|
|
| Home | Elected Representatives | West Tyrone Constituency | Policies | Media Centre |
Progress report from North South Ministerial Council until December 2009Published: 15 February, 2010 
1. BACKGROUND
There have been 14 meetings of the NSMC in Sectoral format and 1 in Institutional format since the NSMC Plenary meeting on 8 July 2009. At each meeting in sectoral format, Ministers agreed indicative/provisional dates for subsequent meetings.
2. Transport
Belfast-Dublin Rail Line
· Iarnród Éireann reopened the line on 16 November 2009 following the collapse of the Malahide viaduct. Both rail companies continue to work to recover passenger numbers through various joint promotions.
Blood Alcohol levels
· Ministers agreed that the potential for a coordinated approach to the introduction of new lower blood alcohol limits in both jurisdictions should continue to be explored.
Mutual Recognition of Driving Disqualifications
· The mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between the UK and Ireland has been finalised and will become operational in late January 2010.
Mutual Recognition of Penalty Points
· Once the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications is in place, a project plan will be developed to pursue the mutual recognition of penalty points. The feasibility study in 2008 showed that mutual recognition will be a complex and longer term process, as currently the penalty point systems are different in each jurisdiction.
Major Roads projects
· Work is progressing to meet the third significant milestone (Publication of the Draft Orders) by late 2010/early 2011 on the A5 and A8 road projects. and it is anticipated that contractor/designers are expected to be appointed shortly. A payment of €9m will be made by the Minister for Transport to the Northern Ireland Consolidated fund before the end of 2009 in accordance with the agreed procedure
Environment
· The Environment Ministers have endorsed a Framework Agreement 2009 relating in the first instance to the removal of illegally dumped waste at two priority sites, at Slattinagh, Co. Fermanagh and near Trillick, Co. Tyrone. This will form the basis for action on the remaining 18 sites. Work on these two sites is expected to commence in early in 2010.
Agriculture
CAP Issues
· Developments on implementation of the CAP Health Check Agreement, the future of the CAP and WTO, the challenges facing the agriculture sector, in particular in relation to greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and the current situation of the dairy industry were noted. Co-operation on Animal Health
· Ministers noted the on-going progress on the delivery of the draft All-Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, including the new Working Group arrangements, and that work is in hand to finalise arrangements for a cross-border stakeholder consultation event scheduled for early 2010. Aquaculture and Marine
· Two sets of regulations, one to extend areas in which angling is prohibited to protect vulnerable salmon and the other to make it an offence to kill certain coarse fish including roach, bream, tench, carp, rudd and perch and any hybrid of these after capture with rod and line.
Health Suicide Prevention
· Ministers welcomed the launch of the revised media guidelines on suicide prevention and the removal of border area roaming charges by O2 to the Crisis Response Helpline.
H1N1 Pandemic Preparedness
· Ministers reviewed the current state of play on H1N1 flu planning and preparedness. They welcomed co-operation and sharing of information between officials and Ministers in both jurisdictions and noted the structures in place for co-ordination on issues of mutual concern, which have served well to date.
Child Protection
· Ministers noted and welcomed the exchange of information on internet safety and social networking sites and co-operation on child protection research and knowledge transfer. Other areas advanced included work to establish a joint protocol on children in care, or on the child protection register, that go missing and children moving across the border where there are concerns; the development of a joint draft communication strategy; guidance leaflets on what to do if worried about a child, and on safer recruitment procedures for employers; vetting and barring conference; and developments on the Vetting and Barring Scheme in Northern Ireland.
Cancer Research
· Ministers welcomed the extension of a Trinity College Dublin project on the human papilloma virus (HPV) into Northern Ireland, and the setting up of an all-island gene library. On-going clinical trials and research at local, cross-border and international levels were welcomed and progress was noted in planning for the establishment of a biobank for medical research in both jurisdictions while recognising the challenge of advancing these plans in the current economic climate.
Special Education Needs
· Progress has been made on the services available at the Middletown Centre for Autism. Ministers noted and supported the ongoing active review by, and communications between, the Departments in relation to the current situation at the Middletown Centre.
· A successful conference on Autistic Spectrum Disorders was held on 13 November 2009 on Enabling Communication.
Traveller Education
· The Council noted that following the successful Joint Traveller Education Conference in Newry on 11 March 2009, it is now proposed to create a Best Practice Forum for practitioners and policy makers to share and highlight best practice.
New Accommodation for NSMC Joint Secretariat
· Plans are being made for the NSMC Joint Secretariat to move into its new accommodation and an official opening early in 2010.
3. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE:
Transport
Road Safety
· Progress on the existing road safety strategies, a new strategy for Northern Ireland and continuing cooperation on advertising and publicity, research and enforcement was reviewed.
Bridges
· Monaghan County Council has appointed a contractor to undertake the replacement of two bridges on the Tyrone Monaghan border and work should be completed by late Spring 2010. Louth County Council is continuing to undertake a further appraisal of the proposed Narrow Water Bridge project.
