:00:00. > :00:00.It's a day of celebration across the island of Ireland
:00:00. > :00:07.and around the globe, so why has St Patrick's Day become
:00:08. > :00:10.tainted by anti-social behaviour and disorder
:00:11. > :00:15.Tonight on The View, we ask - is it time for our politicians
:00:16. > :00:39.to take the lead in reclaiming St Patrick?
:00:40. > :00:41.Attacks on police, all-day drinking and anti-social behaviour.
:00:42. > :00:44.It should be a family-friendly event, but scenes like these have
:00:45. > :00:49.blighted St Patrick's Day celebrations in Belfast.
:00:50. > :00:52.So while it's been a succesful day in other towns and cities,
:00:53. > :00:54.what can our political leaders do to alter behaviour
:00:55. > :01:02.Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness launch a charm offensive
:01:03. > :01:04.with the Americans, but how will their new adviser in New York
:01:05. > :01:17.We'll talk live to Shaun Kelly in the Big Apple.
:01:18. > :01:22.we assess Stormont's performance over the last five years.
:01:23. > :01:25.And here with their own end of term reports, we welcome back
:01:26. > :01:36.to Commentators' Corner Paul McFadden and Alex Kane.
:01:37. > :01:40.St Patrick with the President while promoting Northern Ireland
:01:41. > :01:42.as a location for jobs and investment.
:01:43. > :01:45.But here, the headlines are dominated by the actions of huge
:01:46. > :01:47.numbers of students out drinking on the streets.
:01:48. > :01:51.So why has St Patrick's Day become tainted by anti-social behaviour?
:01:52. > :01:59.And is there the political will to find a solution?
:02:00. > :02:06.and DUP councillor Christopher Stalford.
:02:07. > :02:13.You are both very welcome to the programme. Christopher, you've got
:02:14. > :02:17.the First Minister and Deputy First Minister singing off the same song
:02:18. > :02:21.sheet in Washington, yet, in Belfast, one part of Belfast at
:02:22. > :02:28.least, it's turned out to be as divisive as it has ever been, why
:02:29. > :02:31.has that happened? We recognise the divisive nature that there was in
:02:32. > :02:37.previous Saint Patrick's Day celebrations. That's why we moved to
:02:38. > :02:39.invest in Saint Patrick's Day to extract some of the more
:02:40. > :02:46.controversial elements. That hasn't worked. No, it clearly
:02:47. > :02:50.hasn't. We need to review the way that money was spent on drug again
:02:51. > :02:55.at different ways that we as a governing body can't find of
:02:56. > :02:59.supporting St Patrick's Day. Certainly, I think in terms of the
:03:00. > :03:04.situation that has arisen, if you are asking me what I would like to
:03:05. > :03:09.see happen, I'm clear on this. I think the universities have been far
:03:10. > :03:14.too lenient in the past. I represented that area for nine
:03:15. > :03:19.years, the people are tortured on a daily basis. This is the cherry on
:03:20. > :03:23.the cake that builds throughout the year.
:03:24. > :03:27.The people who live in that road are tormented. The university needs to
:03:28. > :03:30.take a hold on their students and tell them that a Buddhist, we will
:03:31. > :03:37.not bite. The universities have said that they
:03:38. > :03:47.take this matter very seriously. Up with this we will not pot.
:03:48. > :03:52.They say in recent years it has been successful and relatively peaceful.
:03:53. > :03:57.I have seen video but digital of people chanting IRA slogans. I've
:03:58. > :04:01.been told that one of my colleagues who happens to be a Unionist was
:04:02. > :04:06.referred to in derogatory and offensive terms. It's clear that
:04:07. > :04:09.even in terms of events we as a council have organised there is work
:04:10. > :04:12.to be done in terms of making an event that everyone feels
:04:13. > :04:18.comfortable at. But the main body of work is to be
:04:19. > :04:22.done in south Belfast. What is the problem as far as you see it,
:04:23. > :04:27.Fearghal McKinney? Defining the problem first of all
:04:28. > :04:31.has to be the starting point. It isn't necessarily just around
:04:32. > :04:36.Saint Patrick. That happens to be the day but there are lots of people
:04:37. > :04:40.coming into the area from outside. Only one student was charged. There
:04:41. > :04:47.are lots of people, a mixture of alcohol and youthful exuberance,
:04:48. > :04:52.that is a high octane mix. Long periods of drinking, leading to ill
:04:53. > :04:56.discipline. Of course, then, late at night things spill over into
:04:57. > :04:59.violence. But what can the universities do
:05:00. > :05:05.about that? Other colleges as well? They need to
:05:06. > :05:08.put their hands up and say that while other strategies have worked
:05:09. > :05:11.up to a point they haven't worked completely.
