:00:00. > :00:26.Tonight, the new First Minister, Arlene Foster, on her vision
:00:27. > :00:29.for Northern Ireland, the challenge of commemorating
:00:30. > :00:34.the past, working with Sinn Fein and May's Assembly election.
:00:35. > :00:41.We may come back with 40 seats. Listen, I intend to win... So it is
:00:42. > :00:47.40? I intend to win this election convincingly. Does that mean I don't
:00:48. > :00:52.think and reflect and look back to the consequences of what happened in
:00:53. > :00:55.1960? Of course I will. I won't go to the commemoration which is
:00:56. > :00:57.commemorating what I believe was a mistake.
:00:58. > :01:07.It's a wonderful time to have an anthem that would express our unique
:01:08. > :01:09.identity. Keep the National Anthem, God Save The Queen.
:01:10. > :01:10.As the team prepares to take on the best in Europe,
:01:11. > :01:13.is it time for a new sporting anthem for Northern Ireland?
:01:14. > :01:18.With campaigning already under way in the Republic,
:01:19. > :01:24.And in our first pairing of the year in Commentators' Corner,
:01:25. > :01:32.we welcome back Professor Deirdre Heenan and former MLA, Dawn Purvis.
:01:33. > :01:36.It's been four days of smiles, handshakes and air kisses
:01:37. > :01:40.for Arlene Foster since she took on the top job of First Minister.
:01:41. > :01:43.But with an election just months away and a political agreement
:01:44. > :01:47.to implement, her honeymoon period is likely to be a short one.
:01:48. > :01:49.Her big vision, she says, is to find 'a new way of doing
:01:50. > :01:52.business' at Stormont - 'one that places a greater premium
:01:53. > :02:00.Fine words - but how's that going to work in practice,
:02:01. > :02:01.When Mrs Foster came into The View studio earlier,
:02:02. > :02:04.I began by asking her about her discussions this afternoon
:02:05. > :02:07.with the Secretary of State and the Irish Minister
:02:08. > :02:16.I do believe we have to be honest, not least with the victims who are
:02:17. > :02:19.waiting for this matter to be dealt with. Whilst we will continue to
:02:20. > :02:23.engage with each other, and that is the right thing to do, and whilst we
:02:24. > :02:27.will continue to engage with particular victims' groups and
:02:28. > :02:31.individual victims, we have to be honest with people and say because
:02:32. > :02:34.there are elections coming in the Republic of Ireland, it is unlikely
:02:35. > :02:38.we will be able to deal with that outstanding issue. Again, Mark, it
:02:39. > :02:42.is not an outstanding issue for me, it is an outstanding issue between
:02:43. > :02:46.Sinn Fein and our own Government. You said on Monday in your
:02:47. > :02:51.acceptance speech you are tired of Stormont being a watchword for
:02:52. > :02:55.arguing and bickering. How do you achieve that change? Well, I think
:02:56. > :03:01.we achieve that change by showing people that we are doing the
:03:02. > :03:03.practical work and I hope that even today when we have been through the
:03:04. > :03:08.review process on the fresh start, we can show we have been making
:03:09. > :03:12.progress in relation to the issues we agreed then. And moving ahead on
:03:13. > :03:15.legislation, moving ahead in practical ways to help people
:03:16. > :03:19.instead of having the conflict that we had last year, some of which was
:03:20. > :03:25.caused, albeit, outside of our control. Some of it wasn't outside
:03:26. > :03:27.your control. Does that mean no more sniping about rogue and renegade
:03:28. > :03:35.Sinn Fein and SDLP Ministers? Does it mean no more of Edwin Poots
:03:36. > :03:39.having to hold his nose when dealing with Sinn Fein? That is not the
:03:40. > :03:43.issue I was talking about. The issue I was talking about was to give
:03:44. > :03:46.delivery on the ground. What you are talking about is a narrative. What
:03:47. > :03:52.I'm talking about is delivering for people and I think people on the
:03:53. > :03:57.ground want to see delivery, they want to really value Stormont and
:03:58. > :04:00.instead of saying what does Stormont do for us, know that we are
:04:01. > :04:08.delivering for them on the ground. That is what people want to see.
:04:09. > :04:11.Does that mean it is OK then? You have misread what I was trying to
:04:12. > :04:18.get at on Monday. What I was trying to talk about on Monday was the fact
:04:19. > :04:19.we wanted to see real delivery for our people. I am focussed on
:04:20. > :04:23.practical issues. As a mum I have to deal with practical issues every
:04:24. > :04:27.day. It is important that we do the practical stuff. Yes, we can do the
:04:28. > :04:30.historical lookbacks, we can talk about whatever we want to talk
:04:31. > :04:34.about, but practical delivery is where my focus is. Today, it is
:04:35. > :04:37.interesting that you said what you said because today we had a couple
:04:38. > :04:42.of good examples of the kind of thing that some people think doesn't
:04:43. > :04:46.help Stormont in terms of PR. Your party colleague, Peter Weir,
:04:47. > :04:55.attacking the folly of the Education Minister's inflexibility and Sinn
:04:56. > :04:59.Fein's Rosie McCorley criticising your party? We are in different
:05:00. > :05:03.political parties and you will see us from time to time disagreeing. I
:05:04. > :05:09.think the difference from where we were in the past is that we talk
:05:10. > :05:10.through our difficulties. Yes, it may take us a little while to get
:05:11. > :05:13.there and it is frustrating for people watching, but when we do get
:05:14. > :05:17.there, we should be trying to make a difference for people on the ground.
:05:18. > :05:21.OK. Do you accept that your relationship with Martin McGuinness
:05:22. > :05:25.is going to be of critical importance in future? That is going
:05:26. > :05:29.to be key to you being a successful First Minister, isn't it? I think
:05:30. > :05:32.what is critical in terms of the whole Executive is that we come to
:05:33. > :05:39.determination that we are there to serve the people that elect us and
:05:40. > :05:40.to do that, we have to work together and deliver for the people on the
:05:41. > :05:46.ground. So, Martin McGuinness will be elected by his supporters, I will
:05:47. > :05:49.be elected hopefully in the Assembly elections by my supporters and we
:05:50. > :05:53.have to then represent them at the highest levels and to work together
:05:54. > :05:56.to deliver for Northern Ireland. And how would you characterise that
:05:57. > :06:00.relationship with Martin McGuinness so far? I characterise it as one
:06:01. > :06:06.where we work together for the good of the people of Northern Ireland
:06:07. > :06:07.because that is what e are elected to do. Is it friendly on a
:06:08. > :06:11.day-to-day basis? Do you trust him? Do you like him? It is something I
:06:12. > :06:16.recognise that he comes from a very different background than I do, he's
:06:17. > :06:21.a Republican, a strong Republican, I'm a strong unionist, we carry that
:06:22. > :06:25.with us at all times. We have a determination to put together this
:06:26. > :06:31.fresh start and if it is to be a real fresh start, and I know there
:06:32. > :06:32.is a certain amount of scepticism out there around the fresh start,
:06:33. > :06:37.but if it is to be meaningful, we have to do the job of work and that
:06:38. > :06:41.means real delivery. There would be some members of your own party who
:06:42. > :06:44.wouldn't like the idea of you having too cosy a relationship with Martin
:06:45. > :06:47.McGuinness? I don't think anybody's focussed on what my relationship is
:06:48. > :06:50.with Martin McGuinness, they are more focussed on what I'm doing for
:06:51. > :06:56.the people of Northern Ireland. You have a difficult trick to pull off
:06:57. > :06:58.here. You have to reach out to Nationalists, or you have said you
:06:59. > :07:00.want to, you want to be a First Minister for everybody in Northern
:07:01. > :07:04.Ireland. At the same time, you have to keep your own rank-and-file
:07:05. > :07:09.happy. That is not an easy thing to pull off? It is not an easy thing
:07:10. > :07:12.for any leader to pull off. That is the trick, if I may say it like
:07:13. > :07:17.that, of leadership. You have to lead your people forward. And what
:07:18. > :07:22.we are doing is setting out a positive vision for Northern
:07:23. > :07:26.Ireland, moving into the next century of Northern Ireland, a lot
:07:27. > :07:29.of people back in the '20s and '30s didn't give much for Northern
:07:30. > :07:35.Ireland surviving, and here we are five years away from the centenary
:07:36. > :07:38.of the creation of Northern Ireland. Marking the centenary of the
:07:39. > :07:42.foundation of Northern Ireland is a few years down the line. Marking the
:07:43. > :07:48.centenary of the Easter Rising is a couple of months away. Martin
:07:49. > :07:53.McGuinness said this evening that 2016 and the decade of centenaries
:07:54. > :07:55.should be something that unites us rather than divides us. He said
:07:56. > :08:00.there are opportunities to explore, understand and celebrate rather than
:08:01. > :08:06.fear our differences. You don't seem to agree with him on that? I don't
:08:07. > :08:09.fear anything about 1916, I have to say I think we should spend more
:08:10. > :08:14.time concentrating on what is happening in 2016 for our people,
:08:15. > :08:17.instead of looking backwards. However, I can reflect, I can look
:08:18. > :08:22.back at what happened in 1916 as easy as anyone. I was asked a
:08:23. > :08:30.specific question by a journalist, would I go to a commemoration in
:08:31. > :08:41.Dublin in and around Easter 1916 and I said I would not. I won't go to
:08:42. > :08:44.the commemoration which is commemorating a mistake. Let's
:08:45. > :08:53.clarify what you will and won't do. There's been a lot of chat about
:08:54. > :08:53.this. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny disappointed you won't participate
:08:54. > :08:56.in that commemorative event. He says it should be possible to come up
:08:57. > :09:01.with some opportunity to allow you to talk about your views on 1916,
:09:02. > :09:05.swi what you have said -- which is what you said you think you could
:09:06. > :09:08.do. Could you see yourself accepting some invitation from the Taoiseach
:09:09. > :09:11.to take part in a debate, discussion, which would not be part
:09:12. > :09:18.of the formal commemoration? Absolutely. There is no reason why
:09:19. > :09:21.not. Indeed, I had a very useful conversation today with the
:09:22. > :09:27.Republic's Foreign Minister around those sorts of issues and of course,
:09:28. > :09:32.at the moment, we are concentrating a lot on Easter 1916, but this is a
:09:33. > :09:35.year of huge significance for the island as well in relation to what
:09:36. > :09:40.happened at the Battle of the Somme, and that is something that we will
:09:41. > :09:45.have to deal with as well. I hope the people will reflect on the
:09:46. > :09:50.significance of that as well. Just to leave this one, if the right
:09:51. > :09:53.invitation is forth coming from the Taoiseach, you will accept it? Yes.
