Speaker’s Business

Public Petition

Suspension of Standing Orders

North/South Ministerial Council: Agriculture

North/South Ministerial Council: Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission

North/South Ministerial Council: Education

Pneumoconiosis, etc (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Maternity and Parental Leave Etc (Amendment No. 2)
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Mobile Phones

Oral Answers to Questions

Department of Education

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Department of Finance and Personnel

Impact of the Budget on Northern Ireland

Mobile Phones

Mainstream Funding for Ballybeen Women’s Group

Speaker’s Business

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I wish to advise the House that I will not be present during the Assembly’s sittings next week as I will be undertaking a number of long-standing private speaking engagements in the United States of America.

Public Petition

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Mr McCarthy has begged leave to present a public petition in accordance with Standing Order 22.

I beg leave to present a petition on behalf of 959 residents of the Ards Peninsula in the Strangford constituency. It calls for the introduction by the Health Service of measures to enhance the out-of-hours GP services in all parts of the peninsula. The area has several competent and efficient general practitioners, but the out-of-hours on-call service is administered from Bangor, about 25 miles from the Portaferry end of the peninsula. Residents would like a doctor from the area to be available rather than one some distance away in Bangor, particularly in cases of emergency.

The residents ask the Assembly to expedite an improvement to the out-of-hours service.

I shall forward the petition to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and a copy to the Chairperson of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Suspension of Standing Orders

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North/South Ministerial Council: Agriculture

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I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development that she wishes to make a statement on the North/South Ministerial Council sectoral meeting that took place on 15 April 2002 in Dublin.

The sixth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in its agriculture sectoral format was held at Agriculture House in Dublin on 15 April 2002. The meeting was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Ireland and was chaired by Mr Joe Walsh TD, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. Mr James Leslie, junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, accompanied me to the meeting. Mr Leslie has agreed the content of my statement.

The Council considered and endorsed a report from the steering group on animal health on co-operation on animal health issues between the Administrations. The report told of the progress that has been made in developing closer co-operation and joint strategies for the improvement of animal health on both sides of the border, notably with regard to internal animal movement controls, portal controls and bio-security measures on farms and agriculture-related premises.

The Council noted that the Administrations have a shared commitment to a common approach to internal movement controls for animals and that substantial progress is being made in aligning the controls that are applied to the import of animals and animal products by each Administration at all points of entry to the island.

The Council also noted the joint initiatives aimed at raising the level of scrapie awareness among flock-owners, promoting common codes of good practice for those involved in agriculture and related industries and developing co-operation in other specific areas, including the eradication of tuberculosis, brucellosis and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE).

The Council endorsed the progress so far recorded and agreed that the foundations have been laid for an all-island animal health strategy. The Council agreed that a co-ordinated and complementary approach to portal controls should be further developed and maintained. It requested the working groups continue their assignments to develop closer co-operation and/or joint strategies for improving animal health on both sides of the border by 31 December 2002.

The Council considered a progress report on the work of the steering committee on cross-border rural development since the last North/South Ministerial Council agriculture sectoral meeting. The consultant’s reports on co-operation between cross-border rural communities and cross-border rural development education, training and research have been completed.

The study of the co-operation between cross-border rural communities recommends an area-based model for enhancing cross-border co-operation that would operate under the umbrella of the local partnership groups, augmented as appropriate by other representatives, in Northern Ireland and the county development boards in the South of Ireland. It is intended that funding for the area-based model would come from the INTERREG III programme’s rural initiative.

The study on cross-border rural development education, training and research identified a need for greater co-ordination of, and access to, practical information on current education, training and research provision. The Council noted that the steering committee is examining both reports and that it will advise Ministers in due course on how best to implement their recommendations.

The Council also noted developments in the World Trade Organisation, EU enlargement and common agricultural policy reform and agreed that Northern and Southern officials should explore matters of concern with a view to further focused discussions at ministerial level.

The Council considered a paper on plant health research and development and noted the progress made by both Administrations. Four areas were identified for ongoing co-operation on the regulation of plant protection products. Those were: pesticide usage surveys; the exchange of information on registered plant protection products and their uses; distributor and operator training and certification, equipment registration and calibration; and further co-operation between the Administrations on the regulation of plant protection products, which includes policy issues and the problem of illegal cross-border trade.

