Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Minutes of Proceedings

THURSDAY 17 JANUARY 2008,
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Patsy McGlone (Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Billy Armstrong
Mr David Ford
Mr Tommy Gallagher
Mr Samuel Gardiner
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Daithi McKay
Mr Peter Weir

In Attendance:
Ms Patricia Casey (Assembly Clerk)
Mr William Long (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Sean McCann (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Philip Maguire (Clerical Officer)
Mr Hugh Widdis (Assembly Legal Adviser)

Apologies: Mr Trevor Clarke

The meeting opened at 10.35. a.m. in public session.

  1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above

  1. Minutes

Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed subject to a minor amendment.

  1. Matters Arising

Minister’s statement on Road Safety at 10 January meeting

Members discussed their response to the Minister’s Road Safety statement.

Agreed: That the Committee await the list of key stakeholders from the Department before inviting interested groups to discuss road safety.

Marine Current Turbine meeting on 11 December 2007

Mr Ford briefed the Committee on a meeting he had held with all parties concerned with the plans to install a turbine in the Strangford Narrows.

Members were advised that they had received a copy of draft PPS 18 (Renewable Energy) before the Committee meeting on 6 December 2007.

Agreed: That the Committee request a presentation from the Department on PPS 18.

  1. Giant’s Causeway – Section 44

Members considered the legal opinion from Legal Counsel regarding the possible use of Section 44 in relation to withheld papers relevant to the proposed Giant’s Causeway visitors centre planning application.

The Committee deliberated on the following motion:

‘That this Committee considers the disclosure of the documents relevant to the Giant’s Causeway Visitors Centre planning application, listed in the records schedule (attached), to be necessary for it to fulfil its statutory functions as set out in the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended) and Standing Orders and requests that the Speaker issue a notice requiring the production of the said documents under Section 44(7) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended)’.

Mr Ford proposed the following amendment:

‘That this Committee considers the disclosure of the documents relevant to the Giant’s Causeway Visitors Centre planning application, listed in the records schedule (attached), to be necessary for it to fulfil its statutory functions as set out in the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended) and Standing Orders and agrees, in the light of legal opinion, to consider the exercising of its formal powers under Section 44(7) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended) at its first meeting after 10 March 2008’.

The Committee divided: Ayes 3; Noes 7

AYES

David Ford
Peter Weir
Ian McCrea

NOES

Patsy McGlone
Tommy Gallagher
Cathal Boylan
Billy Armstrong
Samuel Gardiner
Daithi McKay
Alex Maskey

The amendment therefore fell.

The Chairperson put the motion again:

‘That this Committee considers the disclosure of the documents relevant to the Giant’s Causeway Visitors Centre planning application, listed in the records schedule (attached), to be necessary for it to fulfil its statutory functions as set out in the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended) and Standing Orders and requests that the Speaker issue a notice requiring the production of the said documents under Section 44(7) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (as amended)’.

The Committee divided: Ayes 7; Noes 3

AYES

Patsy McGlone
Tommy Gallagher
Cathal Boylan
Billy Armstrong
Samuel Gardiner
Daithi McKay
Alex Maskey

NOES

David Ford
Peter Weir
Ian McCrea

The motion was therefore passed.

Mr Maskey left the meeting at 12.23p.m.

Mr Gallagher left the meeting at 12.23p.m.

Mr Weir left the meeting at 12.24p.m.

Mr McKay left the meeting at 12.24p.m.

Mr McGlone left the meeting at 12.24p.m. Mr Boylan assumed the Chair.

Mr Ford left the meeting at 12.24p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 12.24p.m.

The meeting resumed at 12.25p.m. with the following members present:

Mr Armstrong, Mr Boylan, Mr Ford, Mr Gardiner, Mr McCrea

  1. Committee response on Mourne National Park

Members deliberated on their response to the Mourne National Party Working Report.

Mr McGlone resumed the Chair at 12.28p.m.

Agreed: That the Committee would await a more comprehensive response from the Department before compiling its response.

  1. Committee response on All-Ireland Species Action Plan for the Red Squirrel

Members deliberated on their response to the All-Ireland Species Action Plan for the Red Squirrel.

Agreed: That the Assembly Research paper forms the basis of the Committee’s response.

  1. Proposal for Secondary Legislation – SL1

SL1 – The Draft Waste Management (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007.

Mr Gallagher rejoined the meeting at 12.40p.m.

Mr Weir rejoined the meting at 12.42p.m.

Agreed: That the Committee considered The Draft Waste Management (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007, and had no objections to the proposal.

Mr Gallagher left the meeting at 12.44p.m.

  1. Correspondence
    1. Members noted a “Consultation paper on Options for Implementing the Batteries and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC)”
    2. Members noted a memo from the Clerk to the Committee OFMDFM regarding a response of the Advisory Council on Infrastructure Investment.
    3. Letter and article from Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs regarding the issue of Recreational access to the countryside.
      Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Minister asking for her response on this issue.
    4. Members noted an e-mail from Robert McAllister regarding the law on drink driving.  
    5. Letter from the Clerk to the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development regarding an inquiry into Renewable Energy/Alternative land use.
      Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Clerk to the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development asking to be kept informed of the inquiry as it progresses and asking to be given the opportunity to make an input to the inquiry.
    6. Members noted a letter from the Department regarding the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.  
    7. Members noted an e-mail from Des McConaghy regarding the Giant’s Causeway issue.  
    8. Members noted an e-mail from the Scottish Government regarding an Invitation to a conference on the “Practical Solutions to Scotland’s Renewable Energy Challenges”.
    9. Statement from the Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside regarding the Giant’s Causeway Visitors Centre.
      Agreed: That the Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside is provided with an update on the Causeway issue following today’s meeting.
    10. Memo from Clerk to the Committee for Social Development regarding the Charities Bill requesting that the Minister for the Environment is asked for her views.
      Agreed: That the letter is forwarded to the Minister for the Environment for her views.
    11. Members noted an e-mail from the Clerk of OFMDFM Committee regarding the interim report on its inquiry into Child Poverty.
Publications/Conferences/Press Releases:

Members noted the following press releases:

DOE News releases –

“North-South Gas Pipeline Construction Company Fined £15,000 For Pollution”.

“Threatened Historic Building Protected from Demolition”.

“Newtownhamilton man gets Confiscation Order after Illegal Waste conviction”

“£2M Funding Package for the Northern Ireland Local Government Association”.

“Strabane Man Fined £1,000 for Planning Breach”

Members noted that the following publications were received and had been placed in Members pigeonholes:

Policy Document “Control of Development in Airport Public Safety Zones December 2007”

Report on the “Drinking Water Quality in Northern Ireland 2006”

Consultation Document on “Vehicles Centralisation Policy Equality Impact Assessment”

Copy of the “Department of the Environment Resource Accounts for year ended 31 March 2007”

“Copy of Belfast Healthy Cities Annual Report 2006 – 2007”

  1. Any other business

Mr Armstrong raised the issue of the excessive use of paper within Committees.

Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Chairperson’s Liaison Group asking that the Environment Committee are considered for any pilot project designed to reduce the amount of paper.

  1. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 24 January 2008 at 10.30am in room 144 Parliament Buildings

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.52 p.m.

Patsy McGlone
Chairperson, Committee for the Environment.
24 January 2008

10 January 08 / Menu