Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2009/2010
Date: 24 February 2010
Venue: Room 30
The meeting opened at 10. 04 am in public session
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meetings held on 17 February 2010
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Matters Arising
Agreed: Members considered the draft Public Notice inviting submissions for the Committee’s inquiry into NEETs and agreed that it should be published in the press and on the website.
3. Briefing from Eileen Mullan on the ‘Get on Board’ programme.
Eileen Mullan, Associate Lecturer, Belfast Metropolitan College, together with Tracy Bell and Tom Wright, course participants, briefed the Committee on the ‘Get on Board’ programme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
10.10 am Mr Paul Butler joined the meeting
10.24 am Mr William Irwin joined the meeting
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it would organise an event to promote awareness of ‘Get on Board’, and that a Committee motion should be drafted endorsing this programme.
10.40 am Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting
4. Briefing from Marie-Thérèse McGivern on the work of Belfast Metropolitan College
Rev Dr Robert Coulter declared an interest as his son is employed as a lecturer at BMC
Members received a briefing from Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Director and Chief Executive, on the work and future plans of Belfast Metropolitan College. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
10.42 am Mr Trevor Clarke joined the meeting
11.20 am Mr David Hilditch left the meeting
5. Matters Arising
11.40 am Mr Paul Butler left the meeting
- Update on ESB funding issues
Agreed: Members noted an update from the Chairperson on correspondence with the Minister and agreed to await the outcome of the scheduled meeting. - Draft Tourism strategy
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the ETI Committee outlining a proposed Draft Tourism strategy for Northern Ireland and agreed a response to the Committee. - Workforce Future Skills Analysis
Members noted the report of the Northern Workforce Development Forum analysing future skills needs.
11.46 am Mr David Hilditch rejoined the meeting
- Reforming the Medical Certificate – DSD proposed Statutory Rule
Agreed: Members considered stakeholder views on the above SL1 and agreed to inform the Social Development Committee that they were content with the DEL element of the Rule, with one specified reservation. - Programme-Led Apprenticeships
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from ANIC and agreed to await a response from the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils before drafting a formal response to the Department on this issue. - Programme-Led Apprenticeships
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from Blackbourne Limited and agreed to seek a meeting with the Department to discuss PLAs. - The Orchardville Society/ NOW
Agreed: The Committee considered an invitation to a “Seeing is Believing” visit and agreed that such a visit would be arranged later in the year.
11.55 am Mr David McClarty left the meeting
- Insolvency/ Employment Law – Conflict of Interest
Agreed: Members considered a response from the Department clarifying the position on a perceived conflict in the application of insolvency and employment law, and agreed that this correspondence should be forwarded to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. - Hughes Christensen proposed redundancies
Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from employees of Hughes Christensen regarding the proposed closure of the factory and agreed to forward this to the Department for comment.
6. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
7. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings
Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices and other extracts from the local press.
12.04 pm Mr Trevor Clarke left the meeting
8. Any Other Business
- Volunteering Strategy consultation
Agreed: Members noted correspondence on this consultation from the Committee for Social Development and agreed to request this Committee to provide updates on the progress of this strategy. - Forward Work Programme – for information
Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for the period of February to April 2010.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 3 March 2010 in Room 30, Parliament Building.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.08 pm
