Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 2.05 p.m.

1. Apologies

As above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

The Committee noted the list of current invitations.

3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2011

Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 12 October 2011 was agreed by the Committee.

Mr Molloy joined the meeting at 2.06 p.m.

4. Matters Arising

List of Outstanding Issues

The Committee noted the list of outstanding issues.

5. Correspondence

Assembly and Executive Review Committee

The Committee noted correspondence from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee concerning its Review of the Initial Ministerial Provision in relation to the Department for Justice .

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a list of key stakeholders to the Committee for Social Development.

Committee for Social Development

The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Social Development requesting that the Committee host a table at its fuel poverty event on 16 November 2011.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Social Development to seek clarification in relation to the logistics of the event.

Mr Clarke joined the meeting at 2.08 p.m.

Public Account Committee

The Committee considered correspondence from the Public Accounts Committee regarding a ‘Ministerial Direction’ with respect to the Shackleton site at Ballykelly.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing on this issue alongside the briefing it will receive on Departmental accounting on 16 November 2011.

6. Proposals to Update Legislation to Reform the Office of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman

A Researcher from the Assembly’s Research and Information Service briefed the Committee on the bodies highlighted in the Deloitte report of 2004 as falling outside the remit of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman. A question and answer session followed.

Agreed: Members agreed to request further information in relation to those bodies and the work being undertaken by the Department of Justice in relation to gaps in administrative justice.

7. Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration

A Departmental official and Wallace Consulting joined the meeting at 2.36 p.m.

Ms Ruane left the meeting at 3.27 p.m.

Departmental official, Mrs Linsey Farrell and Ms Joanne Wallace of Wallace Consulting briefed the Committee on the analysis of the consultation on the draft Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. A question and answer session followed.

Departmental officials left the meeting at 3.48 p.m.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to liaise with the Working Group, which is taking forward the Programme, and to have an informal roundtable meeting to consider how the Committee takes the issue forward.

Mr Humphrey left the meeting at 3.57 p.m.

8. European Issues

Agreed: The Committee agreed its response to the review of the Department’s European Division.

Mr Humphrey re-joined the meeting at 4.00 p.m.

Researchers from the Assembly’s Research and Information Service briefed the Committee on a number of European issues. A question and answer session followed.

Mr Humphrey left the meeting at 4.19 p.m.

9. Any Other Business

Draft Forward Work Programme

The Committee noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme.

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be in Room 30, Parliament Buildings on Wednesday 9 November 2011 at 2 p.m.

• The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.36 p.m.

Mr Tom Elliott MLA
Chairperson,
Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister