:00:40. > :00:50.Good afternoon and welcome to the Sunday politics. George Osborne
:00:50. > :00:51.
:00:51. > :01:35.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:01:35. > :01:45.wants Britain to play its part to In Northern Ireland bombs in
:01:45. > :01:45.
:01:45. > :31:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:31:37. > :31:41.Londonderry to the shine off the Bombs in Londonderry took the shine
:31:41. > :31:43.off the launch of a new tourism strategy so can N I 2012 and the
:31:43. > :31:53.Titanic signature project achieve the step-change promised by its
:31:53. > :31:54.
:31:54. > :32:04.architects? Hello and welcome to Sunday Politics in Northern Ireland.
:32:04. > :32:06.
:32:06. > :32:16.Might studio guests this week our from the Sinn Fein and their
:32:16. > :32:23.
:32:23. > :32:27.opponents. In terms of people who have not yet been brought to
:32:27. > :32:33.justice over these bombs, we seem to have this time after time
:32:33. > :32:37.following big incidents and that throughout the Troubles of the
:32:37. > :32:42.police not doing a particularly effective job if you're can
:32:42. > :32:46.statistics. You have to ask what the police were trying to achieve
:32:46. > :32:52.during the Troubles. They had to hold their line and try to keep the
:32:52. > :32:58.lid on things. I have a good deal of sympathy with that. We can
:32:58. > :33:03.indeed do better and there is a huge degree of frustration. If you
:33:04. > :33:09.study republicanism and there is always what they would call a
:33:09. > :33:16.militaristic tendency in it. We should not assume that the
:33:16. > :33:21.militaristic wing will ever go away so we do need to focus on that.
:33:21. > :33:27.the events of Friday and the press conference that was given yesterday,
:33:27. > :33:33.is that uncomfortable viewing for Sinn Fein? I do not think so. I
:33:34. > :33:40.think we will leave these matters to the courts. I would not really
:33:40. > :33:47.call into question the judgment of the courts and second-guessed them.
:33:47. > :33:54.We want to improve our courts and policing and Prison Service. The
:33:54. > :33:58.last thing I would say is that I think as we move forward the war is
:33:58. > :34:04.over. I think we are moving into a period when the police have become
:34:04. > :34:10.entrenched. I would like to think of a time when there is no violence
:34:10. > :34:20.even from these micro groups is close at hand. I would not be quite
:34:20. > :34:20.
:34:20. > :34:30.so pessimistic about deaths. will discuss that a bit further. --
:34:30. > :34:40.
:34:40. > :34:44.pessimistic about the best. -- this. There is a school of thought in
:34:44. > :34:50.Government and business that says build it and they will come. There
:34:50. > :34:54.it is. The Titanic signature project. Undoubtedly many will come
:34:54. > :35:01.particularly in this the one hundredth year of the sinking of
:35:01. > :35:05.the Titanic. But will become insufficient numbers to give
:35:05. > :35:15.Northern Ireland the boost it needs? This man is the head of the
:35:15. > :35:16.
:35:17. > :35:21.tourist board. Surely he is feeling the pressure of expectation?
:35:21. > :35:26.think in terms of the regeneration of Belfast and the regeneration of
:35:26. > :35:31.Northern Ireland there has never been a better opportunity. Largely
:35:31. > :35:36.due to the recession the number of overseas visitors has been falling.
:35:36. > :35:42.Figures for 2011 have not yet been published. Between January and
:35:42. > :35:49.September over one million people came here, an all-important 343,000
:35:49. > :35:56.were on holidays. That was 12 % down than on the previous years.
:35:56. > :36:01.The tourist board says 833,000 extra visitors will come here and
:36:01. > :36:11.more than 3,500 jobs will be created. This type of project is
:36:11. > :36:15.something that will draw people to Belfast. We should not forget that
:36:15. > :36:22.deep tourist has anywhere else in Europe to choose from. They will
:36:22. > :36:28.only come here if there is something special to visit.
