COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 24 MARCH 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Mrs Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Martina Anderson
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Tom Elliott
Mr Barry McElduff
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr Jim Shannon
Mr Jimmy Spratt
In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Keith McBride (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Marion Johnson (Clerical Officer)
Mr Tim Moore (Senior Research Officer) Item 4 only
Ms Rae Browne (Research Officer) Item 4 only
Apologies:
Mr George Robinson
The meeting opened in public session at 2.03 p.m.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
Declaration of Interests
The Chairperson sought any declarations of interest from Members in relation to items of business being discussed. There were no disclosures.
St Patrick’s Day Reception in Washington
The Chairperson advised Members that he, the Deputy Chairperson and the Clerk attended the Northern Ireland Bureau’s St Patrick’s Day Reception and other events in Washington last week.
Meeting with First Minister and deputy First Minister
The Chairperson advised Members that the meeting with the First Minister and deputy First Minister concerning the process for the transfer of policing and justice was unable to take place due to diary commitments of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The Committee noted a copy of the Report on the establishment of the Office of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland and the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Mr Elliott joined the meeting at 2.09 p.m.
Ms Anderson joined the meeting at 2.10 p.m.
Trauma Advisory Panels
The Chairperson advised Members that he and the Clerk met with representatives of the four Trauma Advisory Panels today and that they raised a number of issues during the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to seek a response to the issues raised.
Sustainable Development
The Committee considered a letter from the Committee for the Environment which included joint letters from the Chairpersons of the Committee for the Environment and the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to Minister Empey and Minister Ritchie requesting that Sustainable Development be included in their remit when working on improving government processes.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson would sign the letter and forward to Ministers Empey and Ritchie.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2010
Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 10 March 2010 were agreed by the Committee.
4. European Issues
Mr Francie Molloy MLA, Member of the Committee of the Regions joined the meeting at 2.11 p.m.
Mr Francie Molloy MLA briefed the Committee on the Committee of the Regions and European issues. A question and answer session followed.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 2.16 p.m.
Mr Attwood joined the meeting at 2.24 p.m.
The evidence session finished at 2.39 p.m.
Mr Molloy joined the meeting at 2.39 p.m.
Mr Tim Moore and Ms Rae Browne of the Assembly’s Research and Library Services briefed the Committee on Impact Assessments and on Future Cohesion Policy and Structural Funds. The Committee also considered a response from the European Commission’s Office in Belfast providing further information on access to European Research and Development Funding.
Mr McElduff left the meeting at 2.54 p.m.
Mr Shannon left the meeting at 3.04 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a copy of the European Commission’s response and the research papers to all statutory committees for their information.
5. Draft Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration
Departmental officials, Mr Colin Jack and Mrs Linsey Farrell, joined the meeting at 3.07 p.m.
Mr Molloy left the meeting at 3.07 p.m.
Departmental officials briefed the Committee on the early draft of the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. A question and answer session followed.
Mr Shannon re-joined the meeting at 3.14 p.m.
Mr Moutray left the meeting at 3.24 p.m.
Mr McElduff re-joined the meeting at 3.30 p.m.
Mr Elliott left the meeting at 3.58 p.m.
Departmental officials, Mr Colin Jack and Mrs Linsey Farrell, left the meeting at 3.59 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk would draft a response to the Department advising of the Committee’s initial views on the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.
6. Matters arising
Consultation on Draft EU Anti-Discrimination Directive
The Committee noted a summary of responses to the consultation on the draft EU anti-discrimination directive.
Mr Attwood left the meeting at 4.00 p.m.
Ilex – Ebrington Parade Ground Project
The Committee noted a response from the Department concerning the legal challenge in relation to the procurement process for the Ebrington Parade Ground. The Chairperson advised Members that the Committee would be receiving a copy of papers relating to the ILEX Project from the Committee for Social Development.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request a report following the awarding of the contract and the completion of the procurement process.
Membership of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions
The Committee noted a response from the Department advising that Ministers have decided that the Executive should resign its membership of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions at the end of 2010.
Mr Attwood re-joined the meeting at 4.02 p.m.
Aiming High for Disabled Children Programme
The Committee noted a response from the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety advising that consequential allocations from the Treasury under the Barnett formula would be available to the Executive to spend in accordance with its priorities and that these funds were not ring-fenced.
Child Poverty Update
The Committee noted a response from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment providing an update on relevant recommendations in the Committee’s Child Poverty report.
The Committee considered a response from the Committee for Education providing an update on relevant recommendations in the Committee’s Child Poverty report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Education seeking further information on when the next review of school transport will take place.
Ms Anderson left the meeting at 4.03 p.m.
7. Correspondence
Departmental support for the Provision of Community Transport
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister concerning departmental support for the provision of community transport to the Committee for Regional Development.
Committee for the Environment
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a letter from the Committee for the Environment concerning local government reform to the Department.
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a letter from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure concerning the promotion of townland names to the Department.
Committee for Finance and Personnel
The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel proposing that it would be taking forward an investigation of the feasibility of increased rate relief for carers and to propose the establishment of an ad-hoc joint committee to undertake a review of support for carers.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Finance and Personnel to convey its support for the proposals.
Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a letter from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety concerning historical child abuse to the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Children in Northern Ireland
The Committee considered correspondence from Children in Northern Ireland concerning the restructuring within the Department.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a briefing from the Department on the restructuring of the Department.
British Heart Foundation
The Committee noted correspondence from the British Heart Foundation highlighting its concerns regarding the proposals to cut the Health Service Budget.
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives
The Committee considered a request from Families Acting for Innocent Relatives to brief the Committee on its work.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and any interested Members would meet with Families Acting for Innocent Relatives.
Assembly Ombudsman and Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints
The Committee considered a request from the Assembly Ombudsman and Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints to brief the Committee on the work of his office.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing from the Assembly Ombudsman and Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints into the Forward Work Programme.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
The Committee noted the Annual Report and Accounts of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for the year ending 31 March 2009.
8. Any other Business
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it would not hold a meeting on the week of the upcoming general election and that the week before the general election the Committee would not take any formal evidence from public witnesses.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held in Room 30 on Monday 12 April 2010 at 9.45 a.m.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.11 p.m.