:05:12. > :05:16.They need to work out what is actually wrong. All the students I
:05:17. > :05:19.saw there today in that area were drinking, there is no diversionary
:05:20. > :05:25.tactic. What sort of diversionary tactic?
:05:26. > :05:30.What works and as you pointed out what has worked in relation to the
:05:31. > :05:38.Belfast parade. We identify the issues that make it a negative event
:05:39. > :05:41.and promote it to good effect. But if those young people causing
:05:42. > :05:46.trouble last night wanted to they could be doing it at the Belfast
:05:47. > :05:50.parade? That's there for everybody. The point is they are choosing not
:05:51. > :05:56.to. Yes, people need to understand that.
:05:57. > :06:00.The University do good work and spend about ten weeks working on it
:06:01. > :06:04.but that has clearly failed. E-mail sent out to students is not enough
:06:05. > :06:08.because there are people coming from all over Northern Ireland getting on
:06:09. > :06:16.trains, buses, cars and heading home. It may not have been
:06:17. > :06:19.communicated by the University. The pro-Vice Chancellor of Ulster
:06:20. > :06:25.University called for a more coordinated approach by all
:06:26. > :06:29.agencies, he said, specifically, we need to be political willpower to
:06:30. > :06:34.back-up the solution and see that it is implemented. A lot of people
:06:35. > :06:38.observing the situation say that politicians do a lot of talking but
:06:39. > :06:42.are not helping to solve the problem.
:06:43. > :06:48.Let Chris rants about first. We, as a council, introduced a scheme in
:06:49. > :06:52.that part of the city to crack on anti-social behaviour. We invested
:06:53. > :06:58.in additional provision to prevent the neighbourhood from becoming
:06:59. > :07:02.cluttered with unpleasantness. I am a huge supporter of Queens
:07:03. > :07:06.University and the University of Ulster. They are huge prize in my
:07:07. > :07:12.constituency but it is deeply unfair, after the events of today,
:07:13. > :07:16.to simply say this is a thing that politicians have two solid. That is
:07:17. > :07:20.not fair. It is a societal problem, isn't it?
:07:21. > :07:25.The universities paid a certain amount of money by the government,
:07:26. > :07:28.per student. The questionnaires are the universities prepared to risk
:07:29. > :07:32.losing that many by expelling students that are behaving in a bad
:07:33. > :07:35.way, or are the residents that live in those areas just going to have to
:07:36. > :07:39.put up with it. If it turns out to be the case that
:07:40. > :07:43.trouble was caused exclusively by students. We don't know that at this
:07:44. > :07:46.stage. Last time round it seemed that some of the trouble was caused
:07:47. > :07:53.by people from outside the area who were not students. Now we understand
:07:54. > :07:59.what the problem is. People congregating in the specific area.
:08:00. > :08:02.There is no doubt in my mind that people couldn't physically live
:08:03. > :08:04.there. So is it a social problem or a
:08:05. > :08:11.cultural problem? I think it can't be called a
:08:12. > :08:14.cultural problem because all the parade, everywhere else in Northern
:08:15. > :08:20.Ireland, England and the globe worked out fine. This is a specific
:08:21. > :08:25.problem, people are gathering in a specific area. University is closed
:08:26. > :08:28.this day. That's the type of thing that I think this University needs
:08:29. > :08:32.to look at. You think the university should be
:08:33. > :08:34.open? The university should think about
:08:35. > :08:38.staying open. I heard someone from Queens today
:08:39. > :08:42.explaining that the reason lectures were cancelled over the last couple
:08:43. > :08:48.of days, was to encourage students to go home. Not to be in Belfast.
:08:49. > :08:51.Well, it seems that it didn't work. But you can see the logic behind
:08:52. > :08:55.driving. It may be that they feel the need to
:08:56. > :09:00.go back to the drawing board, work out what exactly is happening in and
:09:01. > :09:05.around this area, employ various different tactics, it's up to them
:09:06. > :09:10.to decide what those are. Also, it has to be said, none of this
:09:11. > :09:14.behaviour was in any way acceptable. I think everybody would agree with
:09:15. > :09:19.you as far as that is concerned. I want to broaden its beyond south
:09:20. > :09:22.Belfast, that is one problem, but there were other parades the length
:09:23. > :09:32.and breadth of the country which were not problematic. Arlene Foster
:09:33. > :09:37.referred to, last week, when she was unveiling in mural in south Belfast
:09:38. > :09:43.to the celebration is becoming more gay lib. She said the Unionist
:09:44. > :09:45.comfortable community are uncomfortable with certain aspects
:09:46. > :09:52.of this parade. What a chimney by that?
