COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2011
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Billy Armstrong MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Anna Lo MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Conall McDevitt MLA
George Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Billy Leonard MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
The meeting commenced at 10.17am in open session.
Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft Minutes of meetings held on 31 January and 1 February 2011
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
- Members noted information provided by Northern Ireland Water, as requested by the Committee at its meeting of 6 January 2011 .
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development to Ballymena Sea Cadets, dated 3 February 2011, in relation to water bills.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 3 February 2011, in relation to the appointments to Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners.
- Agreed: Members considered and agreed the itinerary and list of invitees to its stakeholder engagement event on key issues and future challenges, scheduled for 23 February 2011 . Members also agreed that the Committee meeting, scheduled for that day, should commence at 9.30am.
- Agreed: Members considered a request for comments, form the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, on the Northern Ireland Executive Economic Strategy – Priorities for Sustainable Growth consultation document and agreed to defer consideration of the response to the meeting of 16 February 2011 .
- The Committee noted correspondence and a report from the Consumer Council on the recent water crisis.
- Agreed: The Committee noted a paper from representatives of the unions at Northern Ireland Water in relation to the company’s handling of the recent water crisis, at an operational level. The Committee also received an update on the meeting with representatives of the unions on 8 February 2011. Members agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development in relation to the issues raised during the meeting and in the paper.
4. Research briefing on rural development issues and challenges in Northern Ireland
10.43am Mr McDevitt joined the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Service on rural development issues and challenges in Northern Ireland .
10.58am Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
5. Research briefing and Departmental briefing on the Revised Regional Development Strategy (RDS)
Agreed: The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Service on the revised Regional Development Strategy (RDS) and agreed to publish the research paper on the Assembly website.
11.23am Mr McCann left the meeting.
11.54am Mr McCann returned to the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee also received a briefing from Departmental officials Jenny Pyper, Alison McQueen and Ian Raphael on the Department’s approach to consultation on the revised Regional Development Strategy. Members agreed to recommend detailed scrutiny on the outcome of the consultation and the revised RDS to the incoming Regional Development Committee, following the Assembly elections. Members also agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development, seeking clarification on issues raised during the briefing.
6. Joint Roads Service / NILGA briefing on the gritting of footpaths in town centres
11.57am Mr Armstrong left the meeting.
The Committee received a joint briefing from Dr Andrew Murray of Roads Service and Cllr Evelyne Robinson, Cllr Dermot Curran and John Dempsey of NILGA on the gritting of footpaths in town centres.
12.20pm Miss McIlveen left the meeting.
12.25pm Mr McDevitt left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Roads Service and NILGA in relation to the issues discussed during the briefing.
12.31pm Mr Boylan left the meeting.
7. Briefings from Belfast Harbour and the Department for Regional Development on the Department’s planned spending allocations and savings delivery plans for 2011-2015
The Committee noted a response to the Department’s consultation on the Draft Budget 2011-15 from Professor Austin Smyth of the University of Westminster and Mr Stephen Wood of Stephen Wood Consultancy. The Committee also received an update on the meeting with Professor Smyth and Mr Wood on 7 February 2011.
The Committee also note a paper on the Draft Budget from Mike Tomlinson and Grace Kelly of PSE UK.
12.39pm Mr Armstrong and Mr Boylan returned to the meeting.
12.40pm Mr Robinson left the meeting.
The Committee received a briefing from representatives of Belfast Harbour, Len O’Hagan, Maurice Bullick and Joe O’Neill on the implications of the Draft Budget on ports.
12.48pm Mr Robinson returned to the meeting.
12.56pm Miss McIlveen returned to the meeting.
The Committee also received a briefing from Departmental officials Doreen Brown and Stewart Barnes, and from Geoff Allister of Roads Service, on the issues arising from the Departmental briefing on the Draft Budget on 20 January 2011 and from the take-note debate on the Draft Budget on 31 January 2011.
The Chairperson and Members thanked Doreen Brown for her work with the Committee and wished her a long and happy retirement.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Belfast Harbour and the Department in relation to the issues discussed during the briefings.
8. Consideration of draft Committee report on “Transport Matters” event
Agreed: Members deferred consideration of the first draft of the Committee’s report on the “Transport Matters” event, held on 12 January 2011, to the meeting of 16 February 2011.
9. Rail Passenger Rights and Obligations (Exemptions) Regulations 2011: Outcome of public consultation and consideration of SL1
Agreed: Members considered a written briefing on the outcome of the Department’s public consultation on the Rail Passenger Rights and Obligations (Exemptions) Regulations 2011 and noted the associated SL1. The Committee agreed to consider the policy merits of the SL1 at the meeting of 16 February 2011.
10. Subordinate Legislation
Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:
- The Parking Places (Disabled Persons' Vehicles) (Amendment No.5) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Londonderry) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Prohibition of Traffic (North Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Loading Bays (Amendment No.4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Road races (Cairncastle Hill Climb) Order (northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Newry) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Cycle Routes (Amendment no.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 - Omagh;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Castlederg) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
- The Private Access at No.168 Dublin Road, Loughbrickland (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Members noted that the SL1 memos from the Department on the above proposals made no reference to their having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local councils affected by the above proposals have been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant councils regarding these policy proposals.
Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 1 February 2011:
- The Parking Places on Roads (Strabane) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Portadown) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Roads Races (Sperrin Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Ballymena) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Road Races (Tandragee 100) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
- The Prohibition of Traffic (Ardoyne, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it was content with the policy merits of these SL1s.
11. Correspondence
Members noted the Equality Commission’s January 2011 newsletter.
Members noted the World Wildlife Fund’s 100% renewable energy report.
The Committee noted the Departmental press release “Murphy welcomes water and sewerage improvements in Seagahan and Keady”.
The Committee noted a number of press statements from Northern Ireland Water on the recent interruption to water supply in Kilkeel.
12. Any Other Business
Forward Work Programme
Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme should be published on the Assembly website.
13. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 February 2011 at 10.00am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.29pm.
Fred Cobain, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
16 February 2011
01 February 2011 / Menu
