Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs - Policy/Scrutiny
Withdrawal of Department Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and Local Authority staff from Ports
Terms of Reference
The Committee has agreed to undertake scrutiny of the recent decision by DAERA to remove officials from SPS checks at point of entry / border control posts at the ports of Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint; and Mid and East Antrim Council to withdraw staff from the SPS checks at point of entry / border control posts at Larne. The following is a non-exclusive list of the issues that the Committee scrutiny may focus on:
- Establishing a timeline regarding discussions that took place between officials in the local authorities and DAERA, which led to the decision to withdraw staff, including those that took place on 31st January between the then Minister, Edwin Poots, and the DAERA Permanent Secretary.
- How DAERA and the relevant local authorities, gathered, assessed and reported on the alleged threats to staff; to whom, within each organisation, that information was provided; who, within each organisation, made the decision or otherwise, to withdraw council / DAERA staff. Additionally, how was the decision reached to return staff to work and who took that?
- Consider the difference in approach between the councils and the rationale to remove/maintain council staff at ports.
- Establishing what consideration was given by DAERA and Mid and East Antrim Council to the PSNI assessments of the threat in deciding to withdraw staff.
The Committee will take written and oral evidence from the following organisations:
- DAERA
- Mid & East Antrim Council
- Belfast City Council
- Newry and Mourne Council
- Trade Unions
- PSNI
The Committee will request written evidence from the following organisations
- Port of Larne
- Warrenpoint Port
- Londonderry Port and Harbour
- Belfast Harbour Commissioners
- Belfast International Airport
The Committee may prepare a report on its scrutiny of this matter.