:36:28. > :36:33.areas of disadvantage and need and high unemployment are concentrated
:36:33. > :36:42.in north and west Belfast. In order for people to benefit from that
:36:42. > :36:46.huge public investment we need to have a transport system.
:36:46. > :36:50.Titanic Quarter has to be seamlessly connected with the city
:36:50. > :37:00.centre. Belfast cannot risk having different quarters across the city
:37:00. > :37:01.
:37:01. > :37:06.which do not connect. It is not easy for tourists or local people
:37:06. > :37:16.to get around. There are just over 300 people currently working on the
:37:16. > :37:17.
:37:17. > :37:23.side but there -- the job is already done. The grand opening
:37:23. > :37:33.will be in April. Titanic Foundation predicts that around
:37:33. > :37:34.
:37:34. > :37:40.306,000 people each year will visit the building. They need 290,000
:37:40. > :37:47.visitors each year to break even. But the poll thought the long-term
:37:47. > :37:53.future of the building will be doubtful. We must raise our game
:37:53. > :38:00.and be confident about ourselves. The Audit Office report cannot have
:38:00. > :38:06.helped. I think it is wrong of any organisation to come out and knock
:38:06. > :38:11.a project out before it has even opened its doors. A Rugby player
:38:11. > :38:19.once said he did not do doubt, I think it is time for Northern
:38:19. > :38:24.Ireland to stop doing doubt. Joining us now is the enterprise
:38:24. > :38:32.minister. Let's deal with some of the points raised in the film.
:38:32. > :38:35.Jennifer McCann was concerned about infrastructure. I think it is
:38:35. > :38:41.important to get the infrastructure right. That is why we are working
:38:41. > :38:45.right across Government to make this possible. The Department of
:38:46. > :38:50.regional development will be key. Also, in some of our other key
:38:50. > :38:54.events this year including the Irish Open. It is very important
:38:54. > :38:58.that we work across Government to make sure that everything is in
:38:58. > :39:03.place for the tourists when they come to Northern Ireland.
:39:03. > :39:11.opening is not that far away. The Titanic launched is even closer.
:39:11. > :39:17.Nothing will beat down in time for the actual anniversary. I do not
:39:17. > :39:21.know what you mean, it will be in place. In terms of infrastructure.
:39:21. > :39:25.We have already invested a huge amount of money in the tourism
:39:25. > :39:28.industry across Northern Ireland. You will see us coming together as
:39:28. > :39:33.a Government and Executive to take advantage of the local opportunity
:39:33. > :39:39.which has been presented to us. What I was seeing in the Assembly
:39:39. > :39:44.is that everybody needs to grasp this opportunity and make a
:39:44. > :39:50.difference for Northern Ireland in 2012. You think those figures, 12 %
:39:50. > :39:53.down last year, will increase this year? Those figures are incorrect.
:39:53. > :39:59.I put out a press statement on January fest this year welcoming
:39:59. > :40:07.the fact we had increased our figures by 6% over the same period
:40:07. > :40:13.as last year, January to September. I am not quite sure where she is
:40:13. > :40:17.getting her figures. I know we have increased the number of visitors
:40:17. > :40:24.who have come to Northern Ireland and our revenue spend which is up
:40:24. > :40:28.in the region of 20%. Were we just not quicker off the mark in terms
:40:28. > :40:38.of some of these projects? That is what the Audit Office report has
:40:38. > :40:38.