:09:53. > :10:02.I think Saint Patrick has almost been appropriated as some kind of
:10:03. > :10:06.nationalist. I belong to an order called the cross of Saint Patrick. I
:10:07. > :10:14.recognise Saint Patrick as an historical figure.
:10:15. > :10:16.Are there some within the community who don't like the notion of it at
:10:17. > :10:27.all? I think there is a growing prepared
:10:28. > :10:34.nurse from Unionists to celebrate that aspect of their culture.
:10:35. > :10:44.I think, when you see, I saw today online the Hibernians parade in York
:10:45. > :10:50.with people carrying signs, what should ostensibly be a celebration
:10:51. > :10:58.of our patron saint becomes a statement of political views. I
:10:59. > :11:01.think that it there is work to be done in terms of extricating the
:11:02. > :11:09.political eyes Asian of Saint Patrick's Day. I think she was
:11:10. > :11:11.right. -- politicising Saint Patrick's Day.
:11:12. > :11:17.A small number of people caused the problem today and yesterday, so
:11:18. > :11:23.others occasionally blemish the overall culture and nature of Saint
:11:24. > :11:32.Patrick. By and large, Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, is
:11:33. > :11:35.celebrated across the globe, but but it deliberately is it appropriate
:11:36. > :11:41.for people marking Saint Patrick state to do so draped in the Irish
:11:42. > :11:46.tricolour? Is that acceptable? Can you see how that would annoy
:11:47. > :11:52.Unionists who want to be a part of that celebration?
:11:53. > :11:55.They don't wrap union Jacks around themselves. They treat their flags
:11:56. > :12:01.with respect. You are talking about flags.
:12:02. > :12:04.Nationalists tend not to go to 12th of July celebrations.
:12:05. > :12:08.What I am saying is that you must treat flags with respect. You know,
:12:09. > :12:12.that means that you don't... Is that a perfectly reasonable
:12:13. > :12:17.point? I believe the union flag should be
:12:18. > :12:19.treated with respect. So when Fearghal McKinney says
:12:20. > :12:23.people shouldn't turn up at the trials of July draped in a union
:12:24. > :12:27.flag is that reasonable? I don't think it should be tied
:12:28. > :12:31.around their waist or something like that. Flag should be treated with
:12:32. > :12:35.respect. In terms of the Saint Patrick celebrations I think what
:12:36. > :12:41.people want, the growing awareness within the Unionist community about
:12:42. > :12:44.the problem of Patrick, they want to take part in the celebrations but
:12:45. > :12:48.they want to do so in a way that is welcoming. They want to be
:12:49. > :12:54.respectful. We don't want to see what we have seen today in the city,
:12:55. > :12:56.people chanting IRA slogans at Saint Patrick's Day celebrations.
:12:57. > :13:01.You wouldn't disagree with that, Fergal?
:13:02. > :13:05.The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland enjoyed Saint
:13:06. > :13:12.Patrick say today. We leave it there, thank you for joining us.
:13:13. > :13:15.The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, has told the BBC
:13:16. > :13:17.that he hopes a new type of court aimed at reducing re-offending
:13:18. > :13:22.Sir Declan says the new system would give those with a history
:13:23. > :13:23.of addiction and drug-related crime the opportunity
:13:24. > :13:27.So is there widespread political support for such a move?
:13:28. > :13:28.Our political correspondent, Stephen Walker, has been
:13:29. > :13:42.Politicians and academics have long argued how best to deal with people
:13:43. > :13:46.who repeatedly break the law. For some offenders prison is a
:13:47. > :13:50.training camp and we simply go back to the old ways when they leave
:13:51. > :13:55.jail. There is little evidence that prison helps those with serious
:13:56. > :13:58.addiction problems. So how do we change this behaviour and what do we
:13:59. > :14:11.do to break the cycle of reoffending? In the USA, special
:14:12. > :14:15.drugs court have been established for criminals with drug addictions.
:14:16. > :14:19.Instead of prison they are offered treatment and sometimes made to do
:14:20. > :14:25.community service. The scheme has seen reoffending rates fall. The
:14:26. > :14:28.idea has been tried in Glasgow, and the Chief Justice, said Declan
:14:29. > :14:39.Morgan, says Northern Ireland should be next. There are significant
:14:40. > :14:45.outputs and there is no reason why Northern Ireland shouldn't enjoy the
:14:46. > :14:51.same type of launch, and hopefully, with the same benefits.
