:00:00. > :00:00.Hello, and welcome to a special one-hour edition of The View
:00:00. > :00:07.from Castledawson, a village that's geographically pretty
:00:08. > :00:10.much right in the centre of Northern Ireland.
:00:11. > :00:12.Tonight, five well-known politicians discuss a range of issues
:00:13. > :00:38.In three weeks' time all the campaigning in the 2016
:00:39. > :00:42.Assembly election will be over and the polls will be closed.
:00:43. > :00:46.Tonight we're putting senior figures from the five main parties
:00:47. > :00:49.here in the spotlight as they field questions from our audience.
:00:50. > :00:53.One of the key issues in the election is the economy.
:00:54. > :00:56.Tonight, The View is being hosted by one of our most
:00:57. > :00:59.successful local companies, Moyola Precision Engineering,
:01:00. > :01:01.which supplies high-end components to, among other things,
:01:02. > :01:03.the aerospace industry - and exports its products
:01:04. > :01:10.So stay with us for the next hour as our guests are quizzed
:01:11. > :01:18.on their policies on a wide range of issues.
:01:19. > :01:21.The posters are up on the lamp posts, the leaflets
:01:22. > :01:23.are jamming the letterboxes and the canvassers
:01:24. > :01:29.are on the doorsteps - all part of the big push
:01:30. > :01:39.Tonight we're going to explore some of the key issues of this campaign
:01:40. > :01:44.With Naomi Long, the deputy leader of the Alliance Party. Also, the
:01:45. > :01:49.With Naomi Long, the deputy leader deputy leader of the SDLP, Fearghal
:01:50. > :01:50.McKinney, health Minister and former finance Minister Simon Hamilton of
:01:51. > :01:55.the DUP, Michelle finance Minister Simon Hamilton of
:01:56. > :01:59.Fein agriculture minister and one-time regional development
:02:00. > :02:05.Minister Danny Kennedy, of the Ulster Unionists.
:02:06. > :02:08.Minister Danny Kennedy, of the from Stephen Kelly, the chief
:02:09. > :02:16.executive of Manufacturing and nine. Here in Mid Ulster, half of all jobs
:02:17. > :02:19.depend on manufacturing. What will your party do
:02:20. > :02:21.to support its growth and create wealth and work
:02:22. > :02:30.across Norther Ireland? Cuts right to the heart of the key
:02:31. > :02:34.issues of the campaign. Simon Hamilton? The manufacturing
:02:35. > :02:38.industries are facing many challenges, as Stephen and his
:02:39. > :02:40.industries are facing many members will know. The economy,
:02:41. > :02:45.growing jobs, creating investment, it is something that the Executive
:02:46. > :02:48.has had a proud record of over the last five years, in spite of those
:02:49. > :02:52.challenges. We have created 40,000 more jobs, 15,000
:02:53. > :02:57.challenges. We have created 40,000 targeted. Huge investment in
:02:58. > :03:02.research and development, again, doubling the target the Executive
:03:03. > :03:05.had set itself. We don't want to rest on our laurels. We want to
:03:06. > :03:08.build on that, even though we have come through difficult times, the
:03:09. > :03:15.worst recession many will remember. We are still ambitious, we want to
:03:16. > :03:19.see our economy grow. We have set another ambitious target in the
:03:20. > :03:22.manifesto, 50,000 more jobs from Northern Ireland. The key way we
:03:23. > :03:27.want to do that is by reducing the rate of corporation tax. The long
:03:28. > :03:31.battle, fighting to reduce it, many told us we could not do it, some
:03:32. > :03:34.other party said we should give up on that dream. We have secured that
:03:35. > :03:38.and can deliver it in the next Assembly. We are ambitious,
:03:39. > :03:41.sometimes we talk ourselves down on the economy in Northern Ireland. We
:03:42. > :03:48.have a rich industrial heritage, that we should be proud of, and I
:03:49. > :03:53.believe we have a bright future. One in three London buses are made here,
:03:54. > :04:02.40% of the mobile phone screen equipment is made here. At the same
:04:03. > :04:06.time, the PWC came out and said the rate of growth in Northern Ireland
:04:07. > :04:10.is significantly behind the rest of the UK. We should not pretend
:04:11. > :04:14.everything is rosy in the garden? Absolutely not, and we don't, there
:04:15. > :04:19.are many challenges that remain facing our economy and facing people
:04:20. > :04:23.in Northern Ireland, although I did see that the economy has grown by
:04:24. > :04:28.1.5% in the last year. It is not as high as we want to be, but it is
:04:29. > :04:33.moving in the right direction, particularly after the hard
:04:34. > :04:38.recession. Arlene Foster, in her roles as enterprise minister and
:04:39. > :04:43.more recently as First Minister, has taken Northern Ireland into the
:04:44. > :04:47.global market and attracted global investment. It is not all rosy,
