Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2001/2002
Date: 14 February 2002
In attendance for a meeting at 10:30am to outline a financial model structure, which may have the potential to be used by football clubs, to develop soccer grounds in Northern Ireland: Mr Kip Hewitt, Development Director (NI), Stadia Management.
In the absence of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson, the Clerk opened the meeting in public, at 10:24am and called on members to propose a Chairperson. Mr Wilson was proposed by Mr McCarthy and seconded by Mr Davis. Mr Wilson assumed the Chair at 10:25am.
1. Chairperson's business
1.1. The Chairperson reminded members that mobile phones should be completely switched off.
1.2. The Committee agreed that the Chairperson would represent the Committee at the presentation of the 24th Annual Tourism Awards on Thursday 7 March 2002 in the Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast.
1.3. Members noted that the Joint Committee for Tourism, Sport and Recreation in the Oireachtas had agreed to meet the Committee on Thursday 7 March 2002. Members were asked to forward any agenda suggestions to the Clerk by Wednesday 20 February 2002.
1.4. Members noted their diaries with possible dates for the visit of representatives from the Central Fisheries and Western Fisheries Boards. Members indicated that either Wednesday 10th to Friday 12th April 2002 or Wednesday 24th to Friday 26th April 2002 would be suitable dates but that Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th April 2002 would be unsuitable.
Mr McMenamin attended the meeting at 10:30am.
1.5. Members were asked to advise the Committee Office whether they would be attending the Sports Council's press launch for the Northern Ireland Youth Games taking place on Wednesday 20 March 2002 at Parliament Buildings.
1.6. Members welcomed information from the Arts Council about the allocation of funding under the Council's Annual Support for Organisations Programme and agreed that a meeting with the Arts Council would not be necessary.
2. Minutes of the meeting of 7 February 2002
2.1. The draft Minutes of Proceedings were agreed.
3. Matters arising
3.1. There were no matters arising.
Dr Adamson attended the meeting at 10:40am.
4. Mr Kip Hewitt, Development Director (NI), Stadia Management
4.1. Mr Hewitt gave a presentation to the Committee, outlining how the Company's financial model might assist the development of soccer and other stadia in Northern Ireland.
Mr ONeill attended the meeting and assumed the Chair at 10:53am.
Mr Davis left the meeting at 10:56am.
Mr Agnew attended the meeting at 11:03am.
4.2. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister about the meeting.
Mr Hilditch left the meeting at 11:29am.
Dr Adamson left the meeting at 11:30am.
5. Responses to concerns raised by the Northern Ireland Pike Society
5.1. Members agreed to seek the views of the Northern Ireland Pike Society, on responses made by the Fisheries Conservancy Board and Bann System Ltd, on the issue of illegal fishing on the Lower Bann and in the Lough Beg area.
6. Development of sea angling
6.1. Members agreed to invite the representative body for sea angling to discuss how sea angling could be developed, particularly in view of the financial assistance available for sea angling projects, under the Department's Angling Development Programme funded from the Water Based Tourism Measure of Peace 2.
Mr Davis rejoined the meeting at 11:35am.
7. Follow-up to Service Delivery Agreements meeting
7.1. Members were advised that the Department was presently considering a revised Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) with more quantifiable targets, which would facilitate the monitoring process and that an updated SDA would be presented as soon as it was available.
8. December monitoring round
8.1. Members discussed the Minister's letter of 5 February 2002 on the outcome of the December monitoring round. The Committee agreed to make their concerns, about the dropping of the in-year bid for Health and Safety at sports grounds, known to the Minister.
9. Any other business
9.1 Members were advised that visitor numbers to W5, for the period 31 March to 31 December 2001, were 243,068.
9.2. Members were advised that 253 applications for funding for the 'Queens Golden Jubilee' celebrations had been received at the closing date of 1 February 2002. Members also noted that 450 events were registered for the printed diary which would be published in late April or early May.
9.3. The Committee agreed that the Chairperson and Mr Wilson would make a presentation on the Inquiry into Inland Fisheries Report at Sionmills.
9.4. The Committee agreed that the Clerk would write to members asking them to encourage local angling clubs to respond to the newspaper advertisement announcing the public meetings about the review of the Fisheries Conservancy Board.
Mr Shannon attended the meeting at 11:44am.
9.5. The Committee agreed that the Clerk would contact the Department about the practical problems surrounding the implementation of SR11/2002 Fisheries (Amendment) Byelaws (NI) 2002. The Committee also agreed that the Chairperson would speak to the Minister about the Byelaws.
Mr Kelly left the meeting at 11:48am.
The meeting moved into private session at 11:48am.
10. Report on the Cultural Tourism and the Arts Inquiry
10.1. The Committee continued the initial scrutiny of the draft report, prepared by the Specialist Advisor and agreed that the Clerk would redraft identified areas.
Mr Shannon left the meeting at 12:16pm.
Mr Wilson left the meeting at 12:17pm.
Mr Hilditch rejoined the meeting at 12:32pm.
Mr McCarthy left the meeting at 12:32pm.
10.2. The Committee agreed that advice would be sought from Research Service on identified aspects.
11. Date of next meeting
11.1. The Committee agreed to hold a special meeting at 10:00am on Tuesday 19 February 2002 in Room 135 to consider the draft report on the Cultural Tourism and the Arts Inquiry.
11.2. The Committee will meet again at 10:15am on Thursday 21 February 2002 in Room 152.
The Chairperson brought the meeting to a close at 12:44pm.
E ONeill
Chairperson