:14:52. > :14:59.But the idea of problem-solving courts do not please everyone. If
:15:00. > :15:04.you make it everything so easy that you are unlikely to face court and
:15:05. > :15:11.unlikely to ever go to prison, I think victims can rightly feel that
:15:12. > :15:14.there is an imbalance whereby the deterrence of crime has been
:15:15. > :15:18.sacrificed for giving us off land to deterrence of crime has been
:15:19. > :15:25.criminals. Is it fair to see this new scheme as an easy option for
:15:26. > :15:29.offenders? We need to move away from thinking about being soft on crime
:15:30. > :15:32.ought off on trying. We need to be smarter and crime. We need to look
:15:33. > :15:39.at the evidence around the world about what works and what doesn't.
:15:40. > :15:42.It is better for society because it reduces reoffending. It is better
:15:43. > :15:44.for offenders because you are addressing the reasons why the
:15:45. > :15:50.offending the first place. It benefits the taxpayer because prison
:15:51. > :15:54.is expensive and ineffective in dealing with low-level crime. That
:15:55. > :16:01.view is shared by Northern Ireland's top judge. We can see how difficult
:16:02. > :16:06.and demanding these programmes are in relation to those who are
:16:07. > :16:12.perpetrators. This requires them to engage with offending in a way they
:16:13. > :16:18.have not done before. And that is a huge challenge for people involved.
:16:19. > :16:22.If this scheme does get the go-ahead, a pilot study would be run
:16:23. > :16:29.to test effectiveness. One location that can be consider this year in
:16:30. > :16:34.Ballymena. The town has a history of drug-related problems and a track
:16:35. > :16:37.record of dealing with addiction. A service for dealing with those with
:16:38. > :16:41.drug and alcohol problems is run from the centre. Staff say that when
:16:42. > :16:49.addiction is tackled, real offending rates all. We have evidence that
:16:50. > :16:53.offending does come down when people are rehabilitated from drug
:16:54. > :16:58.dependencies that are destroying their lives along with the
:16:59. > :17:01.community's lifes. We have seen significant changes in people's
:17:02. > :17:08.behaviour and in them becoming part of the community. On a QCs the
:17:09. > :17:15.addiction service here. She is convinced alternatives to prison it
:17:16. > :17:22.a -- need to be considered. -- Donachie uses the addiction service.
:17:23. > :17:26.It basically costs the Government more money for something there is no
:17:27. > :17:31.need for. I think it is a brilliant idea. More so than imprisonment.
:17:32. > :17:37.Because once you get into the jail system, it is hard to get out of.
:17:38. > :17:42.And you have experience of a friend who went through a drugs court in
:17:43. > :17:49.America? Yes. And such a transformation I have not seen on
:17:50. > :17:56.anybody. He went from being skin and bones and never looked back. I mean
:17:57. > :18:01.a courthouse is due to close and one suggestion is it could be the venue
:18:02. > :18:04.for a new drugs court. The scheme has the support of the Probation
:18:05. > :18:17.Service and would need financial help from the Department of Justice
:18:18. > :18:20.and the Department of Health. It is resource intensive but the savings
:18:21. > :18:24.are clear in the long term. The outgoing minister in the Department
:18:25. > :18:33.of Justice agrees that action is needed. You'll have noticed that the
:18:34. > :18:36.Justice Committee is keen see it within the bill. An outgoing
:18:37. > :18:41.minister cannot commit to something like this but I fill each -- fully
:18:42. > :18:48.believe it should be included. Those administering the laws say that
:18:49. > :18:53.reform is overdue. I would like to see this brought in by the time the
:18:54. > :18:57.mandate for the next Assembly has completed. This move has cross-party
:18:58. > :19:02.support and if that political will translate into action, Northern
:19:03. > :19:06.Ireland's courts will see their biggest change in decades.
:19:07. > :19:23.The storm a charm offensive towards US business has moved west.
:19:24. > :19:25.With Martin McGuinness flying to California to join Arlene Foster
:19:26. > :19:28.on the latest stage of their mission to attract investors to Northern
:19:29. > :19:32.Shaun Kelly, who's originally from west Belfast, is part of that
:19:33. > :19:35.He's the boss of the global professional services company,
:19:36. > :19:38.KPMG, and he's now landed a new role to promote investment here.