The Council considered a progress report on a study of the pig industry. The report’s main recommendations include the rationalisation of existing slaughter capacity and the scaling up of plant size in line with international best practices. The development of supply chain agreements between producers and primary processors, based on quality customer-oriented specifications, was also identified as essential to the industry.

The Council noted progress in reviewing the report’s main findings, and agreed that officials should continue the process of engaging with the pig industry and development agencies to promote the joint study’s recommendations, with a view to improving the competitive position of the pig sector on the whole island. The Council also noted updates from both Ministers on the ‘Agrifood 2010 Plan of Action’ and the vision group report plans.

The Council approved a paper on behalf of the Special EU Programmes Body that identified the terms of reference for the common chapter joint steering group. It also approved papers on staffing and remuneration for Foras na Gaeilge, one of the North/South language bodies, and the appointment of a new board member.

The next meeting in this sectoral format will take place in Northern Ireland in October 2002. The text of a communiqué to be issued after the meeting was agreed, and a copy has been placed in the Assembly Library.

The Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development (Rev Dr Ian Paisley): The Minister will receive communication from the Committee on a parallel inquiry into tuberculosis (TB), brucellosis and botulism. The Committee would like to follow up on the meeting that the Minister reported on today.

Has the working group set up under the North/South Ministerial Council to co-ordinate responses on brucellosis made any conclusions or recommendations?

Working groups have been established and are co-ordinating, collating and exchanging information on the way in which we are tackling TB and brucellosis on both sides of the border. At present, I do not have details of specific proposals. However, I hope, as a result of those groups’ work, to have such details by October.

My question follows on from the previous one, and the Minister has partially answered it. Last November, the Minister met me along with a delegation from some of the TB hot spots in south Down. We drew her attention to experimental research that was being done in the Republic of Ireland on the control of TB and the methods used to do that. In that context, will the Minister assure the House that all-Ireland inoculation will be considered as a general approach to eradicating TB? Will she comment on the review of the way in which TB may be carried by badgers, and on both the proliferation and protection of badgers, especially in Northern Ireland?

I recall the meeting with the Member. As a result of that meeting, I asked my officials, during their policy evaluation, to take account of the possible role of badgers in carrying TB. I also recall that Mr McGrady referred to the experiment that was being carried out in the South. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s policy evaluation is nearing completion. I await the report with interest, but I am confident that it will make specific proposals on badgers.

The Member will appreciate that I am unable to give details of those proposals until I have seen the report, which I anticipate will be presented before the summer. As part of the ongoing work of the working groups, North and South, we will also be discussing the implications of that report and the result of our policy evaluation.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I welcome this comprehensive and wide-ranging statement from the Minister, particularly the reference to animal disease. Is there an agreed strategy, on an all-Ireland basis, that will work, North and South? Will it have targets — for example, to work towards the removal of animals from diseased herds within agreed timescales? Will there be an agreed scale, especially in border areas such as south Armagh, and will the targets be reached? Will those matters be discussed at the next meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council?

At the North/South agriculture sectoral meeting, we set a firm basis for the production of joint strategies by the end of this year, and I am confident that we will have those in place by then, including a strategy to deal with the eradication of TB, brucellosis and scrapie on the island of Ireland.

The Minister referred to rural development in a number of areas. Can she indicate whether she managed to learn anything from Minister Walsh about the issue of rural proofing, given that she seems to be having a certain amount of difficulty with her Executive Colleagues in dealing with the matter?

With regard to the references the Minister made to animal movement controls, can she say what additional resources are being provided for the control of animal movement in the island as a whole in the light of the current upsurge in TB and brucellosis? Also, how is testing being co-ordinated between North and South to ensure there is no further cross-border infection?

Rural proofing was not discussed as it was not on the agenda, but I can assure the Member that we do not have problems with rural proofing. In fact, a cross-departmental steering group on rural proofing has been set up and will meet tomorrow under my chairmanship.

With regard to animal movement controls, we are continuing to deal with brucellosis through the biennial blood-testing programme. However, in areas with increased incidence, such as Armagh, Newry, and Enniskillen, we have increased the frequency of testing from biennial to annual. Where infection has been found, we have intensified the testing regime around the infected premises on herds contiguous to the infected herd — that is, the inner ring herds being restricted. We immediately test herds in the outer ring contiguous to the inner ring, and subsequently at four-monthly intervals. We have increased our testing in the areas that are being hardest hit, and this policy has been agreed with the Republic.

