Proceedings of the Committee on the Preparation for Government

1 September 2006

Minutes of the meeting held on Friday, 1 September 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

In the Chair: Jim Wells

Present: Alex Attwood 
Esmond Birnie
Michael Ferguson
Patricia Lewsley
Naomi Long
Alban Maginness
Lord Morrow
Kieran McCarthy
Nelson McCausland
Alan McFarland
Michael McGimpsey
Philip McGuigan
Dermot Nesbitt
Edwin Poots

In Attendance: Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Joanne Adair (Assistant Clerk)
Elaine Farrell (Clerical Supervisor)

Observing: Stephen Barr (UUPAG researcher)
Clive McFarland (DUP researcher)
Chrissie McAuley (Sinn Fein researcher)
Mark Neale (UUPAG researcher)

The meeting commenced at 10.03 am.

1. Apologies

Mr Durkan MP (Mrs Lewsley attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Mr Durkan MP)

Mr Kennedy (Mr Nesbitt attended the meeting as UUPAG representative in place of Mr Kennedy)

Dr McDonnell MP (Mr Maginness attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Dr McDonnell MP)

Dr Farren (Mr Attwood attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Dr Farren)

Mr Murphy MP (Mr Ferguson attended the meeting as Sinn Fein representative in place of Mr Murphy MP)

Mr McGuinness MP

Ms Gildernew MP (Mr McGuigan attended the meeting as Sinn Fein representative in place of Ms Gildernew MP)

Dr McCrea MP (Mr Poots attended the meeting as DUP representative in place of Dr McCrea MP)

Mr McNarry (Mr McGimpsey attended the meeting as UUPAG representative in place of Mr McNarry)

Mr Paisley, Jnr (Mr McCausland attended the meeting as DUP representative in place of Mr Paisley, Jnr)

Mr Ford (Mr McCarthy attended the meeting as Alliance Party representative in place of Mr Ford)

Mr McFarland and Mr McGimpsey joined the meeting at 10.04 am

2. Previous Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of 25 August were agreed subject to the following amendment:

Change ‘Corey-compliant Inquiries’ to ‘Cory-compliant Inquiries’.

It was agreed that the names of all members proposing motions would be included in future minutes.

Lord Morrow joined the meeting at 10.30 am

3. Discussion on confidence building and culture

Confidence building

Each party gave a short presentation on the issue of confidence building.

Mr Maginness joined the meeting at 12.01 pm

The meeting was suspended at 12.17 p.m.

Mr Nesbitt left the meeting at 12.17 pm

The meeting reconvened at 12.49 pm

Dr Birnie joined the meeting as UUPAG representative in place of Mr Kennedy at 12.49 pm

Mr McCarthy and Mr McGuigan declared an interest as members of the Gaelic Athletics Association.

Nelson McCausland proposed that the Committee should agree that community disadvantage and alienation are obstacles to political progress and are particularly evident in the Unionist community. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Naomi Long proposed that the Committee should agree that community disadvantage and alienation are obstacles to political progress and where these conditions exist, or are perceived to exist, appropriate action should be taken based on objective need. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Michael McGimpsey proposed that the Committee should agree that disadvantages within communities seriously undermine confidence in the political process particularly within those communities and that currently this is particularly apparent within Unionist communities. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Alban Maginness proposed that the Committee should agree that disadvantages within communities seriously undermine confidence in the political process. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Nelson McCausland proposed that there should be a non-lottery fund for those who refuse lottery funding on moral grounds. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

Nelson McCausland proposed that British passports should be made available to citizens born in the Republic of Ireland after 1949. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Nelson McCausland proposed that the matter be referred to the two Governments for consideration. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed’.

Mr Ferguson left the meeting at 1.19 pm

Nelson McCausland proposed that the Committee should recognise the unique problems faced by some local communities along the border who have suffered from a campaign of ethnic cleansing and support the development of a border fund to support these communities. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Alex Attwood proposed that consideration should be given for resources being targeted to maintain border communities and enhance initiatives where there are cross border projects. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Mr Attwood left the meeting at 1.20 pm
Mr Ferguson rejoined the meeting at 1.21 pm

Nelson McCausland proposed that there should be work within Northern Ireland universities to eliminate the ‘chill factor’ towards the Unionist community. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Patricia Lewsley proposed that the Committee should call for the full restoration of the Assembly and its institutions, for Sinn Fein to support the rule of law and policing and for DUP to sign up to the institutions. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Michael Ferguson proposed that the Committee should call for full restoration of the Assembly and its institutions. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Edwin Poots proposed that the Committee should call for all parties to support policing and justice and for all parties to work fully with all authorities to bring about an end to criminality and establish democratic structures inclusive of those committed to exclusively democratic and peaceful means. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Culture

Each party gave a brief presentation on the issue of culture.

Mr Maginness left the meeting at 1.49 pm

Lord Morrow left the meeting at 1.54 pm

Mr Poots left the meeting at 2.24 pm

Mr McGimpsey left the meeting at 2.41 pm

Michael Ferguson proposed that there should be an Irish Language Act with Irish language rights incorporated into the Bill of Rights and overseen by the appointment of an Irish language commissioner, that the British Government should ratify the additional clauses on the Europe Charter on Regional and Minority Languages related to the promotion of language in public life and that the British Government and its departments should communicate through the medium of Irish when requested and make publications available in Irish when requested. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Patricia Lewsley proposed that the Committee should agree, in principle, that there should be greater recognition and provision for sign language. There was consensus and proposal was agreed.

Patricia Lewsley proposed that all parties should accept the principle of parity of esteem and just and equal treatment for the identity, culture and aspirations of all communities. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

Nelson McCausland proposed that the Department of Education should initiate a programme of work to ensure that the cultural rights of children, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, are implemented and monitored across all school sectors. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

Nelson McCausland proposed that the Committee should call for the GAA to work with the Sports Council and the Community Relations Council to ensure Gaelic sports are depoliticised as part of the contribution to a Shared Future. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

4. Issues deferred from previous meetings

Nelson McCausland proposed that the Parades Commission’s functions should be split to create a mediation body and a determination body. There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

The Committee considered the issue, referred from the Wednesday meeting, of whether the Assembly might wish to have devolved, together with powers on policing and justice, appointments to, and the operation of, the Parades Commission. There was not consensus on the matter.

5. Any other business

The Committee considered an invitation from Monica McWilliams, Northern Ireland Human Rights Chief Commissioner, to participate in a symposium on the issue of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The Committee agreed to the invitation in principle, subject to confirmation, at the meeting on Monday 4 September, that the DUP would attend.

6. Next Meeting

The Committee will next meet at 10.00am on Monday 4 September 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings to discuss Institutional issues. The next meeting dealing with rights, safeguards, equality and victim’s issues will be held on Friday 8 September. This will be an all-day meeting with lunch provided.

The meeting adjourned at 3.13 pm