:19:39. > :19:44.Thank you very much for being with us. Invest NI already has a presence
:19:45. > :19:54.in the United States. Where do you fit in? Can you hear me, mist Kelly?
:19:55. > :19:57.Good evening. Now, I think we have a problem. We knew there was a bit of
:19:58. > :20:03.a problem with New York and also Shaun Kelly not heeding me. If we
:20:04. > :20:05.can establish a proper line, we will go back to that shortly. Let's move
:20:06. > :20:10.on. The death of prison officer
:20:11. > :20:12.Adrian Ismay cast a shadow over Tuesday's final official day
:20:13. > :20:14.of business at the Stormont It's been an eventful five-year term
:20:15. > :20:18.and we've heard a lot from those familiar faces bowing
:20:19. > :20:20.out for the final time, but what of those seeking to win
:20:21. > :20:23.a place and play a part I'll be talking to three
:20:24. > :20:41.contenders in a moment, The flag should be flown above City
:20:42. > :20:51.Hall every day of the year. This is a massive U-turn for the DUP. How is
:20:52. > :20:59.it going? This is a genuine step forward. An opportunity to move
:21:00. > :21:07.forward with a real sense of folk. -- hope. Welfare reform. The issue
:21:08. > :21:11.would split the Executive and Ellie Price down the institutions. Sinn
:21:12. > :21:25.Fein have capitulated. -- and nearly brought down the institutions.
:21:26. > :21:29.And I'm joined by Neil Wilson of the Conservative Party
:21:30. > :21:32.and by Sophie Long from the PUP and Belfast Councillor Gerry Carroll
:21:33. > :21:44.Welcome. Sophie Long, where do you think that the Assembly has been
:21:45. > :21:47.successful in the last five years? They have been successful in
:21:48. > :21:52.maintaining institutions in testing conditions, particularly given the
:21:53. > :21:58.resurgence in some paramilitary violence. They have managed to push
:21:59. > :22:04.some legislation through. Some would argue that Northern Ireland simply
:22:05. > :22:10.functioning at all is a success. So actually be getting to the end of
:22:11. > :22:15.the mandate is its single biggest achievement? Given the stops and
:22:16. > :22:18.starts in the past, sustained Government doesn't still confidence
:22:19. > :22:24.in people that we can govern ourselves. Although we could do it
:22:25. > :22:30.shows that we do not need others and can do it locally. Any big issues
:22:31. > :22:37.you would celebrate the handling of by the 108 MLAs on the Hill? They
:22:38. > :22:43.have failed to deliver for working class people. We have not seen the
:22:44. > :22:50.implementation of things and cuts have been made on working-class
:22:51. > :22:55.people. Because for people on the Shankill and it will devastate
:22:56. > :23:03.working-class communities. We have seen close rules of mental Health
:23:04. > :23:11.centres. The closure of an organisation provides support for
:23:12. > :23:16.people... There is a lot to be angry about. But those MLAs have been
:23:17. > :23:19.elected by people on the Shankill Road and everywhere else on Northern
:23:20. > :23:24.Ireland. They are operating with the funding envelope handed down from
:23:25. > :23:29.Westminster. It is and hysterically climate. Can you really blame the
:23:30. > :23:39.local politicians for living within their means? -- it is and austerity
:23:40. > :23:44.climate. The cuts were something we have about regularly on the doors.