:09:54. > :09:56.Would you expect in five years' time, you may be issuing an
:09:57. > :10:02.invitation to the Taoiseach, whoever that is, to attend an event, marking
:10:03. > :10:07.the creation of the Northern Ireland state? Again, in 1921, there is a
:10:08. > :10:10.lot happening, there was a lot happening on this island, both in
:10:11. > :10:14.terms of the creation of Northern Ireland and everything that was
:10:15. > :10:17.going on in the Republic of Ireland. So, obviously, there will be events
:10:18. > :10:21.that whoever the Taoiseach is at that particular time will want to
:10:22. > :10:25.come to and reflect on. That is right. Again, he or she should only
:10:26. > :10:29.go to what they are comfortable with and what they think is appropriate,
:10:30. > :10:35.just as I should only go to whatever I think is appropriate. You have
:10:36. > :10:38.only been in the job a few days. If you are First Minister in five
:10:39. > :10:45.years' time, is that the kind of invitation you would want to extend?
:10:46. > :10:49.Absolutely. David Gavaghan has said the task of selling Northern Ireland
:10:50. > :10:54.as a place to do business, with the proposed reduction in corporation
:10:55. > :10:59.tax here, is made more uncertain by this lack of clarity on the UK's
:11:00. > :11:04.relationship with the European Union. Does he perhaps have a point?
:11:05. > :11:09.I think it is important that the Prime Minister completes his
:11:10. > :11:14.negotiations in February at the next meeting, so that we can have clarity
:11:15. > :11:17.on what his position is in relation to his relationship and then that we
:11:18. > :11:24.have an early referendum so that we can once and for all deal with this
:11:25. > :11:28.issue because I think there has been a lot of confusion whilst the
:11:29. > :11:31.negotiations o on. -- go on. I do agree we need to have the referendum
:11:32. > :11:35.and the decision. How do you plan to sell Northern Ireland on the enter
:11:36. > :11:39.national stage, against the backdrop of what David Gavaghan is talk
:11:40. > :11:46.about? I'm looking forward to going out to the US in March to help
:11:47. > :11:52.launch the Corporation Tax. I hope to be out there in New York to start
:11:53. > :11:56.with, to sell it because of course I have travelled the US on many
:11:57. > :11:59.occasions as Enterprise and Trade and Minister. This time, I will be
:12:00. > :12:05.able to talk about a new tool in the box and I will be doing that in a
:12:06. > :12:11.very meaningful way. That is March as in St Patrick's Day? Yes. What
:12:12. > :12:14.about European Union membership. Many people believe Northern Ireland
:12:15. > :12:18.does well out of the UK's membership of the EU. The DUP seems to be
:12:19. > :12:23.sceptical about the value of that relationship. Are you clear
:12:24. > :12:26.precisely what you, what your position will be within the DUP when
:12:27. > :12:30.it comes for that vote to take place? We have to wait for the
:12:31. > :12:34.negotiation to finish. If we were to take a decision now in relation to
:12:35. > :12:37.our relationship with Europe at this particular point in time, we would
:12:38. > :12:41.be campaigning to come out of Europe. We have to see what the
:12:42. > :12:45.Prime Minister has to say in relation to his negotiations, how he
:12:46. > :12:51.finishes up, and then we will make a call. Your acceptance speech on
:12:52. > :12:52.Monday was big on your vision for the future. You want to create a
:12:53. > :12:55.Northern Ireland where people can live together in a society free of
:12:56. > :12:59.strife and conflict. You want people to be confident, proud, to love this
:13:00. > :13:04.country with the same passion that I do. All fine and good, but how do
:13:05. > :13:09.you propose to accommodate people who regard themselves as Irish in
:13:10. > :13:13.the new Northern Ireland? Well, I think if the Census told us
:13:14. > :13:19.anything, the last census, and we know there is a census in the near
:13:20. > :13:21.future, there was quite a growing number of people who identified
:13:22. > :13:26.themselves as Northern Irish and those people want to see us being
:13:27. > :13:29.proud of this place and to get a sense of being Northern Irish and I
:13:30. > :13:34.really want to build on that brand and to say to people, you know, if
:13:35. > :13:38.you identify yourself as Irish, well and good, but you live in Northern
:13:39. > :13:44.Ireland, let's make it work and let's take it forward. There are
:13:45. > :13:47.also people in the place that you call Northern Ireland who identify
:13:48. > :13:52.with the Irish language, who identify with the GAA, who support
:13:53. > :13:57.the Republic of Ireland's football team, who say they are Irish rather
:13:58. > :14:02.than Northern Irish or British and who look to the Irish Tricolor than
:14:03. > :14:05.the Union Flag. Where do they fit in this place? What do you say to them
:14:06. > :14:10.about being their First Minister as well? I said to them very clearly
:14:11. > :14:17.that if you are Nationalists, if you believe you have an aspiration to
:14:18. > :14:21.have an all Ireland at some time in the future that, is a matter for
:14:22. > :14:26.you. For me, I will help you if you need help. Will you go to a GAA
:14:27. > :14:31.match? I have said very clearly I will consider it on the merits and I
:14:32. > :14:36.will look at that invitation if and when it comes. I don't fear that at
:14:37. > :14:40.all. I am completely confident in my own skin. I don't fear the Irish
:14:41. > :14:44.language. I have no desire to engage in it. I do understand that there
:14:45. > :14:49.are others who have that desire to engage in the Irish language. A
:14:50. > :14:55.straight question - would you go to a GAA match?
