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COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRE

Minutes of Proceedings
THURSDAY 24 May 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Martina Anderson
Dolores Kelly
Barry McElduff
Francie Molloy
Stephen Moutray
Jim Shannon
Jimmy Spratt
Jim Wells

In Attendance:
Damien Martin (Assembly Clerk)
Joe Sloan (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Lynda Mulholland (Clerical Supervisor)
Marion Johnson (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened at 2.02 pm in public session.

  1. Apologies
    Tom Elliott

Mrs Long and Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 2.05 p.m.

  1. Declaration of Interests

An updated list of Committee Members’ interests was circulated for the Committee’s consideration. The Chairperson asked members to declare if they had any additional interests to record on the list of Committee Members’ interests. Mrs Kelly provided additional information relating to a visit by the Policing Board.

  1. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson briefed members on a meeting of the Committee that he had held with representatives of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations and also with the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Clerk undertook to circulate papers received from the Commissioner for Public Appointments for consideration at the next meeting.

  1. Draft Minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2007

The minutes of proceedings for Wednesday, 16 May 2007 were agreed by the Committee.

Mr McElduff joined the meeting at 2.08 p.m.

  1. Matters Arising

Members were asked to provide the Clerk with confirmation in relation to their attendance at the comprehensive briefing and visit scheduled to take place at the Maze/Long Kesh site on 13 June 2007.

The members were advised that an invitation to attend an early meeting of the Committee had been issued to the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

  1. Briefing from the Strategy Directorate

Departmental Officials, Paul Priestly, Linda Wilson and Alan Maitland provided an overview of the structures and responsibilities of the Strategy Directorate. The officials outlined areas of potential Committee interest and discussed the relationship between the Department and its sponsored bodies.

Members questioned the officials on aspects of the work of the Strategy Directorate and on progress in a range of policy development areas. Officials undertook to appraise the Committee on the Position Report of the Executive’s Programme for Government in advance of its consideration by the Assembly in plenary. Officials also undertook to provide additional information on the Advisory Council on Infrastructure Investment and the Maze/Long Kesh Project.

The Chairperson expressed a potential interest by the Committee in the review of the Strategic Investment Board before thanking the officials for the briefing. He suggested that members might wish to discuss the matters they had raised, with the Clerk, to assist with the prioritisation of issues in the Committee Forward Plan.

  1. Briefing from the Resources, and International Relations Directorate / Review of Public Administration (RPA) Implementation

Departmental Officials, John McMillen, Paul Geddis and Damien Prince provided an overview of the structures and responsibility of the Resources, and International Relations Directorate / RPA Implementation and outlined areas of potential committee interest.

Members questioned the officials on aspects of the work of the Directorate and on the position on a range of policy development areas. Officials agreed to provide additional details in relation to the Directorate Budget, resourcing of the Planning Appeals Commission, the Washington Bureau, Guidance from the Public Service Commission and on OFMDFM’s role relating to European matters. The Chairperson expressed a potential interest in a familiarisation visit to Brussels by the Committee in the autumn before thanking the officials.

The Chairperson agreed to communicate members’ concerns regarding the lack of information available to staff working in the education sector on new education structures being established as a result of the Review of Public Administration to the Education Committee.

The Chairperson suggested that members might wish to discuss the matters they had raised, with the Clerk, to assist with the prioritisation of issues in the Committee Forward Plan.

  1. Correspondence

The Chairperson advised the Committee that both he and the Deputy Chairperson had received an invitation to attend the Universal Banking Roundtable in July.

  1. Any Other Business

The Committee agreed to consider its formal name at the next meeting.

  1. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 30 May 2007 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.15 p.m.

Mr Danny Kennedy
Chairperson, Committee of the Centre
30 May 2007

16 May 2007 / MENU