:23:45. > :23:48.They were elected, but not to bring in these brutal cutbacks which will
:23:49. > :23:58.affect people with public sector cuts, health cuts... There is an old
:23:59. > :24:05.lament bats-mac an acceptable level of cuts -- there is an unacceptable
:24:06. > :24:11.level of cuts in the Health Service. They are telling us there is no
:24:12. > :24:14.money for benefits. Is there a real alternative, because Sinn Fein was
:24:15. > :24:17.dead set against incrementing welfare reform for a long time and
:24:18. > :24:21.we thought the institutions could collapse because of Sinn Fein's
:24:22. > :24:26.refusal to move then a particular road. At the end of the day, Sinn
:24:27. > :24:33.Fein to compromise. It is very to criticise, but is there an
:24:34. > :24:38.alternative? They borrowed seven and -- ?700 million... Why can't they do
:24:39. > :24:42.that to improve public watch teams and let people out of poverty? They
:24:43. > :24:46.flew over to London to beg for corporation tax to be cut. Where is
:24:47. > :24:52.the demand to make the 1% and corporations to pay up? For those
:24:53. > :25:01.people to pay? I have not heard a call from Stormont this year from
:25:02. > :25:05.that. We will talk about who is responsible for that in just a
:25:06. > :25:10.moment, but I will ask the question I asked the other to bring -- the
:25:11. > :25:14.other two participants to get the ball rolling. Was there anything
:25:15. > :25:18.Donachie the last five years worth celebrating? Gully-mac on the doors
:25:19. > :25:24.I have been knocking on in East Belfast, it is fair to say there is
:25:25. > :25:28.a great image of anger amongst the population. I think they have every
:25:29. > :25:32.right to be disappointed. We have had five years when they have
:25:33. > :25:37.achieved very little. The most notable piece of legislation stems
:25:38. > :25:43.from the Executive. It is a tax on plastic bags. We have seen stalling
:25:44. > :25:48.on corporation tax and welfare reform. By way of contrast, we can
:25:49. > :25:53.see a quickly things can be negated when in the budget yesterday the
:25:54. > :25:58.Chancellor is saying GB corporation taxes 17%. That is a decision that
:25:59. > :26:02.can be made quickly when politicians agree. This is not happened in
:26:03. > :26:07.Northern Ireland and everyone has every right to be upset. Politics is
:26:08. > :26:10.a funny yield game. Tories find it difficult to get elected in this
:26:11. > :26:14.part of the world and yet the politicians that do feel that their
:26:15. > :26:20.hands are tied by your party and its policies in Westminster. We are
:26:21. > :26:23.growing party. We are still part of the United Kingdom, so the
:26:24. > :26:27.Conservatives have every relevance here. Not necessarily in a positive
:26:28. > :26:32.way, which the other members of the panel said. I'm not sure the general
:26:33. > :26:39.population see it like that. Welfare reform, according to our Balling, is
:26:40. > :26:42.popular. It will get people back into work and is the right thing to
:26:43. > :26:48.do and is going down well. If you found yourself elected to the new
:26:49. > :26:51.mandate, what would be the type of issues you would want to see locally
:26:52. > :26:55.elected politicians at Stormont killing with? The kinds of things
:26:56. > :27:00.that they have not grappled with up until now? We do not necessarily
:27:01. > :27:06.have a system of Government that reflects a normal democracy. We do
:27:07. > :27:09.not have an economy that reflects a country that most people outside
:27:10. > :27:13.would recognise as being dynamic and fast moving. The kind of issues I
:27:14. > :27:19.would like to grapple with the skills shortage. We would like to
:27:20. > :27:23.have a big part in setting corporation tax levels. We need a
:27:24. > :27:27.proper manufacturing strategy to help create respectively that will
:27:28. > :27:34.in turn help Northern Ireland's society. Do either of you agree with
:27:35. > :27:40.what he has said? Are those the kind of issues that you would be wanting,
:27:41. > :27:46.Sophie, to see discussed at Stormont? Or is he missing the
:27:47. > :27:50.point? I would not agree. We are poles apart politically. I am more
:27:51. > :27:53.to the left. I would argue that the people we need to look after our
:27:54. > :27:57.ordinary working class people who have suffered with these cuts. And
:27:58. > :28:02.also throughout the conflict. We would argue that... New figures came
:28:03. > :28:07.out yesterday and delighted this reception 2007 that continuing with
:28:08. > :28:12.segregated society costs us around 1 billion per year. We could avoid
:28:13. > :28:15.welfare reform cuts and punishing the poor and avoid punishing the
:28:16. > :28:21.sick, avoid making more cuts to education. We are driving young
:28:22. > :28:25.people away by doing that. If we create conditions for a normalised
:28:26. > :28:28.society, we don't have to do that. Yes. Quite a few politicians at
:28:29. > :28:35.Stormont say that they support the concept of integrated education, but
