COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
Minutes of Proceedings
THURSDAY, 21 JUNE 2007
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
The Lord Browne MLA
Mr Paul Maskey MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
In Attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Alister Strain (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
The meeting opened at 10.39am in public session.
1. Chairperson’s business
The Chair welcomed Mr Robinson to the Committee.
Mr Robinson declared the following interests:
Governor Whiteabbey & Hollybank Primary Schools
Councillor Newtownabbey Council
Director Mallusk Enterprise Park – Unremunerated
Director Newtownabbey Strategic Partnership – Unremunerated
Member NAS/UWT retired (non practising teacher)
Property 1 semi-detached house ( North Belfast)
Agreed – The Committee agreed that the Chair accept the invitation to attend the press launch and official opening of the Comhaltas Fleadh Uladh.
The Chair referred members to the Freedom of Information response issued by the Central Committee Office regarding a request for the Hansard record of the Committee’s discussion on the Libraries Bill and the proposed Irish language legislation.
The Chair advised members that his dinner with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which was scheduled for 18 June 2007, had been cancelled, but may be rescheduled for a later date.
The Chair advised members that his meeting with the Southern Education & Library Board, which was scheduled for 19 June, had been cancelled. The Chair and the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure will meet the Board on 25 July 2007.
The Chair referred members to the letter from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding the draft Strategy for Sport, and advised members that Departmental officials will brief the Committee on this issue on 28 June 2007.
The Chair referred members to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s press release of 19 June 2007 setting a deadline of 30 June 2007 for receipt of any other proposals for the location of the new multi-sports stadium. The Chair referred members to the press statement made on 20 June 2007 by Belfast City Council in which it welcomes the report by University of Ulster academics ‘Multi-purpose Sports Stadium In Town versus Out of Town Location’. The Chair advised members that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was currently preparing a briefing paper for the Committee on the multi-sports stadium issue, which will be available for the 28 June 2007 meeting. The Chair advised members that the Clerk for the Committee of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has indicated that any briefing provided by OFMDFM would concentrate on the overall development of the Maze/Long Kesh site and not the location of the stadium.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to request a copy of the business plan for the development of the multi-sports stadium at the Maze/Long Kesh site.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to invite Departmental officials from OFMDFM to brief it on the development of the Maze/Long Kesh site, including the proposals for building the multi-sports stadium at that location.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to invite officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel to brief it on the business plan for the development of the multi-sports stadium at the Maze/Long Kesh site, and on the budgetary cover in place for the stadium.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to invite the authors of the University of Ulster report ‘Multi-purpose Sports Stadium In Town versus Out of Town Location’ to brief it on the multi-sports stadium issue.
2. Draft minutes of the meetings held on 14 June 2007 and 18 June 2007.
Agreed – Both sets of draft minutes were agreed.
3. Comprehensive Spending Review
The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Edwin Poots MLA, and the following officials joined the meeting at 10.55am:
Ms Deirdre Lundy (Acting Head of Finance, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure)
Ms Michelle Estler (Departmental Liaison Officer, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure)
The Minister briefed the Committee on his proposed priorities for the Comprehensive Spending Review and answered questions from members. The Minister invited the Committee to advise him of its views regarding these priorities.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure requesting that he postpone his submission of bids for the Comprehensive Spending Review to the Department of Finance & Personnel until he has received the views of the Committee on the matter.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure seeking clarification on his proposed bids for RPA and libraries under the Comprehensive Spending Review.
4. Presentation from the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association
The following representatives from the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association joined the meeting at 11.35am:
Mr Danny Murphy ( Ulster Council Secretary and Provincial Director)
Dr Eugene Young (Director of Coaching and Games Development)
Ms Aileen Tohill (Integration Development Manager)
The representatives briefed the Committee on their organisation’s current programmes and vision for the future, as well as their views on the proposed multi-sports stadium. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 11.35am.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting 11.40am.
Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting at 11.41am.
Mr Shannon left the meeting at 12.00pm.
Mr Shannon rejoined the meeting at 12.01pm.
5. Presentation from Ulster Rubgy
The following representative from Ulster Rugby joined the meeting at 12.25pm:
Mr Michael Reid (Chief Executive)
Mr Reid briefed the Committee on Ulster Rugby’s current programmes, visions for the future and views on the proposed multi-sports stadium. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 12.28pm.
Mr Brolly left the meeting at 12.29pm.
Mr Brolly rejoined the meeting at 12.38pm.
6. Matters arising
The Chair advised members that Research Services is currently comparing the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s draft Disability Action Plan to those produced by other Departments, and that the Committee will consider its response to the Department at its meeting of 28 June 2007.
The Chair advised members that he had written to the Irish Football Association thanking them for their presentation and asking them to send the Committee a copy of their 5-year strategy and information and statistics on their work at grassroots level and participation levels.
The Chair advised members that he had written to the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Football Supports Clubs thanking them for their presentation and asking them to send the Committee a copy of their customer survey.
The Chair advised members that he had written to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure seeking a timetable for the multi-sports stadium issue.
Mr Shannon advised members that Mrs Iris Robinson MP and he, along with representatives from the ADSEA project, had met with the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to agree a way forward for the project. Mr Shannon advised members that the ADSEA representatives would write to the Committee about the matter in due course.
Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting at 12.53pm.
7. Draft response to consultation document on Irish language legislation
Agreed – The Committee agreed that the Clerk would make amendments to the draft response and that a revised version of the response would be considered at the meeting of 28 June 2007.
8. Libraries Bill
The Chair advised members that the Committee Stage of the Libraries Bill had commenced on 20 June 2007. The Chair advised members that he had written to the Minister in relation to the lack of notice given to the Committee about the change in dates for the Introduction and Second Stage, and also to ask whether deputies would be appointed to the Chief Executive Designate of the proposed Library Authority.
Agreed – The Committee agreed the draft public notice seeking written submissions on the Bill and that the closing date for receipt of written submissions will be 17 July 2007.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to write to all the organisations which responded to the Department’s original consultation on the Bill, all the local councils and the trade unions, to seek written evidence for Committee Stage of the Bill.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to share the written submissions received with Research Service to assist them in drafting a briefing paper for the Committee on the Bill.
Agreed – The Committee agreed the draft timetable for Committee Stage of the Bill.
9. Terms of reference for Inquiry
Agreed – The Committee agreed to request information from Research Service on funding for culture, arts and sport in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Agreed – The Committee agreed to entitle the inquiry ‘Inquiry into the benefits of investment and participation in culture, arts and sports’.
Mr Maskey left the meeting at 1.15pm.
10. Forward Work Programme
The Chair referred members to the work programme up until recess.
11. Date and time of next meeting
Agreed: The Committee agreed its next meeting will be held on Thursday 28 June 2007 at 10.30am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.16pm.
Mr Barry McElduff MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
28 June 2007