Minutes of Proceedings

In attendance for a presentation at 10:30am on the Fisheries Conservancy Board Review: DTZ Pieda - Mr Eric Hanvey, Associate Director, Belfast Office, Mr Martin Carey, Senior Consultant and Ms Judith Annett, Independent Countryside Consultant.

The meeting opened, in public, at 10:20am.

1. Chairperson's business

1.1. The Chairperson reminded members to turn off their mobile phones during the meeting.
1.2. Members noted the Department's draft Service Delivery Agreements which were received in advance of the meeting next week with Dr Aideen McGinley and Dr Dennis McCoy.

Dr Adamson joined the meeting at 10:24am.

1.3. Members also noted draft leaflets on the Department's two Programmes being run under the Water Based Tourism Measure which is funded by Peace 2. The Department will brief the Committee on the Water Recreation Development Programme and the Angling Development Programme on 24 January 2002. The Committee voiced its concern about the late notification to it of the launch of these programmes. 

1.4. Members were advised that the Erne Salmon Programme and Erne Eel Programme Reports had been completed and that the Department would brief the Committee once these Reports were in the public domain. 

1.5. It was resolved to write to the Minister expressing concern about the Department's approach to involving the Committee only at the stage when these reports are publicly available and asking him to reconsider the matter urgently. 

1.6. Members noted that the Department would be happy to accommodate the Committee's proposal to visit the River Bush Station. The visit will be scheduled into the forward work programme.

1.7. Members noted that the Department intended to appoint six new members to the Board of the NI Events Company to ensure as wide a representation as possible and that they should draw the vacancies to the attention of interested individuals. The Committee Office will circulate a copy of the press advertisement to members.

1.8. The Committee considered the request for a meeting, received from the Northern Ireland Pike Society, to discuss poaching on the Lower Bann and in the Lough Begg area. It was resolved to seek the views of Bann System Limited and the Fisheries Conservancy Board in the first instance and to advise the Pike Society of the position.

1.9. The Committee also discussed a request for a meeting, received from Seaport Investments Limited, to present and discuss proposals for land at the Giant's Causeway site. It was resolved to decline the request for the meeting given that the Committee had no direct involvement in this matter.

1.10. Members were asked to note that the Minister would be making a statement on Tuesday 15 January 2002 on the December meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council on Language.

1.11. Members were asked to note an invitation to attend the launch of a joint Education and Sport Programme for Physical Education in schools, to take place in St Joseph's Primary School, Slate Street, Belfast at 10am on Wednesday 23 January 2002. Members were also invited to Bann System Limited's 5th annual seminar at 7:30pm on Thursday 24 January 2002 in the Salmon Leap Restaurant.

1.12. The Chairperson proposed and the Committee resolved that MAGNI would make a presentation to the Committee on proposals for a new National Art Gallery in Belfast.

Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 10:48am.

2. Presentation by DTZ Pieda on the Fisheries Conservancy Board Review

2.1. DTZ Pieda gave a presentation to the Committee outlining key issues for consideration as part of the Fisheries Conservancy Board Review and the methodology to be used in the review. The Consultants took note of the Committee's views on the review.

2.2. DTZ Pieda agreed that it would meet with the Committee again before the report was finalised.

3. Minutes of the meeting of 6 December 2001

3.1. Minutes of the meeting were agreed.

4. Matters arising

4.1. Para 10.4 - 'Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG)' - The Department has clarified its position on the new aquaculture grants scheme, which will be operated jointly with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and has copied the relevant Guidance Notes to the Committee.

5. Irish dance schools in all Ireland and World Irish Dance Championships

5.1. The Committee discussed the Department's response to the issue raised about the Irish dance schools in Carrickfergus which cannot take part in the all Ireland Dance Championships. The Committee resolved to seek further clarification on the requirement set by the Irish Dance Commission for teachers to pass an Irish oral examination before their school is eligible to participate in the Commission's Championships.

6. Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Inquiry - 'Tourism'

6.1. The Committee resolved that it would contribute to the Inquiry and further resolved that issues that were raised in both the Cultural Tourism and the Arts and the Inland Fisheries Inquiries would be appropriate to its contribution.

7. NI Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) - Consultation document on Bill of Rights

7.1. The Committee agreed a response to the NIHRC Bill of Rights consultation document.

8. Report on visit to Scotland

8.1. The Committee agreed that the report on the visit to football grounds in Scotland, issued before the Christmas recess, was an accurate record and agreed to convene a special meeting to discuss its response to the Report on Creating a Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland. The Committee also agreed that there was a need to visit a number of local football grounds and agreed to seek the assistance of the Sports Council to set up a range of visits.

9. Any other business

9.1. It was resolved to clarify the location of ticket outlets for the Boxing Day football match between Linfield and Glentoran football clubs.

9.2. The Committee discussed a draft response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on its Department's consultation document on the Executive Programme Fund for Children. It was resolved that members would forward any final comments on the response to the Committee Office by close of play on Friday 11 January 2002.

9.3. Members noted that the draft report on the Inquiry into Cultural Tourism and the Arts would be available early next week. Members agreed to make themselves available for extra meetings to consider the report in detail and indicated a preference for Monday and Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.

Dr Adamson and Mr Davis left the meeting at 12:15pm.

9.4. The Committee discussed the rate of commission for fishing licence and permit dealers who now have to issue tags and logbooks in accordance with legislation. No additional commission has been offered to them to compensate for the time required in administration, estimated to be twenty to thirty minutes. Members noted that the rate of commission in the Republic of Ireland had been increased from 5% to 10% immediately on the introduction of tags and logbooks. It was resolved to write to the Fisheries Conservancy Board for comments.

10. Date of next meeting

10.1. The next meeting of the Committee will take place at 10:15am on Thursday 17 January 2002 in Room 152.

The meeting closed at 12:18pm.

E ONeill
Chairperson