Have the Minister and her Department any plans to trap badgers for TB testing in black spots of bovine TB infection? Will she concede that this would either establish or disprove the link between the badger population and the incidence of bovine tuberculosis infection? Furthermore, since the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Veterinary Service can test badgers found by farmers, have figures been made available on the number of badgers found to have TB?

As I said in response to Mr McGrady, a policy evaluation is being carried out, and I will make my decision when the results are available. I am not in a position to make any decision at this point.

I note the comments about the joint initiatives aimed at raising the level of awareness among flock-owners concerning scrapie. In reply to Mr McHugh, the Minister referred briefly to the inclusion of scrapie in the joint health programme. What progress has been made on the establishment of an all-Ireland scrapie eradication plan?

Minister Walsh and I share a commitment to eradicating scrapie from the island of Ireland. The nature of the disease and of the sheep population of this island mean that it makes sense to have a joint approach. We agree that greater flock-owner awareness, enhanced testing, depopulation and the continued assessment of genotyping can contribute significantly to eradicating the disease. Although the approach in each jurisdiction may differ in some detail, they each involve the four elements that I mentioned. The Departments, North and South, will share and evaluate practical experience and findings. Where appropriate, they will also undertake shared initiatives in the context of jointly advancing the achievement of common goals.

The first joint initiative is already under way. It aims to raise the level of awareness of scrapie among flock-owners throughout the island of Ireland and involves the preparation and issue of a common advice leaflet on scrapie for farmers. As far as we are aware, there is a low incidence of scrapie in Ireland — an average of three cases a year in the North and seven in the South. Nevertheless, we wish to ensure that farmers are totally aware of it, and we wish to establish the exact levels of incidence. That approach will ensure that scrapie is ultimately eradicated from the island, and, in the meantime, normal trade may continue in accordance with EU rules.

I note from the Minister’s statement that the North/South Ministerial Council considered a progress report and study on the pig industry, and that the main recommendations of the report include the rationalisation of existing slaughter capacity. Will the Minister assure the House that such rationalisation would not disadvantage slaughter capacity in Northern Ireland? Is the Minister aware that Northern Ireland pig farmers feel disadvantaged because the controls on the export of pigs from Northern Ireland to the Republic are much more stringent than those for the reciprocal import of pigs from the Republic to Northern Ireland? Will that issue be addressed?

The study on the pig industry was initiated in December 1999 because of the grim situation in that industry, which the Member is well aware of. There were several recommendations. One was for the rationalisation of existing slaughtering capacity and the scaling up of plant size. That was to ensure that the industry survived and went forward. The industry is now taking up those issues.

Other recommendations involved the supply chain, the need for secondary processors and the need to improve production efficiency, particularly in Northern Ireland. These matters were discussed at a recent seminar at Loughry College. Slaughter capacity is a commercial matter and is not my responsibility. The research and the report pointed to what needed to be done to ensure the survival and viability of the industry. The industry has examined that and is taking it seriously.

Intracommunity regulations and laws apply to the movement of pigs between the North and the South in the same way as movement between any two member states. We do not have any control over that: we must apply the intracommunity regulations and rules.

Will the Minister be specific as to what measures she has introduced to deal with the backlog of animals with tuberculosis? What measures has she introduced, since the current regulations on cross-border importation of animals, to protect the health of animal stocks in Northern Ireland?

I have asked my Chief Veterinary Officer to treat the eradication of brucellosis as a priority, and much work has gone into that. Recruitment is under way for veterinary and ancillary staff, in addition to the recent appointments of new valuation officers to speed up the removal of reactors. Additional staff have been moved into the three high-incidence areas of Armagh, Newry and Enniskillen.

The Department is reorganising staff at markets and abattoirs to provide extra resources for brucellosis duties. The bulk milk-sampling programme in dairy herds has allowed additional staff to be allocated to the high-incidence areas. There is annual instead of biennial testing in those areas, and I have outlined what has been done about infected premises and the surrounding areas. Several initiatives have been undertaken to eradicate the problem.

We have caught up with the backlog on the movement of animals, and currently there is no backlog. Additional assessors were put in place to deal with that, and there is also additional capacity for getting rid of the animals.

