Minutes of Proceedings

In attendance at 10:30am to make a presentation on 'Strategy on Sport for Young People': The Sports Council for Northern Ireland - Dr Shaun Ogle, Director of Development Services, and Mr Ronnie Smyth, former Director of Youth Sport.

In attendance at 11:20am to brief the Committee on opera provision in Northern Ireland: The Arts Council of Northern Ireland - Ms Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, and Mr Philip Hammond, Director of Performing Arts.

The Chairperson opened the meeting, in public, at 10:25am.

1. Chairperson's business

1.1. The Chairperson reminded members that phones should be completely turned off.

1.2. The Chairperson thanked members for their contributions to the debate, on Tuesday 11 June 2002, on the Committee's Report on Cultural Tourism and the Arts, and for their participation and attendance at the many meetings held to finalise the Report. Members were also advised of the outside interest and excellent media coverage that the Report had received and looked forward to the receipt of formal responses after the summer recess.

Mr Hilditch attended the meeting at 10:26am.

1.3. The Committee noted an invitation from the Arts Council to the Belfast Community Circus on 19 June 2002 at Gordon Street, Belfast.

1.4. Mr Wilson declared an interest. The Committee noted a request from Ballynure Angling Club to pursue further an audit of all obstructions to fish migration as referred to in recommendation 15 of the Committee's Report on its Inquiry into Inland Fisheries in Northern Ireland. The Club recognised that this would be an extensive exercise and recommended that, protem, the impact of weirs and gates on the Lower River Bann should be assessed as a priority. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister seeking a response to the issues raised by the Club and agreed to discuss these issues again at the meeting on Thursday 20 June 2002, when it would be monitoring progress on all of the Report's recommendations.

1.5. The Committee agreed to include a visit to the Trojans Youth and Community Development Group project in the Creggan Estate in the work programme for its next visit to the North West after the summer recess.

1.6. The Committee noted the Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland's (OSNI) Corporate Plan 2002-2005 and Business Plan 2002-2003 and agreed to arrange a meeting with OSNI at Colby House to discuss their work, with particular emphasis on the Common Address File project.

1.7. The Committee noted the Department's draft Inland fisheries Advisory Handbook 'Protecting fish: Guidelines for Water Abstractors' and agreed to invite the Minister to discuss it before the summer recess.

1.8. Members bade farewell to Louise McCarron, and thanked her for her help, and welcomed her replacement, Heather Graham to the Committee office.

Mr Shannon attended the meeting at 10:35am.

2. Presentation from the Sports Council on 'Strategy on Sport for Young People'

2.1. The Sports Council made a presentation to the Committee on the detail of their 'Strategy on Sport for Young People' and emphasised the need for support from the Department and partnerships at local level.

3. Briefing from the Arts Council on the position of Castleward Opera within the Council's current overall approach to provision of opera in Northern Ireland

3.1. The Chairperson advised the Arts Council that the issue of opera had been addressed in the Cultural Tourism and the Arts Report, wherein the Committee have asked the Council to examine what further steps it can take to ensure that local professional opera can offer a quality product to local audiences, which can also be promoted to the cultural tourist market.

3.2. The Arts Council briefed the Committee on how it sees Castleward Opera fitting into the Council's current overall provision of opera in Northern Ireland.

Mr Hilditch left the meeting at 11:23am.

4. Minutes of the meeting on 6 June 2002

4.1. The draft Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting on 6 June 2002 were agreed.

5. Matters arising

5.1. Para.1.5: Members noted the Irish News report that a new Chief Executive has been appointed to Imagine Belfast 2008, and that there had been no confirmation from the Department.

5.2. Para.3.1: Members noted that there was as yet no response from either the Newsletter or the Sunday World. Members agreed that further letters would issue reminding the editors of the Committee's concern about the inaccuracy of reports concerning the Committee's Report on Cultural Tourism and the Arts.

5.3. Milk Cup and Foyle Cup: The Clerk communicated information about funding provided by the Northern Ireland Events Company to the Milk Cup and the Foyle Cup.

6. Correspondence from the Sheridan Group to the Minister

6.1. The Committee noted correspondence from the Sheridan Group to the Minister in advance of Sheridan's meeting with him on Wednesday 12 June 2002, and agreed to await information from the Department about any emerging developments from that meeting.

7. Executive Position Report

7.1. Members noted those sections of the Executive's Position Report which would be discussed, and a response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel agreed, at next week's meeting. The Clerk has queried a number of issues with the Department in advance of the meeting.

7.2. The Chairperson advised members that he had written to the Minister earlier in the week about the Department's failure to consult the Committee on its Executive Programme Fund bids. Members noted the Minister's letter dated 12 June 2002 advising the Committee of the bids which had already been submitted to the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Executive Programme Unit.

7.3. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister voicing its concern about the Department's failure to provide the Committee with an opportunity to carry out its statutory scrutiny role. It was also agreed to raise the issue with the Minister for Finance and Personnel.

8. Any other business

8.1. Dr Adamson asked the Committee office to establish who had represented the Minister at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland event on Wednesday 12 June 2002.

9. Date of the next meeting

9.1. The next meeting of the Committee will take place at 10:15am on Thursday 20 June 2002 in Room 152.

The Chairperson brought the meeting to a close at 12:15pm.

E ONeill
Chairperson