:14:56. > :15:09.I haven't been asked. Imagine you were. Your predecessor did it. My
:15:10. > :15:15.colleagues have been at GAA matches. I do not think it is a big deal. Can
:15:16. > :15:19.I take that as a yes? You can if you want but I have to receive the
:15:20. > :15:28.invitation first. We will see if that is forthcoming. Your party had
:15:29. > :15:33.38 seats last time. This time, you are facing a confident Unionist
:15:34. > :15:38.party, you could really struggled to come back to the Assembly with the
:15:39. > :15:41.same number of seats in May. Is that your opinion? Well, you could. I
:15:42. > :15:46.don't think I will. I'm very confident of our vision that we are
:15:47. > :15:48.setting out. We have a very strong team of candidates right across
:15:49. > :15:52.Northern Ireland and I think we are asking people to buy into a positive
:15:53. > :15:58.vision of a Northern Ireland that has had difficulties in the past. We
:15:59. > :16:02.are starting afresh and we believe in the country. I want people to
:16:03. > :16:08.identify with that positive vision. So are you saying you will win 38
:16:09. > :16:13.seats this time? No. I am saying I am very confident about the election
:16:14. > :16:19.and I have already started to go out around the province and the reaction
:16:20. > :16:23.has been positive. What is the benchmark in terms of seats? I will
:16:24. > :16:28.not get involved and saying how many seats because I will be in the
:16:29. > :16:36.studio in May and you will remind me of that. Of course. Success will be
:16:37. > :16:39.if we come back as the largest unionist party and I believe we will
:16:40. > :16:45.come back as the largest unionist party and more than that I believe
:16:46. > :16:46.we will come back as the largest party. But if you really thought you
:16:47. > :16:52.would get 38 seats, you would say that now. Why? You wouldn't see it
:16:53. > :17:00.because you would be concerned that you might not get the 38. And I will
:17:01. > :17:03.cast it up to you. We may get 46. I intend to win this election
:17:04. > :17:07.convincingly but I look forward to our engagement on election night
:17:08. > :17:11.because inevitably they are always positive. They are always very
:17:12. > :17:16.interesting and lively, especially at 2am or 3am. You mention the
:17:17. > :17:21.figure of 40, C let it slip. If you get fewer than 40, you will be
:17:22. > :17:25.disappointed. I want to come back not only as the largest unionist
:17:26. > :17:29.party but as the largest party, so that we can go forward and I can
:17:30. > :17:33.continue with my vision for Northern Ireland as First Minister of
:17:34. > :17:37.Northern Ireland. In that campaign will be fought on all kinds of
:17:38. > :17:41.issues, I have no doubt, but you will -- that you have made it clear
:17:42. > :17:46.there will be no big change to what the DUP stands for and they will
:17:47. > :17:50.still adhere to its Christian values. You also said you would not
:17:51. > :17:55.rule out a free vote on same-sex marriage in future, W said you do
:17:56. > :17:58.not think it will be necessary because you do not think they will
:17:59. > :18:02.vote in favour of it anyway. Do you believe that? I do because I have
:18:03. > :18:09.many conversations with colleagues and I know the media like to look at
:18:10. > :18:11.the party and say that person would vote in a particular way, but I have
:18:12. > :18:15.had discussions right across the party and I believe that that is the
:18:16. > :18:17.case. That's interesting because I have a lot of discussions with
:18:18. > :18:24.people as well and I had an interesting one with a MLA and said
:18:25. > :18:31.that if that issue came back to the Assembly committee or she would not
:18:32. > :18:38.vote against it if he or she had a free vote and went on to say that
:18:39. > :18:42.other individuals would invoked -- would vote in favour of same-sex
:18:43. > :18:48.marriage. That is very interesting but it is hearsay because I speak to
:18:49. > :18:49.my colleagues right across the party and I will continue to do so because
:18:50. > :18:59.I hope that my leadership and I have made that very clear to all of my
:19:00. > :19:03.colleagues that I am open and my door will always be open to have
:19:04. > :19:09.these sorts of conversations and when I said that I would not rule
:19:10. > :19:13.out a free vote on these issues, I have not, I just simply have to have
:19:14. > :19:19.that conversation with colleagues in the party and I know Peter talked
:19:20. > :19:21.about in the past and we will continue to do so. And what about
:19:22. > :19:25.petition of concern because the fresh agreement says it can only be
:19:26. > :19:27.used in future in exceptional circumstances. I wonder if this will
:19:28. > :19:31.be one of those circumstances because when this was last voted on,
:19:32. > :19:38.if it had been a straightforward majority vote same-sex marriage
:19:39. > :19:44.would have passed by 53 votes. I did a very simple view on all of this.
