ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM

 

MEETING OF INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-GROUP

 

HELD AT 11.30AM ON THURSDAY 17 AUGUST 2006

 

IN CLARENCE COURT

 

 

Present:

 

Jim McCusker – Chairman

Peter McNaney

Mike Brennan

Doreen Brown

 

Apologies:

 

John Gilliland

Janice Treacy

 

 

1.         NOTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING

 

1.1               The note of the previous meeting, held on 13 June was agreed without change.

 

1.2               The items listed in para 3.1 of the note formed the agenda for the sub-group meeting.

 

2.0              MATTERS ARISING

 

2.1               A response about sub-group membership had not yet been received from John Keanie.

 

2.2               The SIB commissioned report on the public sector capacity to deliver the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland was expected to be completed in September.

 

3.0              Construction Industry Capacity Study

 

3.1               The sub-group reconsidered the PWC report on the private sector capacity to deliver ISNI.

 

3.2               Information would be sought from SIB on progress on implementing the action plan included in the report.

 

3.3               EDF’s attention should be drawn to the recommended actions at D2 et seq which related to improvements to the planning process to facilitate the delivery of ISNI.

 

4.0              ISNI

 

4.1               There was a possibility that refinements in the schemes included in ISNI would lead to changes in the timing and cost of some of the schemes.

 

4.2               The sub-group considered that it would be particularly important that criteria were in place to decide the priority order of schemes in the event of reprofiling being necessary.  These should take full account of the objectives of the Economic Vision and the ability of schemes to contribute to the delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy.

 

4.3               ERINI were carrying out work to provide more meaningful measures of economic return of investment in capital schemes.  The sub-group hoped that priority would be given to this exercise and that EDF would have an opportunity to be involved in the outcome of the work.

 

4.4               Reference should be made to the need to ensure that the new structures flowing from the RPA provided the opportunity to carry forward the successful delivery of infrastructure projects/developments.

 

5.0              Regional Economic Strategy

 

5.1               The current draft RES was being further amended but the Infrastructure section continued to reflect the content of ISNI.  The document was expected to be finalised in the autumn.

 

5.2               The sub-group agreed the RES should be used to inform decision-making in Comprehensive Spending Review to support priority being given to projects with a strong economic return which would contribute to essential economic growth with jobs.

 

6.0              Report to EDF

 

6.1       A report would be drafted for the next meeting of EDF covering the following points:

 

·                     follow up of implementation of the action plan on the Construction sector capacity to deliver ISNI;

 

·                     the impending production of the study of public sector capacity to deliver ISNI;

 

·                     the possible reprofiling of ISNI projects;

 

·                     the ERINI work to quantify the economic return of capital projects;

 

·                     the need for new RPA structures to be able to continue the delivery of capital projects; and

 

·                     the need to use the RES to support economic projects in the CSR.

 

7.0              Date of next meeting

 

7.1       The next meeting was set provisionally for Wednesday 27 September at 11.30am in Clarence Court.