PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Room 144, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mr John O’Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance:
Mr Jim Beatty (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shepherd (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr John Dallat
Mr David Hilditch
The meeting opened at 2.01pm in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
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Chairperson’s business.
The Chairperson informed members that he and the Clerk had attended a meeting in Cardiff of the Chairpersons of the Public Accounts Committees in the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly of Wales, and the Dáil.
2.04pm Mr Lunn joined the meeting.
2.04pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
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Minutes of the meeting on 17 April 2008.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising.
The Chairperson informed members that it was unlikely that the Northern Ireland Certification Officer (NICO) would be available to attend a Committee meeting in the near future due to other engagements.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to NICO in relation to issues arising from the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland report.
2.06pm Mr Hamilton joined the meeting.
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Consideration of Memorandum of Response on the Committee’s Report on Job Evaluation in the Education and Library Boards.
Members considered the response to the Committee’s Report on Job Evaluation in the Education and Library Boards. The witness attending was Mr John Dowdall CB, Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
Agreed: Members agreed to write to Department of Finance and Personnel regarding issues around Recommendation 7.
Agreed: Members agreed to obtain an update on the progress against the Department’s response to the Committee’s recommendations in due course.
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NIAO Estimates
Members considered the NIAO Estimates. The witnesses attending were Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG, Ms Catherine O’Hagan, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members had no issues with the Estimates and will forward confirmation of this to the Audit Committee.
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Briefing on the NIAO report ‘Northern Ireland Tourist Board – Contract to Manage the Trading Activities of Rural Cottage Holidays Ltd’.
Members considered correspondence from the Accounting Officer, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Stephen McCormick, Director, Mr Gary Christie, Audit Manager, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the NIAO Report, ‘Northern Ireland Tourist Board – Contract to Manage the Trading Activities of Rural Cottage Holidays Ltd’, and answered members’ questions.
2.23pm The meeting went into closed session.
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Issues arising from oral evidence session on the NIAO Report ‘Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland’.
Members discussed issues relating to the evidence session. The C&AG and his staff answered the members questions.
3.05pm Mr McLaughlin left the meeting.
3.11pm Mr Hamilton left the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed to send a letter to the Accounting Officer, Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) asking for written answers to further questions.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Accounting Officer, DEL, requesting clarification on the trading solvency of the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council.
Agreed: Members agreed to refer the agreed draft of the Committee report to the OFMdFM Committee for comment.
Agreed: Members agreed to delay the proposed launch of the Committee report.
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Consideration of the Committee’s Draft Report on Good Governance – Effective Relationships between Departments and their Arm’s Length Bodies.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph. The witnesses attending were Mr John Dowdall CB , C&AG, Mr Eddie Bradley, Director of Value for Money, Mr David Murdie, Audit Manager, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager , NIAO.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
3.25pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
Paragraphs 1 – 9 read and agreed.
Paragraph 10 read, amended and agreed.
3.29pm Mr Craig rejoined the meeting.
3.29pm Mr McCrea left the meeting.
3.30pm Mr Hamilton rejoined the meeting.
Paragraphs 11 – 16 read and agreed.
Paragraph 17 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 18 – 20 read and agreed.
Paragraph 21 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 22 – 27 read and agreed.
3.41pm Mr McCrea rejoined the meeting.
Paragraph 28 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 29 and 30 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 31 and 32 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 33 read and agreed.
Paragraph 34 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 35 and 36 read and agreed.
Paragraph 37 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 38 – 41 read and agreed.
Paragraph 42 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 43 read and agreed.
3.52pm Mr Lunn left the meeting.
Paragraphs 44 and 45 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 46 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 47 and 48 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 49 read and agreed.
Paragraph 50 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 51 – 54 read and agreed.
Paragraph 55 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 56 and 57 read and agreed.
Paragraph 58 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 59 read and agreed.
The Committee considered the Executive Summary of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 6 read and agreed.
Paragraph 7 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 8 – 11 read and agreed.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson’s letter requesting additional information and the response from the Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel, would be included in the Committee’s report.
Agreed: Members agreed to embargo the report until 00.01am on 15 May 2008, when the report would be officially released.
Agreed: Members agreed that they would not hold a press conference.
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Any other business.
None.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 1 May 2008 at 2.00pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.14pm.