COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2002, AT 10:25AM, IN ROOM 152 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr E ONeill (Chairperson)
Mr J Kelly (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr I Adamson
Mr D Hilditch
Mr K McCarthy
Mr E McMenamin
Mr M Murphy
Mr J Shannon
Mr J Wilson
Apologies:
Mr F Agnew
Mr I Davis
In attendance:
Ms L Gordon (Clerk)
Mrs L Gregg (Assistant Clerk)
Ms M Higgins (Administrative Support)
Ms H Graham (Administrative Support)
In attendance at 10:30am, to brief the Committee on those proposals in the Education and Libraries Bill which relate to libraries: Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure officials - Mr Phillips Wilson, Principal Officer, Mrs Irene Armstrong, Deputy Principal, and Miss Audrey Gibson, Staff Officer.
In attendance at 11:00am, to brief the Committee on the Erne Eel Enhancement and Erne Salmon Management Programmes reports and the draft Inland Fisheries Advisory Handbook/Guidelines for Water Abstractors: Dr Robert Rosell, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Scientist and Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure officials - Ms Hazel Campbell, Head of Inland Waterways and Inland Fisheries, Mr Marcus McAuley, Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer and Mr Gary O'Neill, Fisheries Officer.
The Chairperson opened the meeting, in public, at 10:25am.
1. Chairperson's business
1.1. The Chairperson reminded members that mobile phones should be turned off completely.
1.2. The Chairperson thanked the Deputy Chair for deputising on his behalf last week, both at the Committee meeting and during the Minister's statement on Inland Waterways, and he also welcomed Mr Murphy to the Committee.
Mr McCarthy attended the meeting at 10:26am.
Mr Murphy left the meeting at 10:27am.
1.3. The Committee considered the request by Mr Roy Bailie, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Training Board, to meet with the Committee to discuss the recommendations, contained in the Cultural Tourism and the Arts report, which relate directly to the Board. It was agreed that whilst the Committee would welcome the opportunity to meet the Board to discuss these recommendations, this meeting would not be scheduled until after the formal response to the report was received from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
1.4. The Chairperson reported, that the Department had advised, that a considerable amount of progress had already been made on those recommendations which fell within its remit, contained in the report on Cultural Tourism and the Arts.
Mr Hilditch attended the meeting at 10:29am.
1.5. The Committee noted recent responses received from the Departments of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Environment, in reply to letters issued following the last monitoring session on progress on the recommendations contained in the report on Inland Fisheries in Northern Ireland. It was agreed that these responses would be considered in detail at the next monitoring session.
1.6. The Committee was advised that, in relation to television coverage of the recent Seniors' Golf in Newcastle, the Northern Ireland Events Company had reported, that although satellite coverage was good, the Company was disappointed by the poor event coverage provided by BBC and UTV, and that it would discuss this with the event sponsor. It was agreed to ask the Department to keep the Committee informed of developments on this front, and also to raise the matter with the BBC during the Committee's coming visit.
1.7. Members were reminded about the reception and exhibition of collectors' fine art works in the Long Gallery at 6:30pm on Monday 23 September 2002.
2. Minutes of the meeting of 5 September 2002
2.1. The draft Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting of 5 September 2002 were agreed.
3. Matters arising
3.1. There were no matters arising.
Mr Murphy rejoined the meeting at 10:34pm.
4. Education and Libraries Bill briefing
4.1. Mr Wilson briefed the Committee on the four areas of the Education and Libraries Bill which related to libraries, namely - introduction of Best value; Provision of information; To remove the excessive approval/determination requirements between the Department and the Boards (which related to appointments of a Chief Executive or Chief Librarian); and To substitute Boards Resource Allocation Plans for Financial Schemes and make their submission more straightforward.
Mr Shannon attended the meeting at 10:44am.
Mr McMenamin attended the meeting at 10:47am.
4.2. The delegation answered members' questions.
4.3. The Committee agreed to meet with the Department at a later date to discuss the impact of best value on the provision of libraries services.
4.4. The Committee agreed to advise the Committee for Education that it was content with the relevant clauses in the Bill.
5. Ulster-Scots Agency - Follow-up from meeting of 4 July 2002
5.1. The Committee agreed to invite the Chairman of the Agency, Lord Laird, to a future meeting to discuss issues arising from the response, in particular, the delay in appointing a Chief Executive and other key staff.
6. Seminar with the French Ministry of Culture
6.1. Members were reminded about the reception and dinner for the delegation from the French Ministry of Culture on Wednesday 18 September 2002 in the Members' Dining Room at 7:30pm. It was agreed that a full guest list would be sent to members early next week.
6.2. Members were briefed on the detail of the seminar to take place on Thursday 19 September 2002 in the Long Gallery.
6.3. The Committee agreed the draft press release.
7. Briefing session on Erne Eel Enhancement/Erne Salmon Management Programmes reports and draft Inland Fisheries Advisory Handbook/Guidelines for Water Abstractors
7.1. The delegation, with Dr Rosell in the lead, briefed the Committee on the detail of the Erne Eel Enhancement and Erne Salmon Management Programmes Reports and the scientific processes involved.
7.2. The delegation answered members' questions about various aspects including problems associated with the current process of cross - border licencing and issue of permits; possible spread of Zebra Mussels from Lough Erne to Lough Neagh; and with salmon now running the Erne, the negative effects on conservation if they were fished for with prawn and shrimp, or caught in nets.
7.3. Dr Rosell explained that with regard to the hydro station at Ballyshannon, which is, from a salmon conservation aspect, not managed in a friendly way, and contributes to the Republic of Ireland's power supply, an electric barrier could not be put in place to deflect smolts or elvers for technical reasons, therefore it could not be compared directly to hydro stations in Northern Ireland.
7.4. Ms Campbell advised the Committee that the Department had made funding available for a scientist, to be appointed shortly, to carry out research on eels, majoring on Lough Neagh. Ms Campbell also advised that the Department would carry out careful consideration of the negative effects on conservation of salmon, now running the Erne, if they were fished for with shrimp and prawn or caught in nets, and to inform the Committee of the outcome.
Dr Adamson left the meeting at 11:25am.
7.5. The Committee agreed to raise the issue of the potential spread of Zebra Mussels to Lough Neagh with the relevant Department, and to write to the Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society about the appointment of a scientist to carry out research on eels.
7.6. The Committee also agreed to ask the Department what steps could be taken to improve cross-border management of salmon.
Mr Kelly left the meeting at 12:02pm.
8. The delegation briefed the Committee on the content and consultation process on the draft Inland Fisheries Advisory Handbook/Guidelines for Water Abstractors. The Committee was advised that the Environment and Heritage Service had now the power to make Regulations governing water abstraction.
8.1. The Committee welcomed the production of the Guidelines and agreed to wait until the views of all those consulted had been received by the Department before giving a final response.
9. Any other business
9.1. Draft Strategic Plan for 2 and 4 Wheeled Motor Sport 2002-2007:- The Committee agreed to establish the present position on the Strategic Plan process with the Sports Council .
10. Date of next meeting
10.1. The next meeting of the Committee will take place at 10:00am on Thursday 26 September 2002 in the headquarters of Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland, Colby House, Stranmillis Road.
The Chairperson brought the meeting to a close at 12:24pm.
E ONeill
Chairperson