:04:48. > :04:50.Simon referred to the figures, 40,000 jobs in the last mandate, but
:04:51. > :04:56.they cannot sit on their laurels, there is more to be done. Mid Ulster
:04:57. > :04:59.is one example of a very strong engineering hub, an area that does
:05:00. > :05:04.provide most of Europe with the screen equipment. We do need to
:05:05. > :05:08.support those industries, going forward. Moving into the mandate
:05:09. > :05:12.with such a difficult economic climate, the fact we were able to
:05:13. > :05:16.attract foreign investment of just under 4 billion, it shows that the
:05:17. > :05:20.Executive can deliver. We have more to do. The best way we can do that
:05:21. > :05:23.is working with a very strong government and industry partnership,
:05:24. > :05:26.identifying investment skills, making sure we are training young
:05:27. > :05:35.people for jobs that are here. One of the key issues is engineering. My
:05:36. > :05:37.son is on an engineering course, he is getting on-the-job experience and
:05:38. > :05:41.he is in college. Training people, where there is jobs in the industry,
:05:42. > :05:45.working with the industry and identifying their needs. We want to
:05:46. > :05:50.talk about all of Northern Ireland, not specifically about where we are.
:05:51. > :05:54.Danny Kennedy, you were in the executive, your party took its
:05:55. > :05:58.place. Then you pulled out. Looking back on the last mandate, do you
:05:59. > :06:06.think the executive delivered as well as it might have done? I don't,
:06:07. > :06:09.and I think that Stephen raises an important point. Manufacturing in
:06:10. > :06:14.Northern Ireland is hugely important. It's important it is
:06:15. > :06:18.given proper support. Can I say, my party, in launching our manifesto
:06:19. > :06:21.for the selection today, have called for a manufacturing renaissance for
:06:22. > :06:27.Northern Ireland. That includes giving support to the companies,
:06:28. > :06:33.many of them are small, locally based, family run, and whilst it is
:06:34. > :06:40.important to attract further investment from other places, other
:06:41. > :06:44.countries, it is equally important to support local businesses here.
:06:45. > :06:48.One of the things you highlight in your manifesto is the difficulty for
:06:49. > :06:51.manufacturing industries, as far as energy prices are concerned. The
:06:52. > :06:55.reality is, that is something that businesses on the ground in this
:06:56. > :06:59.country have little control over? I think we can do so much better in
:07:00. > :07:03.terms of reducing our energy costs. I think it is a huge cost for local
:07:04. > :07:08.industry. I think we need to try harder. Whilst we want to
:07:09. > :07:12.congratulate the successes that there have been within industry, we
:07:13. > :07:19.can do so much better. There is insufficient growth, compared with
:07:20. > :07:23.the other regions of the UK, and even to the Republic of Ireland,
:07:24. > :07:29.that growth is not there in the way that it should be. Stormont can, and
:07:30. > :07:34.should, do so much better. We should make Stormont work better and the
:07:35. > :07:40.only way to do that is to change the personnel at the very top of the
:07:41. > :07:43.Executive. It is worth noting that the PWC report said that growth
:07:44. > :07:47.doubled compared to previous years, perhaps that is a trend we can build
:07:48. > :07:51.on. That is why we have so much more to do. I want to bring in Naomi long
:07:52. > :07:55.and remind ourselves of the question. What is your party going
:07:56. > :07:59.to do to support growth and create wealth right across Northern
:08:00. > :08:03.Ireland? The first thing is to continue to build on what we have
:08:04. > :08:07.been doing in terms of skills, investment in skills. It has been
:08:08. > :08:10.mentioned about corporation tax, but we recognise unless you invest some
:08:11. > :08:15.of that resource in skills, you will not attract the sort of businesses
:08:16. > :08:17.that you need, nor will you be able to grow indigenous businesses that
:08:18. > :08:26.we have here. Continuing to invest in schools, and also
:08:27. > :08:31.apprenticeships, built upon. There are 1300 extra places in Stem
:08:32. > :08:36.subjects at university, as a result of the work Stephen has done. All
:08:37. > :08:41.helps manufacturing. If we want to use the corporation tax example, if
:08:42. > :08:48.we want to see local indigenous businesses grow, connectivity is
:08:49. > :08:52.important. First, international connectivity, remaining in the EU is
:08:53. > :08:56.very important in terms of exports and imports. We also need to look at
:08:57. > :09:00.the infrastructure. If we are going to build businesses, if we are going
:09:01. > :09:04.to have good manufacturing industries, we need infrastructure.