The rules for the importation of animals still apply and have already been outlined.

I am sure the Minister has no plans to issue passports for the movement of sheep across the border. However, is the sheep identification system compatible with that in the Republic of Ireland?

Our system for the identification of sheep delivers the same objective, which is the control and traceability of sheep movements. The existing system delivers registration of flocks, unique identification and online ordering of ear tags by manufacturers. The system is also accessible to approved manufacturers, including those in the Republic of Ireland, by means of an assigned password.

Will the Minister give a breakdown of the figures in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland for scrapie, TB and brucellosis? How many successful prosecutions has her Department taken against people allegedly involved in the illegal spreading of TB and brucellosis in this jurisdiction?

Can she inform the House of the cost to her Department of pursuing that case?

The Minister told us that the January sectoral meeting cost approximately £4,000. Are we right to assume that the most recent meeting also cost £4,000 and that a meeting planned for October will cost taxpayers yet another £4,000? If that is so, does the Minister agree that this is not value for money — much of the business could be done by telephone, and there is little need for the whole apparatus of Government to move into Council format for information to be relayed between the two Departments?

I do not have the figures that the Member has requested. However, I will provide them for him as soon as possible. I do not know the cost of the last meeting of the Council, but I am surprised that he seems to think it a waste of time and money to develop a common strategy on animal health on the island of Ireland. The Member may not be aware that this is a complex matter that cannot be dealt with through a few telephone calls. Several working parties are engaged in the strategy.

An all-island animal health strategy has been called for most vehemently by the Ulster Farmers’ Union, the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA) and, indeed, the whole industry. I take this very seriously. We saw what happened last year with foot-andmouth disease, and if it had not been for the co-operation between the Minister in the Republic and myself, the meetings that we and officials had at that time and our telephone conversations, we would have been in a much sorrier state than we were by the end of last year.

I welcome the Minister’s statement. What is the Northern line on common agricultural policy (CAP) reform, and what progress has the North/South Ministerial Council made in developing a common approach?

We accept that change is coming and that there will be implications from enlargement, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the review of Agenda 2000. The Commission has said that there will be changes in subsidies and that there will be a move from the first pillar of the common agricultural policy (CAP) to the second pillar, which is rural development. Nevertheless, we have to be concerned about the nature, the pace and the scale of that reform. It must not put unacceptable pressure on farmers and their families or put at risk the viability of the rural economy. There are social and economic issues, and we must avoid creating further marginalisation of rural communities.

On the common approach of the North/South Ministerial Council, I discussed and agreed a set of common concerns and priorities about the future of the CAP at a previous meeting with Joe Walsh, the Republic’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. I identified the common concerns when responding to the Northern Ireland priorities. We have agreed to continue to review developments on those matters, especially in the run-up to the mid-term review. When we get the outcome of that in June 2002, we will be able to take further note and decide our priorities. I will also be in discussion with the UK Ministers and Mrs Beckett, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on this.

North/South Ministerial Council:
Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission

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Mr Deputy Speaker:

I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development that she wishes to make a statement on the North/South Ministerial Council meeting on the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission held on 15 April 2002 in Dublin.

The eighth meeting of the North/ South Ministerial Council for the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission took place on 15 April 2002 in Dublin. Following nomination by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, James Leslie and I represented Northern Ireland.

Mr Frank Fahey, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, represented the Irish Government. The papers for the meeting were issued to Executive Committee members during the week commencing 8 April.

The meeting opened with reports from the chairperson of the commission’s board, Mr Peter Savage, and the chief executive of the Loughs Agency, Mr Derek Anderson. The chief executive advised that the outstanding accounts for 1997, 1998 and 1999 have now been completed, and those for the years ended 2000 and 2001 are being audited. Outstanding annual reports will be finalised and published soon.

Mr Anderson also said that 11 tenders to carry out an audit of recreational and tourism fisheries in the Foyle and Carlingford areas have been received, and five applicants have been invited to make presentations to the commission’s board later this month to facilitate a final selection and the commencement of the work in August. He added that work on the stakeholder survey of the shellfisheries of the loughs is progressing well. It is expected that all interviews will be completed by the end of this month, and a report will be available by May.

