MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2007
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
The Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson) MLA
Mr Paul Maskey MLA
In Attendance: Mr Alan Patterson (Principal Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Alister Strain (Clerical Officer)
Mr Denis Arnold (Bill Office)
Witnesses: Ms Joan Christie – South Eastern Education and Library Board
Ms Adrienne Adair – South Eastern Education and Library Board
Mr Stanton Sloan – South Eastern Education and Library Board
Ms Helen Osborne – Western Education and Library Board
Mr Barry Mulholland - Western Education and Library Board
Mr Bill Reilly - Western Education and Library Board
Mr David Cargo – Belfast Education and Library Board
Mr David Jess – Belfast Education and Library Board
Ms Rosemary Frawley – Belfast Education and Library Board
Ms Marie Donnell - Southern Education and Library Board
Mr Wilbert Mayne - Southern Education and Library Board
Ms Kathleen Ryan - Southern Education and Library Board
The meeting opened at 10.38am in public session.
1. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 13 September 2007.
Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.
2. Matters arising
Agreed – the Committee agreed that the Chair would attend on behalf of the Committee the Arts Council’s ‘Art at the Heart’ conference on 8 November 2007.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 10.40am.
The Deputy Chair referred members to the table detailing the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s spend on consultants in relation to the multi sports stadium to date.
3. Chairperson’s business
The Deputy Chair advised members that the Chair attended a meeting of the Chairpersons Liaison Group on 17 September 2007, and would brief the Committee at next week’s meeting.
The Deputy Chair advised members that the Chair had accepted an invitation to a lunch hosted by the Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in the Stormont Hotel on 15 October 2007.
The Deputy Chair advised members that the Chair had attended a Voluntary Arts Ireland event hosted by Minister Poots in the Long Gallery on 17 September 2007, and would brief the Committee at next week’s meeting.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to forward a copy of Research Service’s background paper on the single library authority model to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
4. Libraries Bill (NIA Bill 5/07)
The Deputy Chair referred members to the ‘Delivering Tomorrow’s Libraries’ policy document and to The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.
The South Eastern Education and Library Board gave oral evidence, in public, to the Committee on the Libraries Bill.
Mr Bradley joined the meeting at 10.55am.
Mr Shannon left the meeting at 11.26am.
Mr McCausland left the meeting at 11.27am.
Mr McCausland rejoined the meeting at 11.31am.
Mr McCarthy left the meeting at 11.34am.
The Belfast Education and Library Board gave oral evidence, in public, to the Committee, on the Libraries Bill.
The Belfast Education and Library Board extended an invitation to the Committee to visit the Central Library in Belfast.
The Western Education and Library Board gave oral evidence, in public, to the Committee on the Libraries Bill.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 12.00pm.
Mr McCarthy rejoined the meeting at 12.05pm.
Mr Bradley rejoined the meeting at 12.07pm.
The Southern Education and Library Board gave oral evidence, in public, to the Committee on the Libraries Bill.
Mr Shannon rejoined the meeting at 12.38pm.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that the issue of the availability of Hansard should be further pursued.
The Deputy Chair advised members that he had been notified by the Business Office that it had received a query as to whether it would be admissible for the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to table an amendment to the motion to extend the Committee Stage of the Libraries Bill.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that the Chair and Deputy Chair meet with Departmental officials to discuss any possible amendments to the motion, and to report back on these discussions to the Committee.
5. BBC Indigenous Language Provision consultation
Agreed – the Committee agreed to defer finalising the response until next week’s meeting to allow members to forward further submissions to the Committee Office.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Research Service to produce a paper on the devolvement of broadcasting to Northern Ireland.
6. Forward Work Programme
The Deputy Chair referred members to the forward work programme for September to December 2007.
7. Correspondence
The Deputy Chair referred members to the correspondence from the Arts Council on the ‘Per cent for art’ principle in capital healthcare projects, and to additional background information on the issue provided by the Arts Council, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (Republic of Ireland).
Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Research Service to produce a paper on the background to the ‘Per cent for art’ principle, before considering the issue further.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to defer the correspondence from the Committee of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the Northern Ireland Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan to next week’s meeting.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek further information from the Fisheries Conservancy Board before considering its correspondence on two new policies – ‘A precautionary approach to the conservation of the stocks of coarse fish’ and ‘Including date of birth on angling licences to prevent fraud’.
The Chair referred members to the correspondence from Linfield Football Club enclosing a copy of the draft Miller Report.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Research Service to analyse the draft Miller Report with regard to the differences between the Irish Football Association and Linfield Football Club’s positions on the ability of Windsor Park to host international football matches.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to request copies of the notes of the interviews which the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) consultants had with both the Community Relations Council and the Gaelic Athletics Association, in relation to these organisations’ views on the three short-listed sites, as referred to in the PWC Economic Appraisal Final Report 2005.
8. Date and time of next meeting
Agreed: The Committee agreed its next meeting will be held on Thursday 27 September 2007 at 10.30am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.30pm.