:09:05. > :09:11.We need good land and say the leg see connectivity -- land and sea
:09:12. > :09:14.conductivity. We need to support business is growing in that
:09:15. > :09:18.direction. But we have to put the infrastructure in place, we have to
:09:19. > :09:21.give them the skills they need to grow, and we need to deal with the
:09:22. > :09:27.energy costs. There are creative ways of doing that. It is not just
:09:28. > :09:34.caps on energy costs. It's assisting in them finding alternative sources
:09:35. > :09:39.of energy. Fearghal McKinney, how will the SDLP try to rise to the
:09:40. > :09:43.challenge? Stephen will be delighted to know that we have inserted into
:09:44. > :09:47.our manifesto the need for manufacturing. That alone will not
:09:48. > :09:53.achieve everything we need, we need further initiatives around training.
:09:54. > :09:57.We put another 1000 students through university, and we will have ?50
:09:58. > :10:01.million for apprenticeship schemes. I am surprised the level at which
:10:02. > :10:06.some of the contributors are comfortable with the extent we have
:10:07. > :10:12.delivered in government. Naomi hasn't pointed out that, in fact,
:10:13. > :10:20.Stephen Ferry cut education places at third level this year. At a time
:10:21. > :10:25.when we are looking forward to corporation tax, bringing companies
:10:26. > :10:33.like this in, allowing them to expand, we might not have the
:10:34. > :10:35.graduates for that. Your party has defended producing more graduates
:10:36. > :10:39.and teacher training, where there are no jobs. If you had allowed
:10:40. > :10:43.Stephen to make the changes within his department around teacher
:10:44. > :10:46.training, we could have saved money and invested in the kind of
:10:47. > :10:53.employment opportunities you're talking about. I'm more interested
:10:54. > :10:55.in the Stephen that asked the question, one of our key
:10:56. > :11:00.recommendations is that we will support a long-term commitment to
:11:01. > :11:04.keep the 30% cap on industrial rates, to recognise the vital
:11:05. > :11:11.importance of the manufacturing sector. Are you satisfied with
:11:12. > :11:14.anything you have heard? Do you think the politicians have
:11:15. > :11:19.sufficiently grasped what for you and your members is such a huge
:11:20. > :11:25.issue? The What I am hearing is that this will require a whole of
:11:26. > :11:25.government approach. What happens in the departments
:11:26. > :11:27.government approach. What happens in as what
:11:28. > :11:31.government approach. What happens in department. It's great to hear that
:11:32. > :11:35.manufacturing is core to department. It's great to hear that
:11:36. > :11:37.manifesto that has been launched. We would hope, in that period,
:11:38. > :11:43.manifesto that has been launched. We agreed, that the parties can agree
:11:44. > :11:43.manifesto that has been launched. We to put the manufacturing base that
:11:44. > :11:49.we have, the real strength, and to put the manufacturing base that
:11:50. > :11:55.for the future. I want to bring in Rhona Quinn,
:11:56. > :11:56.for the future. I want to bring in Construction Employers Federation.
:11:57. > :11:59.for the future. I want to bring in think you have some
:12:00. > :12:02.for the future. I want to bring in about the politicians'
:12:03. > :12:07.for the future. I want to bring in growing infrastructure? I would like
:12:08. > :12:13.to ask the panel, I don't believe the favourable corporation tax is
:12:14. > :12:18.enough to grow our economy. I would like you to convince me that there
:12:19. > :12:20.will be the necessary investment in infrastructure, along
:12:21. > :12:25.will be the necessary investment in agreed, clear strategy from every
:12:26. > :12:31.department to grow our economy. Lets get some brief comments on that, an
:12:32. > :12:34.interesting point. Simon Hamilton? Lots of things helped an economy to
:12:35. > :12:37.grow. Corporation tax is something that we have been universally
:12:38. > :12:42.fighting for, supported by the business community. I am glad we
:12:43. > :12:44.have been able to achieve that. That will have a transformational effect
:12:45. > :12:49.on the economy and create tens of thousands of new jobs. It's not the
:12:50. > :12:54.only thing we need to invest in, we need to invest in skills, energy,
:12:55. > :12:57.lack of connectivity and broadband, closing the rural digital divide. We
:12:58. > :13:03.also need to invest in infrastructure. Over the last five
:13:04. > :13:07.years, the Executive, in difficult times, the Treasury in London
:13:08. > :13:11.squeezing the capital budget, continued to invest over ?6 billion
:13:12. > :13:14.in infrastructure projects across Northern Ireland, including new
:13:15. > :13:18.roads, hospital facilities and schools. That is why we want to
:13:19. > :13:23.invest more in infrastructure. It is the key point of the 5-point plan.
:13:24. > :13:27.We want to create a ?1 billion infrastructure investment fund to
:13:28. > :13:30.help the private sector to invest in everything from housing to renewable
:13:31. > :13:35.energy, and other projects that will grow the economy. Michelle, does
:13:36. > :13:41.Sinn Fein get the economy? Some critics say you are not earlier than
:13:42. > :13:45.the numbers? I think that is an old argument, that is referred back to
:13:46. > :13:49.all the time. Corporation tax will not solve all the ills, but I think
:13:50. > :13:53.alongside other measures, one of the things we consistently call for is
:13:54. > :13:56.more financial levers to make change. I think we should be able to
:13:57. > :13:59.benefit from the policy decisions we take as a local economy. The Smith
:14:00. > :14:06.Commission in Scotland looked towards the Scottish Executive, and
:14:07. > :14:11.see if they can invested into the local economy. The more that we
:14:12. > :14:15.collectively argue with the British government, to allow us to make the
:14:16. > :14:19.case, to make proper decisions that suit the local economy. Back to the
:14:20. > :14:22.question, I think the corporation tax in itself is not going to solve
:14:23. > :14:26.all of this, but as an Executive, if you look back to the last five
:14:27. > :14:31.years, take education alone, 1.2 billion invested in infrastructure
:14:32. > :14:36.is, that is new school builds. If you look at my own department, the
:14:37. > :14:41.rural jobs, bringing public-sector jobs into rural areas, that is a lot
:14:42. > :14:45.of investment, construction jobs, ongoing service. We need to come at
:14:46. > :14:49.this from a holistic point of view. Back to Stephen's point of view, the
:14:50. > :14:53.Executive collectively needs to deliver. I could listen to the
:14:54. > :14:56.parties either side of me, I have glanced at the manifestos, these are
:14:57. > :15:01.wish lists. I don't believe in sitting here and making promises
:15:02. > :15:02.that you can't deliver. That is an interesting point. I want to put
:15:03. > :15:15.this to Fearghal. These two parties have a wish list
:15:16. > :15:19.that is not even costed! I think that Simon is clear that they do
:15:20. > :15:25.want to be in government. I think it is important not to make
:15:26. > :15:31.promises you cannot deliver on. Rhona raises a point... Hang on a
:15:32. > :15:36.second. The two top leading parties in the province are making promises
:15:37. > :15:40.that they did not keep. Rhona raises an interesting point.
