Role of the Church Committee Report seconded by W Trevor Morrow -Limerick

You have heard the background and changes proposed for the Role of the Church Committee.

While the alterations to the role, structure and name of the Committee have been high on the agenda at each meeting during 2000 and 2001 there has been valuable other work done by the members of the various working groups and I would refer you to the report on pages 2 19/226 of your Book of Reports for details.

During the year, I had the privilege with Rev Canon Walter Lewis, to represent the Church of Ireland at the newly formed Church and Society Forum of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland of which your church is a full member. The Forum has 2 meetings each year, one in London in November and a summer meeting in May/June. In the year 2000 it was held at Edinburgh and Glasgow and the delegates had the opportunity to attend a session of the Church of Scotland General Assembly and a meeting of the Scottish Parliament. In June 2001, the meetings will be held at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff and in 2002 the plan is for summer meetings to be held in Dublin and Belfast.

The Forum has discussed and prepared reports on many subjects, asylum seekers being among them. Representations were made on the Freedom for Information Bill while it was in the House of Lords and many other issues.

However, it was the stand taken by the Irish Government, when we stood alone at the Council of Ministers Debate on 17 October last and our representatives insisted that the directive on discrimination should be subject to the constitutions and customs of the member states and to the ethos of prospective employing bodies. This strong position was adopted by the Irish Government responding to a meeting which the Taoiseach and Attorney General had with a Church Delegation headed by Archbishop Empey. Apart from this incident, it is regularly commented upon that the Irish people have mush easier access to their Government Ministers etc than that enjoyed in other parts of these islands.

I currently serve on a Committee Poverty Prosperity and Globalisation and a number of experts on this area will be speaking to us at the meetings in Cardiff next month.

Incidentally, you will notice that the new name of the Role of the Church Committee, the Church in Society was taken from the Church and Society Forum title, we changing the “and” to “in”.

I have much pleasure in seconding the final Report of the Role of the Church Committee.

Thank You.