Ministers were also updated on shellfish production in the 2001 season, and the mussel and oyster fisheries are performing well. Mr Anderson then advised that there continues to be a significant reduction in illegal fishing activity, and that that is attributable to the successful introduction of the salmon carcass tagging scheme. Combined with that, the agency continues to prosecute when it detects illegal activity, and it directs effort towards the detection and prevention of pollution incidents.

Ministers then noted the resignation of a board member of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission, Sheila Tyrell, and thanked her for her service. There are no plans to replace her at present.

In addition, Ministers noted the Loughs Agency’s proposals for an Atlantic salmon and seal interactive workshop, which is planned for May 2002. Representatives of the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries, agencies, Departments and other bodies with responsibilities for fisheries and environment matters throughout the island of Ireland will meet at that workshop to discuss past and current research on the interaction of seals and salmon, the abundance of seals in Ireland, the UK and the Atlantic seaboards of Europe and Canada. They will recommend further research and data collection to evaluate the impact of seals on salmon stocks.

Ministers then noted the progress in the agency’s review of its staffing and structure, with the imminent submission of a report to the two sponsoring Departments and the two finance Departments. That was followed by a discussion on the continuing problems associated with the aquaculture site in Carlingford Lough that was licensed by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, whose boundaries have caused problems for Northern fishermen in accessing the public mussel fishery. I impressed upon Minister Fahey the continued need for a speedy resolution to those difficulties. He agreed that the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development should meet with a view to resolving those issues as soon as possible.

Ministers were then updated on the agency’s plans to equip and open the interpretive centre at its headquarters at Prehen. The centre will provide an excellent educational resource for schoolchildren, the many users of the fisheries resources and the public in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. Plans, and work to implement those plans, are well advanced, and the centre remains on target to open in September 2002.

Finally, the Council agreed to meet again in September or October 2002, and it approved the issue of a joint communiqué, a copy of which has been placed in the Assembly Library.

I am making the statement on behalf of Mr Leslie and myself.

The Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development (Rev Dr Ian Paisley): Will the Minister give an up-to-date report on the problems of Northern Ireland fishermen in accessing the public mussel fishery because of the site that has been licensed by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources in Carlingford Lough? She stated that the matter would be dealt with "as soon as possible". That expression can sometimes mean a very long time.

I am sure that she has been well briefed by her representatives about the problem, and I trust that there will be a speedy resolution.

I am aware of the problem, and the problems it is causing fishermen on this side of the lough. However, as the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources licensed the site, it is for that Department to progress an amicable solution, and I understand that it has sought legal advice on the matter. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s aim is to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and ensure that Northern Ireland fishermen have fair access to the public mussel fishery. To that end, it was agreed at the North/South Ministerial Council meeting that my Department should meet with Department of the Marine and Natural Resources officials to make further progress towards a solution. I emphasised at that meeting the need to make progress on the issue as soon as possible.

Having raised with the Minister in the Chamber the issue of outstanding accounts over five years, I am happy to note that there has been progress. However, as regards outstanding annual reports I seek the Minister’s assurance that where the report says that they will be published in the near future she means "the near future". Does that mean weeks or months?

As regards the proposed Atlantic salmon and seal interactive workshop, I seek the Minister’s assurance that Members will be invited to the workshop — particularly Committee members, who have responsibility for these matters.

The agency’s accounts are being finalised. I thank the Member for his remarks; I know there was much concern about the delay, which I explained at fair length in my last report. Annual reports for 2000-01 will be published following completion of the audit of the accounts. It is intended that that will take place in May — in this case, "as soon as possible" means May.

There are conflicting views and interests concerning Atlantic salmon. It is important that everyone with an interest in the matter is consulted. I would be surprised if Members did not have the opportunity to take part in the consultation. Stakeholders, and anyone with an interest — which I assume would include the Assembly — will be part of the consultation and will be able to comment.

I thank the Minister for another comprehensive report on the meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council. In view of the need to address the economic and social disadvantages caused by partition of the island of Ireland and the need to encourage trade, investment and tourism, what is the North/South Ministerial Council doing to promote the Narrow Water bridge project, which will connect the Cooley peninsula in County Louth with South Down? Will she explain the logistics of how schoolchildren and the fishery interests in the Carlingford area could benefit from the interpretive centre at Prehen?

I am aware of the proposed Narrow Water bridge project referred to by Mr McGrady. However, as the project does not lie within the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission’s responsibility, it has had no involvement. I understand the issue being raised by Mr McGrady, and I suggest that it is a matter for the transport sector of the North/South Ministerial Council. The sector met recently and will be making a report.

The Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission is not involved, although it will be interested to hear what, if anything, is being proposed.

The logistics and organisation of school trips to various parts of Northern Ireland and particularly to the interpretive centre at Prehen are not in my remit. The Prehen centre is an exciting project and would be worth an organised school visit. If the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission had endless resources, it would have such a centre in every corner of Northern Ireland. However, the agency has no plans to open a separate interpretive centre in the Carlingford area. It is to be hoped that schools throughout Northern Ireland will find the resources in their budget to arrange a visit to the Maiden City and Prehen interpretive centre.

Go raibh maith agat. I welcome the Minister’s statement and replies.

What impact have pollution incidents and illegal fishing of salmon had on sport angling in relation to cross-border tourism?

I presume that the Member is referring to the effect of pollution on fish stocks in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. As regards pollution incidents from agricultural or other sources, the agency operates a programme of proactive farm visits that it believes has contributed significantly to a reduction in the number and severity of agricultural pollution incidents. The agency collects information on the productivity of the rivers and streams in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. That information provides indications of previously undetected pollution, thus allowing the agency to focus its proactive anti-pollution work. The agency also endeavours to cover the cost of re-stocking after water pollution incidents, and it believes that that acts as a deterrent to potential polluters. The agency expects to strengthen the legislation in order to require polluters to re-stock and to reinstate.

In her statement, the Minister refers to the

Will the Minister define as a percentage what she means by "significant"? Her statement also notes that

How many successful prosecutions have been brought to date? How many are pending — whether for pollution-related activities or illegal fishing?

The Loughs Agency’s predecessor, the Foyle Fisheries Commission, had an effective track record in dealing with poaching in the Foyle area. The Loughs Agency is committed to tackling all illegal fishing activity in its areas of responsibility. Last season, despite the curtailment of the agency’s enforcement activities due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, it seized over 241 illegal nets, 22 boats, and 279 salmon. The introduction of a carcass-tagging scheme in the Foyle and Carlingford areas has also had a positive impact in reducing the levels of poaching. The agency is engaged in 31 prosecutions relating to illegal fishing that took place in 2001.

The Minister mentioned the aquaculture site that was licensed by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, the boundaries of which have caused problems for Northern Ireland’s fishermen in accessing the public mussel fisheries. What steps is she taking to protect the fishermen’s rights of access to the public fishery in Carlingford Lough? Have the Irish Government assured her that they will ensure that the rights of our fishermen will be upheld and protected? Has she considered seeking assistance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Westminster to resolve the matter?

I answered that question when I stated that I had raised the issue at the North/South Ministerial Council. I have raised the matter twice, and I am pressing Minister Fahey to deal with the matter urgently. As Dr Paisley said, it is an urgent matter for the fishermen in the area. I understand their grievance, and I want to deal with the matter as soon as possible.

The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources in the South licensed the site, so it must deal with the problem. I am pressing hard for a solution, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of the issue.

How does the agency plan to ensure the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry in Lough Foyle?

Although powers to license and develop the aquaculture industry in Lough Foyle have not yet been transferred to the Foyle and Carlingford Irish Lights Commission, the Loughs Agency is carrying out extensive consultation to obtain the views of those who work on the lough. When that has been completed, the agency proposes to draw up an implementation plan for introducing an aquaculture regulatory system for Lough Foyle. The agency also plans to provide grant aid to assist the development of the aquaculture sector in the Foyle and Carlingford areas when the necessary legislation has been enacted. The agency has also put in place several monitoring programmes in Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough, including the installation of automatic temperature loggers in both loughs, and bi-monthly sampling to monitor salinity, conductivity, PH and oxygen levels. The agency recently included the collection of nutrient samples in the programme, which will provide information that will be fundamental to the development and management of the shellfish industry.

After the last sectoral meeting, the Minister said that she had established an advisory forum and focus groups. Did the groups report at the latest meeting or are they expected to report at the next meeting in October? In a letter to me on 29 March, the Minister stated that the establishment of the focus groups had cost £22,000 to date. Is it not about time that a progress report on the lavish expenditure on focus groups was published?