:28:36. > :28:38.that debate, arguably, has not moved on a great deal in the last 20
:28:39. > :28:42.years. A lot of people signed up but we still have the education system
:28:43. > :28:46.that we have. Our party is quite clear on that and the report
:28:47. > :28:52.produced by the party, headed up by Doctor John Kyle, last year, showed
:28:53. > :28:54.that there is a clear alternative strategy to make sure education
:28:55. > :28:59.looks after every child, not just the children going to grammar
:29:00. > :29:04.schools using pupil profiling. We would ensure educational
:29:05. > :29:10.opportunities are there. We're training people for jobs that are
:29:11. > :29:15.not there. I am sure you watch debates at Stormont and follow
:29:16. > :29:21.discussions and how legislation is passed in a fairly detailed way. If
:29:22. > :29:23.you were successful in May, and you find yourself returned
:29:24. > :29:27.you were successful in May, and you with a new mandate, would you be
:29:28. > :29:34.anything other than a lone voice in the naughty corner, in a chamber
:29:35. > :29:38.dominated by the two big parties? What hope would you have really
:29:39. > :29:45.making a difference? We might have more than one elected. One, two or
:29:46. > :29:52.three... You'd still be a minority. We would make a difference and keep
:29:53. > :29:56.the parties and Airtours at Stormont -- on their toes at Stormont. We
:29:57. > :30:07.We advocate people power. Mobilising asperity that they
:30:08. > :30:08.We advocate people power. Mobilising communities and trade unions. That's
:30:09. > :30:16.crucial. But when you listen to communities and trade unions. That's
:30:17. > :30:24.Astor OP, Alistair Unionist and Alliance party these parties are, or
:30:25. > :30:32.were, until recently in government -- DUP, Ulster Unionists and
:30:33. > :30:36.Alliance party. If you're not even one of the large parties and you are
:30:37. > :30:39.struggling, what hope, seriously, is therefore a low voice? There is a
:30:40. > :30:46.lot of room for it. therefore a low voice? There is a
:30:47. > :30:51.parties did, they realised they had to be cutbacks. There are people out
:30:52. > :30:57.there, the majority out there who don't accept that. We are
:30:58. > :30:59.campaigning in both don't accept that. We are
:31:00. > :31:03.election time. We don't accept that. We are
:31:04. > :31:06.voice, the platform of the Assembly to encourage people not to accept
:31:07. > :31:10.those cuts. That is what we will do inside Stormont.
:31:11. > :31:12.those cuts. That is what we will do How will it operate from your
:31:13. > :31:13.those cuts. That is what we will do of view? It's unlikely they will be
:31:14. > :31:21.lots of Conservatives returned. They might be. There might be
:31:22. > :31:26.perhaps a small number bet they will be in the naughty corner, a small
:31:27. > :31:35.voice compared to other parties. The last five years have shown that
:31:36. > :31:39.the most effective legislation have stemmed from MLA is acting as known
:31:40. > :31:44.worlds. We have the opposition Bill, this stuff is coming through and
:31:45. > :31:51.getting cross party support. It's making a real difference. All we had
:31:52. > :31:56.from the executives is plastic bags. Do you think, you are a Unionist
:31:57. > :32:02.party, based in Northern Ireland, in the Republic we've seen the rise of
:32:03. > :32:06.the independence and smaller parties to the point where it's quite
:32:07. > :32:10.difficult for larger parties to form a government. Is there an appetite
:32:11. > :32:16.for independent voice? Possibly, yes. That's one of the
:32:17. > :32:21.outcomes of the new voting system. You don't get a 2-party system. It
:32:22. > :32:23.is time for a different kind of politics. People are getting
:32:24. > :32:29.frustrated with the scaremongering that goes on. You don't want
:32:30. > :32:34.something that scares you into voting for the opposite. Independent
:32:35. > :32:38.parties are at an alternative. It will be fascinating to see what
:32:39. > :32:40.happens come the sixth, seventh and 8th of May. Thank you for joining
:32:41. > :32:42.us. Thank you all, and let's hear
:32:43. > :32:52.from tonight's commentators, And fortunately, Sean Kelly was
:32:53. > :32:56.looking good, and we could hear him and he could hear us but not
:32:57. > :33:04.necessarily at the same time. We've had to let go of the North dimension
:33:05. > :33:09.tonight. Anyway, there is nonetheless, plenty for us to talk
:33:10. > :33:13.about. We'll discuss Saint Patrick first of all. This notion,
:33:14. > :33:17.Christopher used the misappropriation of Saint Patrick by
:33:18. > :33:24.one community over another. Does that wash with you? I think I
:33:25. > :33:32.understand what he was saying, he is right to some extent. I was at an
:33:33. > :33:35.event last night which was held in a church of Ireland church, Saint
:33:36. > :33:41.Pauls. It was attended by people from two parishes. There were people
:33:42. > :33:46.who were there to celebrate something they regarded as Ireland.