:19:45. > :19:49.We give a manifest commitment that we will stand up for traditional
:19:50. > :19:54.values and marriage and that is exactly what we have committed
:19:55. > :19:57.ourselves to in the manifesto and that is what we have been achieving
:19:58. > :20:00.through the Assembly and we will set out what our position is in our
:20:01. > :20:05.manifesto for the next election and we will stick by that as well so we
:20:06. > :20:10.use the mechanism to stick by our commitments. Tim McGarry joked
:20:11. > :20:18.recently that Margaret Thatcher was known as the iron lady and you will
:20:19. > :20:25.be known as the Norn Irn lady. Did that make you smile? It did,
:20:26. > :20:27.actually. A good friend of mine sent me a card with that very message on
:20:28. > :20:32.it. Thank you for joining us. Arlene Foster declaring herself ready for
:20:33. > :20:36.the challenges ahead. A game of political football has kicked off
:20:37. > :20:38.over which anthem should be used by the Northern Ireland soccer team.
:20:39. > :20:40.The issue's come up again because of efforts by a Westminster
:20:41. > :20:43.MP to stop God Save The Queen being used by the England team,
:20:44. > :20:45.which, if successful, would leave Northern Ireland
:20:46. > :20:47.as the only one of the four home countries to play it.
:20:48. > :20:50.The IFA says it's a matter for the politicians to decide,
:20:51. > :20:56.but tonight that's been rejected by the Office of the First
:20:57. > :20:56.and Deputy First Ministers which has told this programme the playing
:20:57. > :20:58.of a national anthem, or any song at a game,
:20:59. > :20:59.is a matter for the organisation involved.
:21:00. > :21:01.Here's our Political Correspondent, Gareth Gordon.
:21:02. > :21:12.These are good times to be a Northern Ireland fan. They and the
:21:13. > :21:14.team are on a high. New anthems included in this rather old one is
:21:15. > :21:37.still around to. God Save The Queen Plays. For as
:21:38. > :21:39.long as anyone can remember, God Save The Queen has been played
:21:40. > :21:43.before Northern Ireland internationals and that is the way
:21:44. > :21:50.many of the fans like it. But is it now time for a change of tune? Fresh
:21:51. > :21:54.air has been breathed into the argument because of this man, to
:21:55. > :21:59.Perkins. He wants England to have its own sporting anthem, like
:22:00. > :22:03.Scotland and Wales which would lead Northern Ireland out on its own. The
:22:04. > :22:11.Northern Irish football team sing God Save The Queen. I have had
:22:12. > :22:15.contact the media and citizens in Northern Ireland and the collars
:22:16. > :22:20.into BBC Northern Ireland were very enthusiastic about the idea of been
:22:21. > :22:27.giving a choice. But that will be a matter for them to decide. We here
:22:28. > :22:37.at the Londonderry air known as Danny boy. So is football ready for
:22:38. > :22:44.a change? We asked Linfield fans before this week 's game. God Save
:22:45. > :22:48.The Queen is the anthem of our country. God Save The Queen because
:22:49. > :22:56.it is our national anthem. We are proud of our national anthem so God
:22:57. > :23:00.Save The Queen is good enough for me. They have changed enough. There
:23:01. > :23:04.are two populations live in this country. God Save The Queen has
:23:05. > :23:08.always been our national anthem so let them have Jerusalem. God Save
:23:09. > :23:12.The Queen. That is what they should sing because the Queen is our
:23:13. > :23:17.monarch. But that is not the universal view. A poll indicates
:23:18. > :23:22.that more than 80% support a new sporting anthem. That is the view of
:23:23. > :23:27.Northern Ireland fan and blogger when Polly. I think it is an
:23:28. > :23:30.excellent idea, particularly having qualified for the European
:23:31. > :23:36.Championships in 2016. It is a wonderful time to have an anthem
:23:37. > :23:37.that would express our unique identity as part of the United
:23:38. > :23:42.Kingdom rather than an anthem which really expresses the identity of the
:23:43. > :23:47.whole United Kingdom, and I believe the majority of fans do want to see
:23:48. > :23:56.eventually and probably the majority of players as well. This is an
:23:57. > :24:05.endless pawn analyst who covers the Northern Irish team. -- an English
:24:06. > :24:13.journalist. I have often wondered how that would be perceived by
:24:14. > :24:16.journalists from other countries and would they say there is late may be
:24:17. > :24:19.a bit of unrest and a bit of conflict in the team and they are
:24:20. > :24:22.not showing the unity that they would like to express. It is
:24:23. > :24:27.different when they are playing, but when the anthem is sung, it is not
:24:28. > :24:31.sung by everybody. We asked the new First Minister what she thought. We
:24:32. > :24:34.have an national anthem at, as you know, that I am also very conscious
:24:35. > :24:39.that we don't want to get into the politicisation of sport because
:24:40. > :24:45.sport is something that unites people and right across Northern
:24:46. > :24:46.Ireland people are getting behind our sporting heroes and when I look
:24:47. > :24:50.at what happened in France at the weekend with Ulster Rugby and we are
:24:51. > :24:53.very much looking forward to the Urals in terms of the Northern
:24:54. > :24:57.Ireland football team so sport is something that unites us. We have a
:24:58. > :25:03.national anthem and I don't think there is any need to tinker with
:25:04. > :25:06.that. What about Sinn Fein? On its own, it will not make a massive
:25:07. > :25:13.amount of difference but there are a range of options that could be put
:25:14. > :25:17.in place that would make Windsor Park a more welcoming sports stadium
:25:18. > :25:22.for all the communities you. Do you feel it is not that at the moment?
