COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

OFFICIAL REPORT
(Hansard)

Dioxins Inquiry

8 December 2009

 

Members present for all or part of the proceedings:

Mr Ian Paisley Jnr (Chairperson)
Mr Tom Elliott (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Willie Clarke
Mr Pat Doherty
Mr William Irwin
Mr Francie Molloy

 

The Chairperson (Mr Paisley Jnr):

The report, which you should all have, has not been changed since you last saw it. First, it is necessary to seek agreement from members that I can approve the minutes of this meeting so that they can be included in the final report.

Mr Elliott:

The minutes of this meeting?

The Chairperson:

Yes. Is that not right?

The Committee Clerk:

Yes, that the Chairperson can agree them.

The Chairperson:

That I can sign them off, basically.

The Committee Clerk:

He can sign them off as being accurate in this instance, so that they can be included in the report.

Mr Elliott:

I agree, then.

The Committee Clerk:

Obviously, members will get a Hansard transcript of this. We are hoping that it will be turned around fairly quickly, although we have not actually discussed it with Hansard yet.

The Chairperson:

It is called bouncing them.

The Committee Clerk:

I propose to issue the transcript to members by e-mail and seek any comments by return, by the end of this week. If members do not have any comments, or make a nil return, the Committee office will presume that members are content with the Hansard report. Again, that is so that it can be included in the report.

The Chairperson:

In the appendix.

The Committee Clerk:

Yes, it will be in the appendix.

The Chairperson:

Also, I want to draw members’ attention to the fact that the report remains confidential. It is a very good report, and I commend the Committee staff for bringing it this far. In January, it will certainly be an interesting talking point for the Committee. However, it is confidential, and we will try to keep it that way so that we can start off the year on our agenda.

We need to go through it paragraph by paragraph, but we have already gone through the report on a previous occasion, and there have been no substantive changes since our last meeting. I propose that we take the paragraphs in blocks.

Mr Elliott:

Do we have to go through it all? There were only a couple of changes suggested.

The Committee Clerk:

Formally, we need to go through the report, as the Chairperson said. Rather than go paragraph by paragraph, the normal process will be as the Chairperson suggested: we take the block paragraphs and then the appendices in their entirety, without going through them page by page.

Mr Elliott:

OK.

The Chairperson:

Membership and powers; basically, paragraphs 1 to 3 on page i. Are members agreed?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

And on page iii, there is the table of contents, the inquiry aim and the terms of reference — paragraph 4. Are members in agreement?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Paragraph 5: the approach. That is paragraphs 6, 7 and 8, actually.

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Turning to the summary of recommendations, I am looking at paragraph 9, which goes over two pages. Are members agreed?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

On, then, to page 5, which is paragraphs 10 and 11. Are members agreed?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Paragraphs 12 to 15. Are members agreed?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Paragraphs 16 to 21?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Paragraphs 22 to 25?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

And finally, paragraphs 26 to 31?

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

That is the report concluded. I would like members to agree appendix 1, appendix 2, which is the Minutes of Evidence, appendix 3, which is the written submissions, and appendix 4, which is the summary timetable.

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

The question is that this report be the second report of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee to the Assembly.

Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:

Then there is a motion to the Business Office:

“That this Assembly approves the Report of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development on its Inquiry into the Dioxin Contamination Incident of December 2008; and calls on the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, in liaison with Executive colleagues, to bring forward a timetable for implementing the recommendations contained in the report.”

Are members agreed?

Members indicated assent.