:15:41. > :15:47.It was said that the Executive will not have the money to do all of the
:15:48. > :15:51.things that the parties promise in their manifesto and will make
:15:52. > :15:56.promises to do nasty things that they won't have to do. That you can
:15:57. > :16:02.promise that at the end of the day you can say anything but you may not
:16:03. > :16:09.deliver it? We want unrestrained ambition for jobs and getting the
:16:10. > :16:13.place working. We want joined up government.
:16:14. > :16:17.Look, we are going in to seek votes... Are you going to tell the
:16:18. > :16:22.electorate you are going into government or not? Of course we want
:16:23. > :16:28.to go into government. Is that the basis on which people
:16:29. > :16:34.should vote for the SDLP, that you are going into government, not going
:16:35. > :16:38.to opposition? Not going to any more doorsteps to go into opposition. We
:16:39. > :16:41.are going to ask people to put us into government, to turn around the
:16:42. > :16:45.failures of the last five years. Naomi Long? I think that
:16:46. > :16:50.infrastructure is important. That is the question that Rhona raised. A
:16:51. > :16:55.problem is that there are long lead in times. Often the minister that
:16:56. > :17:00.starts the project is not the minister that ends it. We need a
:17:01. > :17:05.regional infrastructure panel to guide investment across all of the
:17:06. > :17:10.departments to make sure that we use the resources and the money that we
:17:11. > :17:13.have to the best of the advantages. Danny, a quick word on this, then to
:17:14. > :17:19.move on. It is a combination of things,
:17:20. > :17:24.including better connections. When I was in DRD we brought in forward
:17:25. > :17:30.schemes and other schemes, I think that is the secret. But it does
:17:31. > :17:36.require collective responsibility and it does require a reduction of
:17:37. > :17:37.the party politicking that is experienced.
:17:38. > :17:43.ALL SPEAK AT ONCE.
:17:44. > :17:47.Hang on, Simon. I want to hear from Rhona.
:17:48. > :17:51.I admire the words and the promises. But we need words turned into
:17:52. > :17:54.actions. There was a survey done with foreign investment companies
:17:55. > :17:59.who came to Ireland, their priorities, they said, they were in
:18:00. > :18:05.order of priority, firstly, that it was access to news markets,
:18:06. > :18:09.secondly, equality infrastructure, thirdly availability of skills,
:18:10. > :18:14.fourthly, government initiatives, for example, taxation, and lastly,
:18:15. > :18:19.ease of doing business. So that tell us that investment, infrastructure,
:18:20. > :18:25.and investment and education in our young people is much more important
:18:26. > :18:30.than Corporation Tax. Schemes like the interchange, the F 5 really need
:18:31. > :18:36.to happen. We have had too many empty promises, we need these things
:18:37. > :18:41.to happen. Danny talked about the connectivity and the failure of my
:18:42. > :18:45.parties and others in the Executive but no-one will forget that Danny
:18:46. > :18:48.failed to deliver the biggest road project in the history of Northern
:18:49. > :18:52.Ireland. He has to look at his own record.
:18:53. > :18:58.What I would like to do is move things forward. Not picking over the
:18:59. > :19:07.past. We can talk about the economy all night and trade insults.
:19:08. > :19:12.So from Peter McGoran, a recent graduate. What can be done to repair
:19:13. > :19:17.damage in Stormont Stormont? Naomi Long, what can be done to repair
:19:18. > :19:20.damage of public trust in Stormont Stormont? A number of things. It is
:19:21. > :19:28.wrong to say that Stormont has not has delivered over 18 years.
:19:29. > :19:33.Northern Ireland is a better place as a result of it being there. But
:19:34. > :19:39.it has not delivered as much as it could have. The potential was
:19:40. > :19:43.greater than realised. So the first thing to recover trust is to engage
:19:44. > :19:48.in health and the economy, all of the issues that we are engaging on.