:25:23. > :25:27.No. I feel there is still a chilled there and I think the playing of God
:25:28. > :25:30.Save The Queen adds to that. A spokesman for the Irish Football
:25:31. > :25:34.Association said the question of a Northern Irish anthem was a matter
:25:35. > :25:38.for the politicians, but tonight the office of the First Minister and
:25:39. > :25:41.Deputy First Minister said that the playing of a national anthem or any
:25:42. > :25:50.song at football matches is a matter for the organisation involved.
:25:51. > :25:55.Mixing metaphors, that puts the ball right back in the football authority
:25:56. > :25:56.bust court. We will hear the thoughts of commentators on that
:25:57. > :26:01.very shortly. Before that, let's turn our
:26:02. > :26:03.attention to the Republic's general election, which is
:26:04. > :26:05.just around the corner, and there's all manner
:26:06. > :26:07.of speculation about how people Could Enda Kenny make history
:26:08. > :26:11.as the first Fine Gael Taoiseach to lead a single party government,
:26:12. > :26:14.or will the vote splinter to such a degree that another election
:26:15. > :26:16.is the only solution? Mary Minihan from the Irish Times
:26:17. > :26:18.joins me from Dublin. Mary, unfair question, I know,
:26:19. > :26:21.but if you had to call it today, who would you say
:26:22. > :26:33.would come out on top? I did not bring my crystal ball on
:26:34. > :26:42.tonight, but certainly the conventional wisdom is that the
:26:43. > :26:46.Taoiseach, and Kenny, will be back with his Fianna Fail party. In a
:26:47. > :27:04.diminished form but not massively diminished. Fianna Fail has made it
:27:05. > :27:09.clear Norn Irn that it's -- by cycads made it clear that its
:27:10. > :27:16.preferred partner is the Labour Party. The date in mind is February
:27:17. > :27:22.the 26, which is not too far off but a pool of balls was done recently
:27:23. > :27:27.and it found that were Fianna Fail and Labour to get back, they could
:27:28. > :27:31.be a good 15 seats short of the magic number of 80 seats which would
:27:32. > :27:35.give them a majority so that means they will have to look at a third
:27:36. > :27:40.leg of the Government still, if you like, and we will be look for that
:27:41. > :27:45.leg? 15 seats is quite a lot and that is either looking at a new
:27:46. > :27:49.party or an enormous amount of independence and would be be able to
:27:50. > :27:53.find like-minded independence, that is another question. You raised a
:27:54. > :27:59.lot of permutations there. I think a lot of people here are wondering
:28:00. > :28:02.where Sinn Fein sits in all of that. There is speculation about its
:28:03. > :28:07.perhaps doing a deal with some of the smaller parties or perhaps
:28:08. > :28:14.knocking Fianna Fail fits purge on becoming the -- of its perch and
:28:15. > :28:19.becoming the opposition party. Many have said that Sinn Fein and Fianna
:28:20. > :28:26.Fail are auditioning to become leaders of the opposition next time
:28:27. > :28:29.round and there will be a lot of interest in Northern Ireland as to
:28:30. > :28:33.how Sinn Fein does and the election in the Republic. I think it will be
:28:34. > :28:39.a good election. It currently has 14 seats out of 166 and it has been a
:28:40. > :28:43.little bit shy of predicting how well it might do in elections
:28:44. > :28:48.because it has done that in the past and it has come a cropper, really
:28:49. > :28:53.but I think in certain constituencies, such as Donegal,
:28:54. > :29:00.Sinn Fein easily get three seats out of five and have a very good result
:29:01. > :29:04.there. It is kind of in combat with Fianna Fail, which until the last
:29:05. > :29:21.general election Wisley BBC map of Irish politics -- was the panic of
:29:22. > :29:32.Irish politics. It now has 20 seats -- the behemoth of Irish politics.
