Minutes of Proceedings

COMMITTEE FOR HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Board Room, Donard, Knockbracken Healthcare Park

Present:
Mrs Iris Robinson MP MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Buchanan MLA 
Mr Alex Easton MLA 
Mr Tommy Gallagher MLA
Mrs Carmel Hanna MLA 
Mr Sam Gardiner MLA 
Mr John McCallister MLA 
Mrs Claire McGill MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Hugh Farren (Clerk)
Mr Mark McQuade (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Noelle Bourke (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Joe Westland (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Render (Clerical Officer)

Apologies: 
Dr Kieran Deeny MLA 
Mrs Michelle O’Neill MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA

The meeting commenced at 2.05 pm in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies as listed above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson thanked Autism NI, Autism Initiatives & the Orchardville Society for hosting the Committee’s visit to Newcastle & the use of the boardroom to hold the Committee meeting.

3. Draft Minutes of the Meetings held on 5 February 2009.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 February 2009 were agreed.

4. Matters arising.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister to the Committee’s request for a public inquiry into the circumstances of post mortem injuries sustained by Mrs Maureen McGinley and agreed to copy this to the McGinley family.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about delays in replying to Committee correspondence.

The Committee noted a response from the Belfast Trust about issues raised by Mr Ian McBride.

The Committee noted an acknowledgement from the Office of the First Minister & deputy First Minister about funding for after schools services.

The Committee noted a summary of the key points from a meeting with the Construction Industry Group and agreed to write to the Minister and the Office of the First Minister & deputy First Minister about the issues raised.

The Committee noted a summary of the key points from a meeting with the Shingles Support Society and correspondence from the society. Members agreed to write to the Minister about the issues raised.

5. Evidence session with the Southern Health & Social Care Trust on Efficiency Savings.

Members took evidence from:

Colm Donaghy Chief Executive

Mairead McAlinden Director of Performance and Reform

Martin Dillon Director of Finance

Gillian Rankin Director of Older People and Primary Care

A question and answer session ensued. The witnesses agreed to provide the Committee with further information. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.

2.31 p.m. Mrs Carmel Hanna joined the meeting. 
2.49 p.m. Mr Thomas Buchanan joined the meeting. 
3.23 p.m. Mr Tommy Gallagher left the meeting.

6. Evidence session with the Northern Health & Social Care Trust on Efficiency Savings.

Members took evidence from:

Norma Evans Chief Executive

Bronagh Scott Director of Emergency, Primary Care and Older People's Services.

Peter Flanagan Director of Medical and Governance

Oscar Donnelly Director of Mental Health and Disability Services

A question and answer session ensued. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.

3.44 p.m. Mr Tommy Gallagher rejoined the meeting. 
4.32 p.m. Mr Tommy Gallagher left the meeting. 
4.32 p.m. Mr John McCallister left the meeting. 
4.45 p.m. Mr John McCallister rejoined the meeting.

4.49 p.m. meeting adjourned. 
4.53 p.m. meeting resumed.

7. Statutory Rule. SR 2009/27: The Feeding Stuffs (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009

The Committee considered the content of SR 2009/27: The Feeding Stuffs (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009and had no objection to the Rule subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules being content with the technical aspects of the Rule.

4.55 p.m. Mr Alex Easton rejoined the meeting. 
4.57 p.m. Mrs Claire McGill rejoined the meeting .

8. Statutory Rule. SR 2009/28: The Establishments and Agencies (Fitness of Workers) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009

The Committee considered the content of SR 2009/28: The Establishments and Agencies (Fitness of Workers) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009and had no objection to the Rule subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules being content with the technical aspects of the Rule.

9. Proposals for Statutory Rules

Members were briefed on the proposal to make the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009 by:

Ernie Swain Primary Care Directorate, DHSSPS

and on the proposal to make the Food Irradiation Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009 by:

Mervyn Briggs Local Authority Unit, Food Standards Agency

The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending. Members agreed that the Department and the Food Standards Agency should proceed to prepare these Statutory Rules.

10. Commencement Order

The Committee noted a letter from the Department notifying Members of its intention to introduce a commencement order to bring into force those provisions of the Health & Social Care (Reform) Act ( Northern Ireland) 2009 which did not come into force at the date of Royal assent.

11. European Union Cross-border Healthcare

The Committee noted a paper prepared by Assembly Research outlining the background and main points of the proposed Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Application of Patient’s Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare. The Committee agreed that this paper could be published on the Assembly website.

12. DHSSPS Spring Supplementary Estimate

The Committee noted a letter from the Minister about the Department’s Spring Supplementary Estimate.

13. Correspondence / Press Cuttings / Press Releases.

The Committee noted a letter from the Minister about a consultation being carried out on the proposed Fire Safety Regulations 2009 and agreed to invite officials to brief the Committee on the proposed legislation following the consultation period.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister about the Executive’s Response to the Committee’s Report into Child Poverty.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister seeking the Committee’s views on the Executive’s Response to the Barroso Taskforce Report. The committee has no comments on the report.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure about the availability of a research paper on the Big Lottery Fund and agreed they would like to see a copy of this research paper.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure seeking submissions for their Inquiry into the Funding of Arts in Northern Ireland. Members agreed that a submission should be prepared for consideration and that a letter should be forwarded to the Minister.

The Committee noted a summary of a report on ‘the Smacking Debate in Northern Ireland’

The Committee noted an article in the February 2009 edition of Professional Social Work about rising levels of obesity.

The Committee noted a copy of GMC Today.

The Committee noted a presentation on the work of the Cedar Foundation forwarded by the Committee for Employment and Learning.

The Committee noted a letter from Moya Morris about her work as a teacher of the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition.

The Committee noted a letter from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust about a consultation on their ‘Personal & Public Involvement Plan – Having your say’.

The Committee noted a letter from Cllr Sean Rogers seeking a meeting on behalf of a local action group with the Committee about the proposed closure of Slieve Roe Residential Home, Kilkeel and agreed to invite the group to meet with the Committee. Members also agreed to invite representatives of residents of Greenfield residential home in Strabane to meet with the Committee.

The Committee noted a letter from Trish Cathcart regarding funding for the Hope Centre, Ballymena and agreed to forward the letter to the Northern Health & Social Services Board for a response.

The Committee noted a copy of the Shared Space research journal Issue 7 - January 2009.

14. Any other business

The Committee agreed to invite the Ambulance Service to brief Members on efficiency savings and media coverage of a leaked report on future services.

The Committee discussed how to proceed with informal meetings with healthcare related groups and agreed that in future they would meet with interested groups in periodic events to be held in the Long Gallery. An early event is to be arranged to hear concerns about the closure of residential homes.

The Committee agreed to invite the Institute of Public Health to brief the Committee on the subject of obesity at its meeting on 26 February.

15. Date, time and place of the next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday, 19 February 2009 at 2.00pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.21 pm.