Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2011/2012
Date: 28 June 2012
Venue: The Senate Chamber
The meeting began at 10.14am in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of meeting held on 21 June 2012
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on 21 June were agreed.
3. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted correspondence from the Institute of Physics in Ireland (UCD) welcoming the Research and Development Inquiry report.
Members noted an invitation received by the Chair and the Deputy Chair to the re-launch of British Airways to the Belfast City Airport.
Members discussed the possibility of holding an event to consider the report of the Committee Inquiry Research and Development.
Agreed: to hold an event on the 12 November in the Long Gallery.
4. Matters Arising
Agreed: to defer a news article on the manufacturing sector in Scotland until next week’s meeting.
5. Shale Gas Exploration: Tamboran Resources Ltd
Officials joined the meeting at 10.18am.
Patsy McGlone joined the meeting at 10.19am.
Members received an oral briefing from Richard Moorman, Chief Executive, Lisa Rollins, Director of Corporate Communications, Dr Tony Bazley, Director of Environmental and Community Affairs and Karl Prenderville, Commercial Director, Tamboran.
Key issues discussed included overview of Tamboran global market, theoretical size land required for the project, water usage and employment prospects.
Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 10.40am.
Paul Frew joined the meeting at 10.45am.
The Chair suspended the meeting at 11.04am due to technical difficulties.
Gordon Dunne left the meeting at 11.04am.
The Chair reconvened the meeting at 11.14am.
Phil Flanagan declared an interest as a family member who owns land in the Fermanagh area.
Sandra Overend left the meeting at 12.03pm.
Agreed: Tamboran to provide information on its model of the size of landmass needed per well.
Officials left the meeting at 12.46pm.
Agreed: to commission further research from Assembly Research on hydraulic fracturing.
Agreed: to make the information received by the Committee available on the website.
Daithí McKay left the meeting at 12.51pm.
6. Trading Standards – Payday Loans
Officials joined the meeting at 12.51pm.
Members received an oral briefing from Dennis Cunningham, Head of Consumer Affair and Jimmy Hughes, Deputy Chief Trading Standards Officer.
Key issues discussed included interest rate calculations, holistic approach to lending, Consumer Credit Act, and identification of safeguards to protect borrowers.
Agreed: Trading Standards to provide information from the Business, Innovations and Skills Select Committee’s review on debt management.
Agreed: to forward the briefing papers supplied by the Citizens Advice (NI), Advice NI, Irish League of Credit Unions and the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions to Trading Standards.
Agreed: to commission Assembly Research into the experience and regulation of payday lending in other jurisdictions and the level and nature of problems arising as a result of payday lending in Northern Ireland.
Officials left the meeting at 1.37pm.
7. Smart Metering: Written Briefing from Assembly Research
Agreed: to defer this item until next week’s meeting.
8. The Irish Open 2012: Written Briefing from NITB
Members noted the written briefing.
9. Proposals for the Health & Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012: Written Briefing from HSENI
Members noted the written briefing.
10. Development of a New Work Programme for Northern Ireland: Written Briefing from NICVA
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: to contact NICVA and suggest that they engage with the Committee for Employment & Learning on the issue in the first instance.
11. Correspondence
Members noted the following items of correspondence:
i. Responses from Statutory Committees on the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP).
ii. Correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the Departmental Savings Delivery Plans March 2012.
Agreed: to ask the Department for details of any impact on frontline services resulting from the Savings Delivery Plan.
iii. Executive Summary of the report on “Improving the Quality of Foreign Direct Investment to Northern Ireland.”
iv. Letter to the Chair from Manufacturing NI on the Carbon Levy.
Agreed: to forward the letter to the Oireachtas Committee a copy of the letter for information.
v. Letter to the Chair of the Committee for OFMDFM from the Department nominating officials to attend the European Advisory Panel meeting on 25 June.
vi. Response from the Department on the benefits of international visits on business and tourism.
vii. Assembly Research paper on the scrutiny of the Main Estimates 2012-13 from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the Budget (No.2) Bill.
12. Any other business
There were no other items of business.
13. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 5 July at 10.30am, Room 30, Parliament Buildings
The Chair adjourned the meeting at 1.41pm.