:29:33. > :29:39.For Fianna Fail, according to its chilled director of elections, a
:29:40. > :29:41.good result for them would be somewhere in the region of 35 to 40
:29:42. > :29:45.seats, which does not put them in a position to lead a Government, which
:29:46. > :29:48.is what they say they want to do. The economy will be a big factor in
:29:49. > :29:53.determining how people vote, but what will be the other issues?
:29:54. > :30:01.I would put the economy at the top of the list. While not everyone is
:30:02. > :30:04.feeling the recovery, there is no doubt about that, I think even the
:30:05. > :30:08.Government's worst enemy would have to concede that things have improved
:30:09. > :30:16.greatly since the dark days ahead of the last election. Yes, there are
:30:17. > :30:19.certainly other issues, childcare is going to be a really big one.
:30:20. > :30:22.Working parents have found their voice ahead of this election and are
:30:23. > :30:33.complaining to the Government about how expensive childcare is and
:30:34. > :30:38.abortion will come up again and all sorts of random issues can come up
:30:39. > :30:43.during campaigns, as you know. Weirdly, a strange one could be
:30:44. > :30:47.weather in this campaign. There have been some constituencies in the
:30:48. > :30:50.Republic which have suffered terribly from flooding and while
:30:51. > :30:54.they don't blame the Government for the rain, I think they have been
:30:55. > :31:02.made really angry I suppose by the sort of delayed response, the sense
:31:03. > :31:03.that Government figures took a long time to leave their cosy homes, if
:31:04. > :31:07.you like, over Christmas and come down and visit people in really
:31:08. > :31:11.badly-flooded areas and try and explain what they might be able to
:31:12. > :31:16.do for them. Finally, there was a lot of speculation a while back
:31:17. > :31:21.about the prospect of Sinn Fein being in Government north and south
:31:22. > :31:25.on the island of Ireland for the centenary of the Easter Rising. Has
:31:26. > :31:29.that all been withered on the vine at this stage? Sinn Fein is saying
:31:30. > :31:35.it wants to be in Government. There is no doubt about that. I can't say
:31:36. > :31:40.that there are an enormous amount of parties queueing up to want to form
:31:41. > :31:45.a coalition with Sinn Fein. There is no doubt that the left is very much
:31:46. > :31:51.on the rise in the Republic, but I think as you often see among
:31:52. > :31:59.left-wing parties, there is a lot of tension between them. You have a lot
:32:00. > :32:03.of left-wing Independents, you have an anti-austerity alliance, they are
:32:04. > :32:07.on the rise as well, and they are fishing in the same pool for votes
:32:08. > :32:13.as Sinn Fein, so whether or not those parties could in the first
:32:14. > :32:18.instance secure enough votes to form a Government and in the second
:32:19. > :32:23.instance actually manage to overcome their difficulties and come together
:32:24. > :32:24.to form a Government, that's a question that remains to be
:32:25. > :32:28.answered. Fascinating stuff. From elections to anthems,
:32:29. > :32:34.to the new First Minister - tonight there's more than enough
:32:35. > :32:37.to chew over with my commentators - and joining me tonight
:32:38. > :32:48.are Deirdre Heenan and the former Good to see you both. Let's talk
:32:49. > :32:52.about that interview with Arlene Foster. Do you think we are looking
:32:53. > :32:58.at a new style of political leadership in Northern Ireland? I
:32:59. > :33:01.think she was very comfortable in her own skin, she was engaging, she
:33:02. > :33:02.didn't seem in the least bit fazed by your questions, although at one
:33:03. > :33:22.point there was some hesitancy when you asked the
:33:23. > :33:27.question about the GAA. The looming election is a double edged sword.
:33:28. > :33:30.She can try and put her own stamp on what is happening, but she knows she
:33:31. > :33:37.is going to be watched closely by the DUP for any signs of appeasement
:33:38. > :33:43.towards her, Sinn Fein, towards the SDLP. She is walking on a fine line
:33:44. > :33:48.here and trying to strike the balance. The most interesting thing
:33:49. > :33:53.she said was the trick of leadership is about moving forward for your
:33:54. > :33:56.people. I hope she means the people of Northern Ireland as a whole and
:33:57. > :33:59.not just the people who voted for her. We want to see a First Minister
:34:00. > :34:04.who is a First Minister for everyone in Northern Ireland. An interesting
:34:05. > :34:08.point. Do you think she can pull off that trick, lead the DUP and
:34:09. > :34:14.successfully and lead Northern Ireland? I think if she had a longer
:34:15. > :34:17.run-in before the election, that is something we could see. On a
:34:18. > :34:23.positive note, she provides a role model and the visibility of women in
:34:24. > :34:28.public life. I think her commitment with victims and also the positivity
:34:29. > :34:33.around engaging with Sinn Fein and Government and negotiating and
:34:34. > :34:40.planning for the future. But what I don't see the actions matching the
:34:41. > :34:43.language because I see more followship rather than leadership.