· The jointly supported carsharing scheme and associated website for the North West region is now operational.
· Ministers noted the publication by the Department of Transport of the National Cycle Policy Framework as a follow up to the Smarter Travel policy and also that the Department for Regional Development, through its TravelWise initiative, actively promotes walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing to businesses, commuters and schools.
Railways
· The new Newry Train Station has been fully operational from 7 September 09 and was officially opened on 25 November to coincide with the reopening of the Belfast to Dublin rail service.
· The development of integrated ticketing systems to North South services is under consideration.
· Ministers agreed that the financial implications of the proposals to improve the reliability of trains on the line be reviewed with a view to putting in place a reconfigured fleet as soon as possible.
Freight Forum · Ministers noted that, as a first step in organising a Freight Forum, the relevant Departments will jointly organise a meeting of key stakeholders in the freight sector in early December 2009, to identify priority issues for consideration by the Forum.
Environment
· The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are developing of a common set of environmental indicators for publication in 2011. It is intended that publication of the indicators will facilitate the assessment of trends for key environmental areas including air, climate water, land, biodiversity and waste.
Tourism
Special EU Programmes Body
EU Programmes 2007-2013
· The PEACE III and INTERREG IVA Programmes are now fully operational and have already committed approximately half of the total available funding. Both will meet their EU expenditure targets for 2009.
PEACE III PROGRAMME
· To date,112 PEACE III projects, worth €164.8m (£149.8m), have been approved and . 103 Letters of Offer, with a combined value of €151.2m (€137.5m), have issued to projects. The Special EU Programmes Body is confident that PEACE III will meet its 2009 N+2 target of €20 million
INTERREG IVA
· To date, the INTERREG IVA Programme has approved 34 projects worth €152.5 million and all projects approved are in a position to spend money in line with their letter of offer agreements. The Special EU Programmes Body is confident that INTERREG IVA will meet its 2009 N+2 target of €14 million.
· Approved projects include Project Kelvin, an ICT infrastructure initiative that has received €30 million.
· The Multi Annual Plans for the cross border groups have all been accepted as the basis for their bringing forward projects. It has taken longer than anticipated for the groups to bring forward their project proposals and subsequently for SEUPB to complete project selection processes. First letters of offer will however issue shortly and considerable progress is expected in the coming months.
· To date, 13 projects with Scottish partners have been approved. Scottish stakeholders have taken the lead in some projects such as the Energy Grid Project and the Biomass Research Project.
Transnational Programmes
· The Special EU Programmes Body has put implementation structures in place to provide practical advice to potential project applications to Transnational Programmes i.e. INTERREG IVB and IVC.
PEACE Network
· Progress on the Network was reported at an EU Open Days event in Brussels on 6 October 2009.
· Three working group themes have been established i.e. (i) use of EU Funding for Peace Building ,(ii) Community-based approaches to Peace Building and (iii) Peace Building for Children and Young People.
· A PEACE Network event was held in Cyprus on 6-7 November. A further event was held in the Basque Autonomous Region on 26 November. Waterways - UlsterCanal · The Irish Government's offer to cover the full capital costs of restoration of the Clones to Upper Lough Erne Section of the Ulster Canal remains in place. Pending a successful outcome to the planning process, the land acquisition process will be commenced and the contract for the construction phase of the project could be awarded in 2011. Trade and Business
· Ministers will meet in the Trade and Business Sector format on 16 December 2009. The US Ambassador to Ireland hosted an event at his residence for the presentation of awards to researchers who have been awarded funding under the Ireland/Northern Ireland/US research partnership.
Agriculture
Plant Health
· Ministers discussed a report on a joint strategic approach to plant health and pesticides. They agreed that, without prejudice to the need for final approval, a work programme should be developed for consideration at a future NSMC meeting in Agriculture sectoral format.
Aquaculture and Marine
· Ministers reviewed plans to bring forward Commencement Orders that are required for a staged and managed introduction of the new powers available to the Loughs Agency to develop and license aquaculture and to protect the fisheries in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. They considered the Agency's legislation implementation plan, welcomed progress in its delivery and noted that further regulations will require NSMC approval in early 2010.
· Ministers also welcomed the delivery of the Marine Monitoring Vessel, the Ostrea, with the support of EU Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance Funding
Cross-Border Mobility Issues
Pensions
· An information seminar will be held with the main teachers Trades Unions to inform them about recent changes in North South pension arrangements. The information provided will be circulated to other government departments which have shown an interest in this issue.
Social Welfare issues
· The NSMC Joint Secretariat facilitated a meeting between officials from relevant government departments to discuss issues around access to welfare benefits for frontier workers.
Border People Website
· At the NSMC Institutional meeting on 11 November, Ministers welcomed the continuing popularity of the Border People website and the latest marketing strategy which is targeting specific events in the border region.
|
Latest News |
|
Copyright 2010 West Tyrone Sinn Fein. Contact | |
 | |