Joint Concurrent Committee meeting of the Committee for the Economy and the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Minutes of Proceedings - Wednesday 5 March 2025
Meeting Location: The Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Stormont
Present:
Mr Phillip Brett MLA (Chairperson)
MrRobbie Butler MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Diana Armstrong MLA
Mr John Blair MLA
Mr Jonathan Buckley MLA
Mr David Honeyford MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Mr Patsy McGlone MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Present via video conferencing:
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Apologies:
Mr Gary Middleton MLA
Ms Aine Murphy MLA
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin MLA
Ms Kate Nicholl MLA
In Attendance:
Peter McCallion (Assembly Clerk)
Janice Thompson (Assembly Clerk)
Anthea Matthews (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Karen O'Hare (Clerical Supervisor)
Stuart Gilmour (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced in public session at 12:21pm.
1. Apologies
Apologies were as indicated above.
2. Declarations of Interest
Phillip Brett declared an interest in that he had met with Fibrus Networks Ltd on a party basis.
Dianna Armstrong declared an interest in that she is a Fibrus Networks Ltd customer.
Emma Sheerin declared an interest in that her mother is a Fibrus Networks Ltd customer.
3. Chairperson's Business
There was no Chairperson's Business.
4. Fibrus Networks Ltd - Response to Storm Éowyn - oral evidence session
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 12:21pm:
- Jenny Lennon, Managing Director, Networks, Fibrus Networks Ltd;
- Dominic Kearns, Founder and CEO, Fibrus Networks Ltd; and
- Shane Haslem, Chief Operating Officer, Fibrus Networks Ltd
Key issues discussed included: customers loss of service; good will compensation payments; overhead cabling vulnerabilities and the high cost of underground cabling; the £5m cost of Storm Éowyn and the absorption of those costs by Fibrus Networks Ltd; the post incident report; communication arrangements and problems; the limitation of alternative technologies owing to limited mobile data coverage; the development of a vulnerable customers register; Openreach/NIE dependencies; the role of the Electronic Communication Regional Response Group; the need for formalisation of back-up relationships; the absence of an Openreach Service Level Agreement (SLA); and the Ofcom automatic compensation scheme.
John Blair left the meeting at 1:18pm
The Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (CAERA) lost its decision-making quorum
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their evidence.
The witnesses left the meeting at 1.23pm.
5. Any Other Business
Agreed: The Economy Committee agreed to invite CAERA to a further joint concurrent evidence session with DfE and DAERA officials in respect of the provision of telecommunications access for domestic and business customers in rural and urban areas; the development of storm protection measures; the limitation of alternative technologies; the need for formalised back-up arrangements with sub-contractors; the absence of an Openreach SLA; and the implications for future broadband and other related procurement.
6. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The date, time and place of the next joint concurrent meeting is to be determined.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:24pm.
Phillip Brett MLA
Chairperson, Committee for the Economy
12 March 2025
Robbie Butler MLA
Chairperson, Committee forAgriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
13 March 2025
