PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jim Wells
The meeting opened at 2.15pm in public session, the Deputy Chairperson in the Chair.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
The Deputy Chairperson thanked Mr John Dallat, Mr Thomas Burns and Mr Jim Wells, who would be leaving the Committee, for their work with the Public Accounts Committee; in particular Mr John Dallat who has served on the Committee during the first mandate of the Assembly and since the Assembly was restored.
The Deputy Chairperson welcomed Mr Robert Adams to the meeting.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 18 June 2009.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
3. Matters arising.
Members discussed correspondence from the acting Accounting Officer, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, in relation to the Committee’s Report on Brangam Bagnall & Co.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Accounting Officer acknowledging the correspondence and highlighting some issues.
Members noted the correspondence from the Accounting Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in relation to control of bovine tuberculosis.
Agreed: Members agreed to keep the correspondence on file as it was too late to be published with the Committee’s report.
2.26pm Mr Craig joined the meeting.
Members considered a request from a member of the public for copies of the correspondence from the Audit Office to the Committee in relation to Rathlin Ferry.
Agreed: Members agreed to release the correspondence as requested.
4. Memorandum of Reply on Committee Report on Road Openings by Utilities.
Members considered the Memorandum of Reply on the Committee’s Report on Road Openings by Utilities.
5. Forward Work Programme.
Members discussed the draft forward work programme for the period September to December 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed to take evidence on the following reports:
(a) The Management of Social Housing Rent Collection and Arrears; and Bringing the SS Nomadic to Belfast.
(b) Public Service Agreements – Measuring Performance; and Irish Sport Horse Genetic Testing Unit Ltd.
(c) Review of New Deal 25.
(d) Performance of the Health Service in Northern Ireland, including an update on Transforming Emergency Care in Northern Ireland, and Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
(e) Members agreed to defer the scheduling of a further report until mid-September 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed to take written evidence for the Fourth Composite Report on the following NIAO reports:
(a) Electronic Service Delivery within NI Government.
(b) Internal Fraud in the Sports Institute for NI.
(c) Financial Auditing and Reporting: 2007-2008.
3.00pm Ms Purvis left the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed to consider updates on how the departments are progressing with the Committee’s recommendations in previous reports, initially in writing but where appropriate through oral evidence sessions.
Agreed: Members agreed to revisit the issue of NIAO reports being considered by Statutory Committees, at next week’s meeting.
6. Issues paper on evidence session on NIAO report ‘Review of Assistance to Valence Technology: A Case Study on Inward Investment’.
Members discussed and agreed the issues paper as the outline for its report.
Agreed : Members agreed to write to Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts; and to the Accounting Officer, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for further information.
3.10pm The meeting went into closed session.
3.11pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
7. Press Release.
3.13pm Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting.
Members considered and agreed a press release to launch the Committee Report on The Review of Financial Management in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland and Governance Examination of Fermanagh FE College.
8. Consideration of the draft Committee Report on Improving Maintenance Procurement and the Investigation of Suspected Contract Fraud.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 3 on page 13 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 1 – 3 on page 14 read and agreed.
Paragraph 4 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 5 – 9 read and agreed.
Paragraph 10 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 11 – 13 read and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 15 read and agreed.
Paragraph 16 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 17 – 22 read and agreed.
Paragraph 23 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 24 and 25 read and agreed.
Paragraph 26 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 27 and 28 read and agreed.
Paragraph 29 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 30 and 31 read and agreed.
Paragraph 32 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 33 – 44 read and agreed.
Three new paragraphs were agreed and included in the report.
Paragraphs 45 and 46 read and agreed.
3.47pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 2 July 2009 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings, Belfast.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.52pm.