:40:38. > :40:44.said. I beg your pardon? The audit office said they had difficulty
:40:44. > :40:51.with the timeline that we had taken, it deficiencies in governance and
:40:51. > :40:55.project planning. I was actually very bemused by the Audit Office
:40:55. > :40:59.report because some of the things they were seeing do not stand up to
:40:59. > :41:04.scrutiny. They say they are concerned in relation to the number
:41:04. > :41:11.of visitors we are concerning, it is the same number of visitors that
:41:11. > :41:16.the Belfast Zoo gets annually. Blue I cannot see how this project which
:41:16. > :41:21.is based on a global brand could not attract the same amount or more
:41:21. > :41:25.visitors. In relation to the point made by Jennifer McCann and she
:41:25. > :41:30.made it in the Assembly last week as well about the fact this was a
:41:30. > :41:39.project situated in the east of the city and how would it impact on the
:41:39. > :41:43.rest of the city? When we held a joint jobs via West Belfast City
:41:43. > :41:48.Council last October half of the people who registered were from
:41:48. > :41:52.west Belfast. I think people are grasping and we just need to get
:41:52. > :41:58.all of our politicians to grasp the opportunities that are there as
:41:58. > :42:05.well. What sort of jobs are recreating he didn't -- within the
:42:05. > :42:10.tourism industry? Should we be looking more at creating
:42:10. > :42:15.entrepreneur's who will create new industries? Of course it is both.
:42:15. > :42:21.At the moment the tourism industry supports around 40,000 jobs in
:42:22. > :42:26.Northern Ireland. We want to see that increase. We believe it can
:42:26. > :42:30.increase right across Northern Ireland. When we are talking about
:42:30. > :42:40.events such as the Samuel Beckett Festival in Enniskillen, that will
:42:40. > :42:43.
:42:43. > :42:51.bring new jobs. There will be a huge amount of interest in the city
:42:51. > :42:55.of Culture. We do want more entrepreneur's and innovators but
:42:55. > :43:01.we also want more people involved in the tourism industry because
:43:01. > :43:06.this is not just about jobs but changing perceptions of Northern
:43:06. > :43:14.Ireland. How do you do that when we have things like bombs in
:43:14. > :43:19.Londonderry? We cannot be deflected by those who would seek to drag us
:43:19. > :43:25.back to the past. I was very pleased with the event we had last
:43:25. > :43:29.week to say to Great Britain which is our largest market for tourists,
:43:29. > :43:34.that Northern Ireland has changed, it is a confident place and we want
:43:34. > :43:38.you to visit us. Look at all of the events and the products we have for
:43:38. > :43:42.you. I was pleased with that event and I hope we can build on it to
:43:42. > :43:48.bring those tourists back over to Northern Ireland particularly in
:43:48. > :43:53.this huge year for us. How do we deal with the dissident threat and
:43:53. > :43:58.the impact of their actions in terms of bringing tourists to
:43:58. > :44:04.Northern Ireland? I do not think we make it our priority. I think we do
:44:04. > :44:09.the job of setting out our tourism stall. I think we should not be
:44:09. > :44:15.distracted by the threats. These groups are getting out to try and
:44:15. > :44:25.destroy events. I think the Titanic building will be a time -- stunning
:44:25. > :44:25.
:44:26. > :44:33.success. If you look at the wonderful book in time art museum -
:44:33. > :44:43.- do behind. The local people embrace that. Bilbao now loves that
:44:43. > :44:48.
:44:48. > :44:54.art museum. The second thing I think about tourism is how we
:44:54. > :44:59.convince people that in Belfast we want 22.4 million overnight
:44:59. > :45:08.visitors, we have to convince people that it will improve their
:45:08. > :45:18.lives, we will provide jobs which will make an impact. Our tourism
:45:18. > :45:18.
:45:19. > :45:25.product cannot just be the Titanic building. We can have a museum in
:45:25. > :45:29.Belfast in the Crumlin Road jail. It is all to play for in my view.
:45:29. > :45:36.take it you have all of these other projects under consideration but
:45:36. > :45:41.you do not have all of your eggs in one basket? One of the strengths
:45:41. > :45:45.about tourism is that it is a product that happens right across
:45:45. > :45:51.Northern Ireland so whether you are in the Lakes or in County Armagh or
:45:51. > :45:56.in the Sperrins you can partake of the beauty which is Northern
:45:56. > :46:00.Ireland. I have made it one of my priorities to build up the tourism
:46:00. > :46:04.sector right across Northern Ireland and not just in D major
:46:04. > :46:10.cities. Of course deeply a huge role in attracting tourists into
:46:10. > :46:20.Northern Ireland but when they are here it is important we have things
:46:20. > :46:23.
