions.
Edwin Poots rejoined the meeting at 2.20pm.
George Savage left the meeting at 2.30pm.
George Savage rejoined the meeting at 2.32pm.
Tom Elliott left the meeting at 3.00pm.
William Irwin left the meeting at 3.01pm.
William Irwin rejoined the meeting at 3.03pm.
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 3.15pm.
Thomas Burns rejoined the meeting at 3.16pm.
William Irwin left the meeting at 3.20pm.
PJ Bradley left the meeting at 3.23pm.The officials left the meeting at 3.23pm.
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Presentation – Ulster Farmers’ Union – Dairy Committee
William Cromie, John Thompson, Trevor Lockhart and David Dobbin, representatives from the Ulster Farmers’ Union, joined the meeting at 3.25pm and made a presentation on the economic down-turn in the Northern Ireland dairy market. Following the presentation, Members asked questions.
Tom Elliott rejoined the meeting at 3.30pm.
Thomas Burns rejoined the meeting at 3.31pm.
William Irwin rejoined the meeting at 3.31pm.
William Clarke rejoined the meeting at 3.35pm.The officials left the meeting at 3.55pm.
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Axis 3 – NIRDP – Draft Regulations
David Barr, Garth Evans, Keith Morrison and Pauline Keegan, department officials joined the meeting at 3.55pm and made a presentation on SL1 – Rural Development (Financial Assistance) (Public Expenditure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and SL1- Local Government (Constituting a Joint Committee) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 . Following the presentation, Members asked questions.
George Savage rejoined the meeting at 4.01pm.
William Irwin left the meeting at 4.06pm.
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 4.16pm.
Thomas Burns left the meeting at 4.21pm.It was agreed that the above legislation should move on to the next stage.
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Future Presentation
The Committee Clerk briefed Members on the future business of the Committee. It was agreed to proceed as proposed.
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AOB
The Committee Clerk briefed Members on the Clause by Clause consideration of the ‘Diseases of Animals Bill’ scheduled for the 18 November 2008 at 11.00am to 4.00pm in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
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Date of the next meeting
The next Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 1.30pm in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.41pm.