Minutes of Proceedings

The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 9.35am.

1.1 The Chairman welcomed the Minister, accompanied by DARD officials Ms Evelyn Cummins and Mr Jim Prentice at 9.36am. He thanked the Minister for agreeing to meet the Committee and invited her to make a statement.

1.2 The Minister apologised for her inability to meet the Committee as arranged on Friday 18 January 2002 and thanked the Committee for providing this opportunity to discuss Cod Closures.

1.3 The Minister made a statement referring to factors affecting the fishing industry; total allowable catch; catch achieved; and the absence of a strong case to support the funding of a 'tie-up' scheme.

1.4 Members then questioned the Minister and emphasised the need to keep the situation under review. The Minister referred to the availability of social security benefits and undertook to approach the Minister for Social Development with a view to reducing the bureaucracy associated with claims to benefit.

1.5 The Chairman thanked the Minister and her officials and they left the meeting at 10.04am.

2. Dairy Export Refunds.

2.1 Members considered a draft press notice prepared following the meeting on Friday 25 January 2002, and a request from the Chief Executive of the United Dairy Farmers (UDF) organisation to include representatives from the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) and the Northern Ireland Dairy Association (NIDA) in the delegation to meet the Committee on 1 February 2002.

Resolved: that the press notice on dairy export refunds was approved for immediate issue.

Resolved: that the committee agreed to meet the joint UDF/UFU/NIDA delegation on 1 February 2002.

The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 10.06am.