:46:23. > :46:27.right across the country for people to see and do. The point is that
:46:28. > :46:32.the Royal Portrush Golf Club is one of the best on Planet Earth. We
:46:32. > :46:38.cannot move that to West Belfast because it is an area of high
:46:38. > :46:45.unemployment. We should celebrate the fact we have one of the best
:46:45. > :46:49.courses in the world and get on with it. Should we make sure there
:46:49. > :46:59.is private money going into that so that public money can be spread
:46:59. > :46:59.
:46:59. > :47:03.around? We have joined up common sense Government that recognises if
:47:03. > :47:11.you are going to have a Titanic project not everyone is going to
:47:11. > :47:16.benefit from it so other departments are involved. They're
:47:16. > :47:25.our jobs creation and tourism in terms of bringing the Irish Open to
:47:26. > :47:31.Royal Portrush. That goes across a number of Government departments. I
:47:31. > :47:36.also agree with the minister that it is time to be confident. I
:47:36. > :47:41.reserve the right to scrutinise and criticise where necessary but also
:47:41. > :47:44.too pleased where appropriate. We should be confident about Northern
:47:44. > :47:54.Ireland going forward. We will leave it there. Thank you for
:47:54. > :47:56.
:47:56. > :48:01.joining us. Now for a our regular look at things in the 60 seconds.
:48:01. > :48:05.Stars came out in London this week to help promote a new image of
:48:05. > :48:11.Northern Ireland but back home in Derry the old image returned with a
:48:11. > :48:17.bang. Two bombs went off causing damage close to the city centre.
:48:17. > :48:23.The damage these devices will have done to the reputation of the city
:48:23. > :48:32.cannot be understated. Lord Trimble attacked the present Ulster
:48:32. > :48:40.Unionist leader with the rejection of the Tories. He is entitled to
:48:40. > :48:50.his opinion. Another relationship in Stormont was also under pressure.
:48:50. > :48:52.
:48:52. > :48:57.While for at least one of his colleagues changes to pre-school
:48:57. > :49:04.education was in flopped. I could come down there and kiss them but
:49:04. > :49:08.it is probably inappropriate! to see there is still some
:49:08. > :49:12.opportunity for us you were out there on the hill. Your party
:49:12. > :49:18.leader does seem to spend a lot of time on the back foot defending
:49:18. > :49:24.things? It is only 16 months since 1,000 people turned up for the
:49:24. > :49:31.leadership vote. He got a massive mandate. The biggest in modern
:49:31. > :49:35.Ulster Unionist history, bigger than Lord Trimble. Leading from the
:49:35. > :49:42.front, the way it has transpired is that he has to defend what he has
:49:42. > :49:46.said and it does seem on occasions a bit of foot in mouth. In politics
:49:46. > :49:55.it is very important to communicate and often that means telling them
:49:55. > :50:03.and telling them again. He is safe in leadership in your view?
:50:03. > :50:07.Absolutely. There have been lots of issues at Belfast City Council, in
:50:07. > :50:14.terms of tourism and looking forward, how do you think we can
:50:14. > :50:20.sell Belfast as a city that is comfortable and comparable to other
:50:20. > :50:26.British cities? Belfast has a lot to offer. 60% of tourists who come
:50:26. > :50:36.here are a cultural tourists. We need to provide them a product to
:50:36. > :50:36.
:50:36. > :50:45.come and visit. We have to tackle the high levels of joblessness.
:50:45. > :50:48.Over 30 years we have failed to do that. Next month we will launch a
:50:48. > :50:54.�150 million capital investment programme. We want to try to sort
:50:54. > :50:57.out a lot of work in the neighbourhoods. People have not