Agenda and minutes

The Lead Assurance Officer read the Notice and Summons of the Meeting.

The Lead Assurance Officer completed the roll call. Apologies were received from Councillors Carr, Kelly and McCann.

There were no declarations of Members interests.

The Chair welcomed all Members. particularly new Members to the Committee. He also welcomed the Independent Advisor Mrs Slevin and Mrs Kane from the Northern Ireland Audit Office to the Meeting.  He thanked the previous Chair and Deputy Chair for their work within the Committee. 

The Chair reminded Members that there had been no Member training for Members of the Assurance, Audit and Risk Committee due to the COVID-19 regulations. He advised that training had been scheduled for September.

Councillor McKinney expressed concerns that all Members had been marked absent on the Council website at the meeting of the Committee which had been scheduled to take place on 19 March 2020.  He requested that this matter be re-addressed.

There were no matters arising from the minutes.

The Internal Audit Manager presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. He advised that the purpose of the report was to update Members on the Internal Audit work carried out within Derry City and Strabane District Council in the period November 2019 to  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR25/20

The Lead Assurance Officer presented the above report to Members. A copy of which had been previously circulated. She advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Members comments and approvals on the Council’s Counter Fraud, Whistleblowing and Ani-Bribery Policy.

The Committee

Recommended        That Council approve the Counter  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR26/20

The Internal Audit Manager presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. He advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Member’s comments and approval for the Internal Audit Strategy 2020/21.

Councillor Maguire referred to P276 within the meeting pack. He stated  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR27/20

The Internal Audit Manager presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. He advised that the purpose of the report was to seek members’ comments and approval for the Internal Audit Plan for 2020/21.

The Committee

Recommended          that Council approve the Draft Internal Audit  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR28/20

Ms Kane, Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO)  presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. She advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Members’ endorsement of the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s Audit Strategy for Derry City and Strabane District Council for  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR29/20

The Lead Assurance Officer presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. She advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Members’ comments and approval on Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Annual Governance Statement for the financial year 2019/20. 

In response  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR30/20

The Lead Assurance officer presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members, she advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Members comments and approval on Derry City and Strabane District Councils’ Code of Governance for the financial year 2019/20.

The Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR31/20

The Internal Audit Manager presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. He advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Members’ comments on the Council’s Annual Audit Opinion for 2019/20.

In response to a query from Councillor Logue, Officers explained that  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR32/20

The Internal Audit manager presented the above report. A copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. He advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Member’s comments and approval on the Internal Audit Sections self –assessment against the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

The Committee

Recommended  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR33/20

The lead Assurance Officer presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. She advised that the purpose of the report was to seek Member’s endorsement for the Council’s updated Corporate Risk register.

In response to a question from the Independent Advisor, the Lead Assurance  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR34/20

The Lead Assurance Officer presented the above report, a copy of which had been previously circulated to Members. She advised that the purpose of the report was to advise Members of the contents of the recently completed Proper Arrangements Questionnaire 2019/20.

The Committee

Recommended          that Council note the content of  ...  view the full minutes text for item AAR35/20