PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Phil Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
The meeting opened at 2.04 pm in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
2:05 pm Mr Craig entered the meeting.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 14 January 2010
Agreed : The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
3. Matters arising
Correspondence from the Rivers Agency
Member noted correspondence from Mr John Clarke, Chief Executive, Rivers Agency relating to the recoupment of drainage infrastructure costs.
2:07 pm Ms Purvis entered the meeting.
2:09 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
Correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Mr Jim Drennan, Department of Finance and Personnel relating to the laying date of MORs due from the Department.
Agreed: Members agreed to the proposed revision to the Forward Work Programme to consider the MORs at a later meeting.
2:11 pm Mr Dallat entered the meeting.
Correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel providing an update on the progress of post project evaluations made by departments.
Correspondence from Moyle District Council
Members noted correspondence from Mr Richard Lewis, Clerk & Chief Executive, Moyle District Council in relation to Glenmona Resource Centre in Cushendun.
Agreed: Members agreed to forward this correspondence to the Northern Ireland Audit Office for investigation.
4 th Composite Report.
Correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel in response to the Committee’s previous request for further information relating to legal challenges on procurement and the recoupment of fees.
Correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel in response to the Committee’s previous request on electronic service delivery in Government departments.
Agreed: Members agreed to commence the compilation of the 4 th Composite Report to be considered at a later date.
2:13 pm Mr Hilditch entered the meeting.
5. Joint MOR
The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘The Management of Social Housing Rent Collection and Arrears’.
Members put a number of questions to Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the TOA to ask for further clarification of some information in the response.
The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘Bringing the SS Nomadic to Belfast – The Acquisition and Restoration of the SS Nomadic’.
2:32 pm The meeting went into closed session.
6. Memorandum from the NIAO
Members noted the memorandum and detailed note from Mr Kieran Donnelly, Comptroller & Auditor General, on Organised Crime.
Mr Kieran Donnelly, C&AG, Mr Brandon McMaster, Director; and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager; answered a number of questions put by members.
Agreed: Members agreed to consider further action on this memorandum at its next forward work planning meeting.
7. Issues Paper on the Pre-school Education Expansion Programme.
Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.
8. Consideration of the Draft Committee Report on ‘The Performance of the Health Service’.
2:58 pm Mr Donaldson left the meeting.
3:01 pm Mr Donaldson entered the meeting.
3:08 pm Mr Donaldson left the meeting.
3:16 pm Mr Donaldson entered the meeting.
3:18 pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.
Paragraph 39 read and agreed.
Paragraph 43 read and agreed.
Paragraph 44 read and agreed.
Paragraph 45 read and agreed.
Paragraph 46 read and agreed.
Paragraph 56 read and agreed.
Paragraph 57 read and agreed.
Paragraph 58 read and agreed.
Paragraph 62 read, amended and agreed.
Consideration of the Executive Summary
Paragraphs 1 – 6 read and agreed subject to the amendments agreed to in the main report.
3: 26 pm Mr Hilditch and Mr Shannon entered the meeting.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01 am on Thursday, 11 February 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed to launch the report with a press release to be agreed at a later meeting.
9. Consideration on the Draft Committee Report on ‘The Performance of Northern Ireland’s Planning Service’.
3:27 pm Mr Beggs declared an interest as he is a Councillor at Carrickfergus Borough Council
3:35pm Mr Shannon left the meeting.
3:39 pm Mr Shannon entered the meeting.
3:43 pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.
Paragraphs 1 – 10 read and agreed.
3:49 pm Mr Shannon left the meeting.
3:50 pm Mr Shannon entered the meeting.
Paragraph 11 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 12 – 13 read and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 15 read and agreed.
Paragraph 16 read, amended and agreed.
3:59 pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
Paragraph 17 read and agreed.
Paragraph 18 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 19 – 24 read and agreed.
4:03 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
Paragraph 25 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 26 – 27 read and agreed.
Paragraph 28 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 29 – 39 read and agreed.
Paragraph 40 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 41 – 47 read and agreed.
Paragraph 48 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 49 – 56 read and agreed.
4:15 pm Mr Donaldson left the meeting.
Paragraphs 57 – 58 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 59 – 61 read amended and agreed.
Paragraph 62 read, amended and agreed.
4:25 pm Mr Donaldson entered the meeting.
4:26 pm Mr Lunn left the meeting.
Paragraphs 63 – 67 read and agreed.
Consideration of the Executive Summary
Paragraphs 1 – 12 read and agreed subject to the amendments agreed to in the main report.
Paragraph 6 amended and agreed by correspondence.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01 am on Thursday, 18 February 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed to launch the report with a press release to be agreed at a later meeting.
10. Any other business
Members agreed to the proposed amendment to the Forward Work Programme.
11. Date, time and venue of the next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 28 January 2010 at 2:00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4:31 pm.