Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene
Foster, was eager to provide the house with an update on her engagement as
Minister with the Ards council regarding the existence of Exploris during
Topical Questions. The Minister stated “ the
solution is to look to all sources of funding, whether they are public or
private. Saint Patrick’s Trail is
another Tourist attraction that the Minister also plans to do more to promote
as “it is a tremendous asset”, and she has encouraged the Tourist Board and
Tourism Ireland to promote it.
Fracking
During the scheduled oral questions the Enterprise
Minister said any decision about fracking, or hydraulic fracturing for gas,
should be a matter for the Stormont Executive as a whole.
The Minister regarded fracking as a novel and
controversial issue and, in the light of Mr Justice Treacy's recent ruling on
blood donations, it would need to be dealt with by the whole Executive.
Giro d'Italia cycle race
On the subject of the Giro d'Italia cycle race, due to
start in Northern Ireland in 2014, the minister said she had travelled to Milan
the previous week for the press launch and that "there is enormous
prestige for Northern Ireland" in hosting the event.
Mrs Foster said the route had been decided entirely by experts
and her department had no say whatsoever, "otherwise it would have been
coming to County Fermanagh, let's be honest."