:34:44. > :34:49.In the lead-up to the election, we are going to see that the language
:34:50. > :34:53.of the leadership is all around the saber rattling and the looming ghost
:34:54. > :34:59.of a Sinn Fein First Minister. Did you see that hesitation that Deirdre
:35:00. > :35:09.referred to in her answer on the GAA? Yes, I think there is going to
:35:10. > :35:11.be hesitation around all of that. She is going to publish a manifesto
:35:12. > :35:16.and the insinuation in that is that any member of the DUP that stands
:35:17. > :35:19.for election as an MLA and gets elected will have to commit to that
:35:20. > :35:23.manifesto regardless of whether she allows a free vote or not. How does
:35:24. > :35:26.she deal with the issue of commemorations? I think you would
:35:27. > :35:30.have noted in that interview a softening of her tone. The early
:35:31. > :35:33.omens weren't good and people were horrified by her initial response
:35:34. > :35:37.because a First Minister should be First Minister for everyone in
:35:38. > :35:40.Northern Ireland. That interview indicated some softening of her
:35:41. > :35:46.position saying if the invitation was right, she would come along to a
:35:47. > :35:48.conference, or a historical talk about commemorations. It is a
:35:49. > :35:54.difficult issue but I think she will have to strike a balance around,
:35:55. > :35:58.going back to the point, trying to please everyone. It is a difficult
:35:59. > :36:01.position. I would be more hopeful after that conversation where she is
:36:02. > :36:06.saying that she would be positive and she would act in a positive way
:36:07. > :36:10.if the right invitation came along. I think the issue for her is to date
:36:11. > :36:17.she has got on with the business of Government and has been very
:36:18. > :36:20.efficient. Now she is going to have to step into ideological debates
:36:21. > :36:25.that she has so far avoided. She needs a good election before you can
:36:26. > :36:27.expect to see any big gestures towards nationalism in Northern
:36:28. > :36:42.Ireland. That is going to be a challenge? It is. Given the rise of
:36:43. > :36:47.the Ulster Unionists. Let's talk about the election in the Republic
:36:48. > :36:49.and the position of Sinn Fein. Interesting to hear from Mary
:36:50. > :36:54.Minahan. What is your reading of how that is shaping up? The whole thing
:36:55. > :37:01.is - we don't know when the election will be. It will be the end of
:37:02. > :37:04.February. It will be early and historic. You would say if sit about
:37:05. > :37:08.the economy, Enda Kenny should get back in without many problems. The
:37:09. > :37:11.difficulty for him is, the talk of recovery and regeneration has
:37:12. > :37:16.largely happened around the capital and Dublin. The big issue for him is
:37:17. > :37:21.the rural areas. They haven't felt the recovery and for them, it is
:37:22. > :37:25.about immigration, unemployment, it is about empty towns, ghost towns
:37:26. > :37:37.and that is something that he is going to have to have answers for.
:37:38. > :37:42.The difficulty will be for the may -- minor parties. Do you have a
:37:43. > :37:46.fixed position on an anthem for Northern Ireland soccer? You have to
:37:47. > :37:51.remove politics from sport. Can you do that? You have to. We need to
:37:52. > :37:55.focus on an anthem that is about motivating the team. We have an
:37:56. > :37:59.anthem that does not motivate the team. Some heads are up, some are
:38:00. > :38:04.down. The responsibility for this lies with the IFA and I think they
:38:05. > :38:08.need to look tat the -- at the regulations to see if there is room
:38:09. > :38:13.for two anthems, for the playing of the National Anthem and an anthem
:38:14. > :38:18.that will motivate the team and the supporters. The supporters have
:38:19. > :38:28.given their view. 80% of them would like to see a new anthem. We have
:38:29. > :38:32.great singer-songwriters. Gary Lightbody has offered to pen a new
:38:33. > :38:39.anthem. The IFA should take him up on it. Favourite Bowie track? We
:38:40. > :38:44.Should be Be Heroes. Not a great Bowie fan. But some of the '80s
:38:45. > :38:45.stuff was very good, like Absolute Beginners. Thank you both very much
:38:46. > :38:48.indeed for being with us. That's it from The View
:38:49. > :38:49.for this week. Join me for Sunday Politics
:38:50. > :38:50.at 11.35 here on BBC One. We've already heard from the woman
:38:51. > :38:52.of the moment on the programme, but we thought we'd leave
:38:53. > :38:59.you with her answer to the question everyone else was
:39:00. > :39:32.being asked this week. # Let 's dance
:39:33. > :39:37.# Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
:39:38. > :39:45.# Let Let's dance # To the sound they're playing on
:39:46. > :39:52.the radio # Let's sway
:39:53. > :39:57.# While colour lights up your face # Let's sway
:39:58. > :40:02.# Sway through the crowd to a So, no-one pays tax here?
:40:03. > :40:06.No-one pays taxes.