Public Accounts Committee
Minutes of proceedings 16 May 2024
Public Accounts Committee minutes of proceedings 16 May 2024.pdf (157.9 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 21, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Daniel McCrossan, MLA (Chairperson)
Cheryl Brownlee, MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan, MLA
Diane Forsyth, MLA
Colm Gildernew, MLA
John Stewart, MLA
Tom Buchanan, MLA
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Pádraig Delargy, MLA
Apologies:
David Honeyford, MLA
In Attendance:
Lucia Wilson (Committee Clerk)
Tom Armstrong (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Karen Barry (Clerical Supervisor)
Barbara Daly (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced at 2.02 pm in closed session
The Deputy Chairperson advised members of the requirement to declare interests in any items of business on the agenda, and discussed the substantive items of business to be considered.
The meeting moved into public session at 2.07 pm.
1. Apologies
No apologies were received.
2. Draft minutes
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on 9 May 2024 were agreed.
3. Matters Arising
There were no Matters Arising.
4. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson advised that he had been invited by CIPFA Northern Ireland Branch to provide the keynote address at their annual conference in October.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson can attend this event on behalf of the Committee.
5. Declaration of Interests
There were no declarations of interest.
6. Correspondence
Members noted correspondence from Neil Gibson, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance, advising of an additional witness for the evidence session on Public Sector Procurement in Northern Ireland.
Members noted correspondence from New Script for Mental Health, providing a written submission to the inquiry on Mental Health Services in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: Members agreed to forward this correspondence to the Northern Ireland Audit Office for consideration as part of the inquiry’s final report stage.
Members noted correspondence from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) offering to provide evidence to the Public Procurement Inquiry
Agreed: Members agreed to invite FSB to attend an evidence session on 23 May 2024
Members discussed correspondence from Dr Deirdre Meehan on behalf of the Chairperson of the Association of Child Psychotherapists.
Agreed: Members agreed to consider the issues raised as part of the Committee’s inquiry into Mental Health and to forward this submission to the Northern Ireland Audit Office for consideration in the final report.
7. Inquiry on Public Procurement in Northern Ireland: Evidence Session
The following officials from the Department of Finance joined the meeting at 2.12 pm
Mr Neil Gibson, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance;
Ms Sharon Smyth, Chief Executive, Construction and Procurement Delivery, Department of Finance;
Mr Michael Watson, Director, Construction and Procurement Delivery, Department of Finance;
The following officials also joined the meeting;
Mr Stuart Stevenson, Treasury Officer of Accounts;
Ms Dorinnia Carville, Comptroller and Auditor General.
The Committee heard evidence from the Officials.
Daniel McCrossan MLA left the meeting at 4.08pm
Daniel McCrossan MLA re-joined the meeting at 4.10pm
Cheryl Brownlee MLA left the meeting at 4.26pm
Agreed: The Department agreed to send the Committee information on the numbers of vacancies in the Procurement centres across the NICS.
Agreed: The Department agreed to send the Committee updated statistics on Prompt Payments.
The Chairperson thanked Mr Gibson, Ms Smyth and Mr Stevenson for attending.
Officials left the meeting at 4.40 pm.
The meeting moved into closed session at 4.41 pm.
8. Inquiry on Public Procurement in Northern Ireland: Discussion
The following officials from the Northern Ireland Audit Office joined the meeting at 4.41 pm
Ms Dorinnia Carville, Comptroller and Auditor General, NI
Ms Suzanne Jones, Director, NIAO
Mr Michael Heery, Audit Manager, NIAO
Mr Kyle Bingham, Assembly Support Officer, NIAO
Mr Geoff Murphy, Senior Auditor, NIAO (Public Gallery)
Mr Corey Parr, Auditor, NIAO (Public Gallery)
Members discussed the evidence provided by officials and agreed the issues to be included in the published report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask the Department to provide comparable data on how procurement is conducted in other jurisdictions.
9. Forward Work Programme
The Committee was briefed on the draft Forward Work programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Department of Education to brief the Committee on the Memorandum of Reply on Closing the Gap – Social Deprivation and links to educational attainment on 6th June
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Department for Infrastructure to brief the Committee on Planning in NI on 13th June.
Agreed: The Committee agreed it’s forward work programme.
10. Any Other Business
The Committee discussed a report from the Department of Health
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health regarding inconsistencies with this report and what was previously stated by the Health Minister.
11. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The Deputy Chairperson thanked officials for their attendance and advised members that the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 23rd May, at 2.00 pm in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.56 pm.
Daniel McCrossan MLA
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee
16 May 2024
