The next business relates to the date of the next meeting. Taking into account the serious responsibilities we have on the island between now and mid-June, I suggest that with your agreement the next meeting might take place on Thursday, 26 June. Is that agreed?
Business of Joint Committee.
Mr. Pat Doherty, MLA, MP
The education Minister will be in my constituency all day on 26 June.
Is 19 June suitable?
Mr. Pat Doherty, MLA, MP
Yes, absolutely.
Is everybody happy with 19 June?
We will have our job done from the week before.
Is 19 June clashing with the Assembly? We will check and if it is we will go to another date.
Mr. Geoff Allister
It is not clashing with the Assembly but it might with the Executive.
We will check to make sure it does not clash with anything else. We gave a commitment at our first meeting that we would not have clashes again. I want to avoid that.
Will we get a list of topics?
There will be one topic.
Perhaps we should consider the work of Co-operation Ireland, given that Tony Kennedy is leaving and a new man is coming in.
I suggest that is a bit early. We should do that in September because it will be the time of the transfer of the baton. That would be a better time as the new man will not come in until then.
Does the Chairman want to deal with the two of them on the one day?
It would be unfair to pre-empt the arrival of a new person into a position until he or she is ready. September, therefore, would be best.
I was suggesting that we deal with the man who is leaving.
He is not leaving until the end of September. There is a transfer period of three months before his departure, during which the new incumbent will also be in office. I was planning to deal with both together.
I was going to suggest health as a topic.
I support that.
Are all members happy with that?
The topic of health would be very important. Failing that, the Foyle Fisheries Commission should be dealt with at some stage.
We will consider that at the meeting after next and will consider health at the next meeting. We will try to have both Ministers present for the discussion.
I am deeply grateful to all members for their co-operation. I thank Senator O'Reilly in particular for being very co-operative so that the Minister could contribute.
The joint committee adjourned at 1.45 p.m. sine die.