PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 26 February 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Ms Alison Ross (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Dawn Purvis
Mr Jim Wells
The meeting opened at 2.01pm in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2. Chairperson’s business.
The Chairperson informed members that he would be attending a meeting of the Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees from Scotland, Wales, Westminster and the Dáil, at the end of March 2009.
3. Minutes of the meeting on 12 February 2009.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
4. Matters arising.
Members noted a letter from the Treasury Officer of Accounts providing clarification in respect of the Memorandum of Reply on the Committee’s Report on Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07.
5. NIAO Estimates 2009-10
Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Ms Louise Mason, Assistant Auditor General, Mr Tomas Wilkinson, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the NIAO Estimates 2009-10 and answered a number of questions.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to inform the Audit Committee that it had no issues with the NIAO Estimates 2009-10.
2.30pm The meeting went into closed session .
6. Consideration of the Committee’s Draft Report on Road Openings by Utilities: Follow-up to Recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 6 read and agreed.
Paragraph 7 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 8 – 10 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 11 – 13 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 15 and 16 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 17 – 19 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 20 – 22 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 23 read and agreed.
Paragraph 24 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 25 read and agreed.
Paragraph 26 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 27 – 29 read and agreed.
3.02pm Mr Dallat left the meeting .
Paragraphs 30 – 31 read, amended and agreed.
3.12pm Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting .
Paragraphs 32 and 33 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 34 – 37 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 38 and 39 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 40 – 42 read and agreed.
3.21pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
Paragraph 43 read, amended and agreed.
3.25pm Mr Craig rejoined the meeting.
Paragraphs 44 – 47 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 48 read and agreed.
Paragraph 49 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 50 – 53 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 54 – 56 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 57 and 58 read and agreed.
Paragraph 59 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 60 and 61 read and agreed.
Paragraph 62 read amended, and agreed.
Paragraphs 63 and 64 read and agreed.
The Committee considered the Executive Summary.
Paragraph 1 read and agreed.
Paragraph 2 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 3 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 4 and 5 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 6 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 7 and 8 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 9 read and agreed.
Paragraph 10 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 11 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 12 – 14 read, amended and agreed.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson’s letters to the Accounting Officer, Department for Regional Development, together with the responses from the Accounting Officer, Department for Regional Development and the Chief Executive, Roads Service, will also be included in the Committee’s report.
Agreed: Members agreed the report would be embargoed until 00.01am on Thursday, 19 March 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk should seek advice from the Press Office regarding publicity for the launch of the report, and bring proposals to the next meeting.
3. 55pm Mr McLaughlin left the meeting.
7. Issues from the oral evidence session on NIAO report ‘The PFI Contract for Northern Ireland’s New Vehicle Testing Facilities’.
Members considered and agreed the issues paper.
8. Any other business.
(a) The Committee noted correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel enclosing information from the Department for Finance & Personnel on Post Project Evaluations
(b) The Chairperson informed members that there had been a constructive meeting with the members of the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts in Dublin.
(c) The Chairperson reminded members of the invitation to visit the Audit Committee of the National Assembly of Wales, and the proposed date for the visit is 14 May 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed the date of the visit to Wales, and that the Clerk should make the necessary arrangements.
Agreed: Members agreed that the forward work programme should be amended accordingly.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 5 March 2009 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.59pm.