The advisory forum has been established, and it will provide a formal mechanism for interested parties in both areas to express their views on the work of the agency. The membership of the forum includes representatives from a wide range of interests such as shellfishermen, commercial salmon netsmen and anglers. The agency also intends to establish several focus groups to represent specific interests when it meets again in May.

I have not received a report from the agency yet. However, the process is ongoing. The agency is consulting stakeholders, and I look forward to its report. It is important that the advisory forum has been set up and that the stakeholders - and there are many around both loughs - can give their views and be part of the process in which the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission improves aquaculture. I am pleased that the forum has been set up and is in operation. However, it must continue with the consultative process.

Will the Minister note my concern about the restrictive remit in the audit of recreational and tourism facilities in the Foyle and Carlingford areas? Will she explain why the wider issue of water-based recreation and tourism activities is not being addressed in the audit; even if it is only about how such activities impact positively or negatively on fisheries?

The issues raised by Mr Hussey are not within the remit of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission.

The Minister said that the interpretive centre would be open to the wider public in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. I agree with the comments of my Colleague, Mr McGrady, about the distance of the Foyle from Warrenpoint and Carlingford. However, there is potential for an exciting and long day out for the children of the area. Does the Minister intend the centre to be open to all members of the public?

Yes. From the point of view of education, the centre will be of particular benefit to schoolchildren; however, it will also benefit the wider public - helping them to understand the nature of the water base, and the industry, ecology, and the environmental aspects of the area.

The Minister mentioned the significant reduction in illegal fishing. Foot-and-mouth disease prevented possible public prosecutions. Have fish counts on the machines at Sion Mills and Newtownstewart shown a significant increase in the various types of fish making their way into the Mourne, the Strule, and the Foyle? Locally, the perception is that illegal fishing is still rampant and that the number of fish making their way to the headwaters of the Foyle has significantly decreased in the past two years.

I am unable to provide the Member with figures today. However, I will provide him with a written answer about the number of fish going through counters at Sion Mills.

North/South Ministerial Council: Education

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I have received notice from the Minster of Education that he wishes to make a statement on the North/South Ministerial Council sectoral meeting on education, which was held on 11 April 2002 in Armagh.

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): With permission, a LeasCheann Comhairle, I wish to make a statement on the fourth sectoral meeting on education of the North/South Ministerial Council, held in the Armagh City Hotel, Armagh on 11 April 2002. Following nomination by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, the Minister of the Environment, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, and I, attended the sectoral meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council. Dr Michael Woods TD, Minister for Education and Science, represented the Irish Government. Mr Nesbitt has approved the statement, and it is also made on his behalf.

The objectives of the meeting were to review the progress of the joint working groups on educational underachievement, special education needs and teacher qualifications that were established at the first sectoral meeting on 3 February 2000, to consider several progress reports from the working groups, to agree issues where further work was required, to endorse proposed future actions and to take decisions on several specific actions, on which I shall elaborate.

First, the Council considered a report from the teachers' superannuation working group. The working group's purpose was to examine the feasibility and implications of establishing an agreement for the transfer, on a North/South basis, of the superannuation benefits of teachers who move between the jurisdictions to live and work. The working group has identified, and is now considering, several possible options. It is a complex issue, and cognisance must be taken of existing arrangements in other public-sector schemes. However, we remain confident of the potential for agreement on this after further necessary work is carried out by the working group.

In the wider context of the report by the Centre for Cross Border Studies entitled 'Study of Obstacles to Mobility of Persons between the two parts of the island of Ireland', which was considered at the plenary North/ South Ministerial Council meeting last November, we agreed that the centre should be notified of the working group's work.

The Council also considered a report from the teacher qualifications working group, whose role is to examine teacher mobility on the island. At its previous meeting, the Council agreed that the working group should look at the need for prospective teachers in the South to take an examination in the history and structure of the Irish education system. The working group is still working on that and on the arrangements for the mutual recognition of teachers' qualifications.

There have been significant changes to the requirements for Irish-language proficiency for teachers in the South. They now relate only to teachers in primary schools or secondary schools in the Gaeltacht, or where teaching is in Irish. Additionally, teachers can now take up to five years to achieve the necessary proficiency. The Department of Education and Science has made special arrangements for language training courses, and the pay differential that existed between teachers who had the language proficiency and those who did not has been removed. Further work remains to be done, and I look forward to receiving the next report from that working group.

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