:33:47. > :33:52.That was Saint Patrick. They made the point that no one in Ireland can
:33:53. > :33:57.make an exclusive claim to Saint Patrick. That is something we have
:33:58. > :34:04.in common and we share. We need to work together and all of that, in a
:34:05. > :34:06.sense, if Saint Patrick has been appropriated by one tradition rather
:34:07. > :34:16.than another then perhaps people in the Unionist tradition have two show
:34:17. > :34:21.you some of the blame for that. In Derry today there was an event with
:34:22. > :34:25.church leaders, the churches are doing something to appropriate Saint
:34:26. > :34:31.Patrick for the right reasons. Maybe politicians should follow them. The
:34:32. > :34:35.Church of Ireland gave me this button hole last night. It's doing
:34:36. > :34:45.tremendously well. It's lasted 24 hours. That's an interesting point
:34:46. > :34:49.that Paul raises, whether Saint Patrick has been taken from one part
:34:50. > :34:54.of the community or whether one part of the community has allowed him to
:34:55. > :35:00.be taken, handed him over? I'm not sure it is either of those. If you
:35:01. > :35:03.look at these bonfires, parades, it is clear there is an agenda at a
:35:04. > :35:09.community organs consider in sea-level. I have no idea what is
:35:10. > :35:16.happening with the holy land thing. -- at a constituency level. People
:35:17. > :35:22.just seem to go down there to get tanks up and take their anger out.
:35:23. > :35:29.They were damaging houses, jumping on cars, they just took any chance.
:35:30. > :35:32.So perhaps it has nothing to do with Saint Patrick?
:35:33. > :35:36.I think we shouldn't allow ourselves to buy into the notion that it's
:35:37. > :35:42.something to do with appropriating Saint Patrick, if they has, they are
:35:43. > :35:46.showing huge dishonesty. I don't think it's a conscious effort by
:35:47. > :35:49.unionism to draw back from the celebration of Saint Patrick, I
:35:50. > :35:53.think that somewhere in the back of their heads they somehow, it's not
:35:54. > :36:01.that they think it belongs to them. But the symbolism, for a Unionist
:36:02. > :36:06.turning up in the centre of Belfast and seeing people supporting the
:36:07. > :36:11.parade dressed in the Irish tricolour is potentially a turn-off.
:36:12. > :36:16.I understand why you'd would be a turn-off, but I think that we see
:36:17. > :36:21.farm too much disrespect of flags. We made that point.
:36:22. > :36:27.It happens on Saint Patrick's Day, it happens on the 12th. In both
:36:28. > :36:32.cases we see union flags or triggers being disrespected and abused, I
:36:33. > :36:40.would say. I think there is a big societal problem in Ireland. It's
:36:41. > :36:44.unacceptable. Earlier on we talked about alcohol and youthful
:36:45. > :36:51.exuberance as a high octane mix, in my distant use, I was young, I was
:36:52. > :36:55.exuberant, I took alcohol, but I never ran on the top of cars or
:36:56. > :36:59.trash neighbours, disrespected neighbours or anything like that.
:37:00. > :37:02.There is a problem that still needs to be addressed. It's more than
:37:03. > :37:09.universities or politicians. That is a good point. I lived near
:37:10. > :37:13.the holy land, they were small parades, we did get tanked up now
:37:14. > :37:19.and again but there was never this violence and attacking people. That
:37:20. > :37:23.worries me. The other Saint Patrick 's celebrations passed off
:37:24. > :37:27.peacefully. We had a parade in Derry that was peaceful.
:37:28. > :37:32.Let's talk about Stormont, the end of a kneeler.
:37:33. > :37:43.Have you shed any tears? No, it is the end of two US. It is the end of
:37:44. > :37:47.the double mandate. This should be just taken for granted, if you look
:37:48. > :37:53.at the record of what they have done, the big issues, the changing
:37:54. > :37:58.Northern Ireland, the new EU, none of that has been tackled. My big
:37:59. > :38:02.there is that the two new parties will come back again and nothing
:38:03. > :38:07.will change. It suits them not to tackle these issues.
:38:08. > :38:14.People are attached to this assembly mandate, they came against a
:38:15. > :38:20.terrible financial backdrop, that awful climate. People are
:38:21. > :38:24.celebrating. The fact that it has stayed at all is tribute to
:38:25. > :38:28.The fact that it has stayed at all is tribute to Stormont.
:38:29. > :38:29.That's it from The View for this week.
:38:30. > :38:32.Join me for Sunday Politics at 11.35 here on BBC1.
:38:33. > :38:35.But we leave you tonight with a fond farewell to some of our most
:38:36. > :38:37.familiar political faces who said their final goodbyes
:38:38. > :39:17.Northern Ireland is governed from behind a barbed wire. We are talking
:39:18. > :39:20.about a peace process that is inconceivable. I am looking forward
:39:21. > :39:30.to spending more time with my family.
:39:31. > :39:33.For years, we used the Troubles as the old crutch,