PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 24 AUGUST 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
The Lord Browne
Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis

In Attendance:
Miss Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Damien Martin (Clerk Assistant)
Ms Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Alyn Hicks (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Kieran Donnelly (NIAO)
Joe Campbell (NIAO)
Josephine O’Brien (NIAO)

Apologies:
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Stephen Moutray

1.08 pm The meeting opened in closed session.

The Committee agreed to conduct the entire meeting in closed session to discuss matters relating to the development of its draft report into the NI Water inquiry.

Members agreed that the Clerk to the Committee for Regional Development should be present.

1. Apologies

Apologies are listed above.

2. NI Water

Correspondence from Contracting Out LLP

The Committee considered correspondence dated 21 July 2010 from Ms Sue Holmes of Contracting Out LLP (enclosing copy correspondence between Contracting Out LLP and NI Water and Contracting Out LLP and the Department for Regional Development).

1.09 pm Mr McLaughlin entered the meeting.

1.35 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.

1.42 pm Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee would formally accept this correspondence as evidence. 

Agreed: The Committee would seek legal advice regarding the extent to which the subject matter of this correspondence should be regarded as sub judice. 

Agreed: The Committee would forward this correspondence to the Head of the Civil Service to inform his investigation into the matters which led to the precautionary suspension of the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development and advise the Head of the Civil Service that this correspondence had been discussed by the Committee in closed session.

Agreed: The Committee would request the terms of reference of the Head of the Civil Service’s investigation and the anticipated timescale for the completion of his investigation.

Correspondence from the Committee for Regional Development

The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Regional Development.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that PAC would consider the request from the Committee for Regional Development to share papers pertaining to the inquiry at its next meeting, by which time further information on the matters under investigation by the Head of the Civil Service should be known and the Committee will have had an opportunity to clarify plans for taking forward its own inquiries. Agreed: The Chairpersons of both Committees would continue to liaise regarding the respective roles of each Committee in relation to the issues arising.

Agreed: The Clerk to the Committee for Regional Development should relay to that Committee the decisions taken at today’s meeting.

Agreed: The Northern Ireland Audit Office would prepare an Issues Paper for the Committee’s next meeting.

Agreed: The Clerk would prepare an Options Paper for the Committee’s next meeting.

3. Any other business

There was no other business.

4. Date, time and place of next meeting

The Committee will meet again in the week commencing Monday 30 August 2010, the date, time and place to be confirmed.

3:00 pm The Chairperson adjourned the meeting.

Mr Paul Maskey
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee
7 September 2010

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