:19:49. > :19:51.The second is openness and transparency in government. That has
:19:52. > :19:58.been a priority for me throughout my time. For example moving amendments
:19:59. > :20:03.to ensure that donations made to local parties are scrutinised and to
:20:04. > :20:08.move amendments to ensure that the councils are scrutinised. Equally a
:20:09. > :20:12.mechanism for expenses and payments at Stormont so people have
:20:13. > :20:16.confidence in what drives our politicians. Without those, without
:20:17. > :20:19.storm delivering for the people who elect us and without people having
:20:20. > :20:21.the confidence that we are acting on their behalf, not our own, or
:20:22. > :20:24.the confidence that we are acting on on the behalf
:20:25. > :20:31.the confidence that we are acting on then I don't think we will restore
:20:32. > :20:31.the trust in confidence. Simon Hamilton, the Democratic
:20:32. > :20:37.Unionist Party says Simon Hamilton, the Democratic
:20:38. > :20:45.right for the system to be reformed as as far as political donations are
:20:46. > :20:49.mentioned. You want transparency. I think that there have been
:20:50. > :20:54.legitimate reasons in terms of security, why we did not move
:20:55. > :20:58.earlier on this. But it is right to move to an open, transparent and
:20:59. > :21:02.fair system of political donations. So every party in Northern Ireland,
:21:03. > :21:07.fighting elections as in the United Kingdom fighting on the same playing
:21:08. > :21:18.field. In my 14 year party leadership with
:21:19. > :21:23.Peter Robinson, said that the public are slightly sceptical when in a
:21:24. > :21:26.run-up to the election, you say you are going to publish, and then after
:21:27. > :21:32.nothing happens. You have had two years, and it has not been done. The
:21:33. > :21:32.nothing happens. You have had two decision in respect of making
:21:33. > :21:37.donations open and transparent decision in respect of making
:21:38. > :21:38.not rest with the parties. It does. We voluntarily publish ours. It does
:21:39. > :21:46.rest with We voluntarily publish ours. It does
:21:47. > :21:49.is a matter for We voluntarily publish ours. It does
:21:50. > :21:54.London to take that decision. In terms of public trust, the question
:21:55. > :21:58.is a good question, devolution is making a difference for people in
:21:59. > :22:04.Northern Ireland. I axe accept that I will be the last person, I argue,
:22:05. > :22:09.that Stormont is perfect but it is making a difference. This is a
:22:10. > :22:14.better place today than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. I have two young
:22:15. > :22:17.children, I am confident that they can grow up in a Northern Ireland
:22:18. > :22:21.far better than many of us will remember. We are delivering real
:22:22. > :22:27.change. Yes we can do more, we want to do more, that is what we must do
:22:28. > :22:29.in the next five years and beyond. Danny Kennedy how would you repair
:22:30. > :22:34.damage to public trust? Danny Kennedy how would you repair
:22:35. > :22:40.you fix things? You were not happy towards the end of the mandate, you
:22:41. > :22:47.left the Executive, is that the answer to critic it from the
:22:48. > :22:51.outside? No. This is us here on a basis that we can lead through the
:22:52. > :23:00.next ex-exbecause of the leadership we have seen has failed. The message
:23:01. > :23:06.that we are getting on the doors... ALL SPEAK AT ONCE
:23:07. > :23:10.I think that, Michelle, you are a in a poor position to crow about the
:23:11. > :23:14.achieve chiefments of your department when agriculture is on
:23:15. > :23:20.its knees and the farmers that I talk to on a daily basis... Stay on
:23:21. > :23:28.the issue of public trust, Danny, if you do not mind. Let me say that
:23:29. > :23:35.there were things promised. Great promises made by the Sinn Fein and
:23:36. > :23:41.the DUP. What are we left with? Had 00,000 of the population on hospital
:23:42. > :23:50.waiting lists on a form or another. Allocated ?12 million for childcare,
:23:51. > :23:56.much of it unspent. ?80 million to help with poverty, and dereliction,
:23:57. > :24:00.again, little of it spent. Untrue. So the promises made, there has been
:24:01. > :24:05.failure at the very heart of government here. We need to address
:24:06. > :24:10.that. The best way to do so is to make change happen. On the 5th of
:24:11. > :24:16.May the population, the electorate have the opportunity to elect a
:24:17. > :24:19.fresh government with fresh ideas, better ideas, to move this place
:24:20. > :24:26.forward and make Northern Ireland work.
:24:27. > :24:29.Fearghal McKinney? It galls me that five of our government districts
:24:30. > :24:35.still talk the league table over the whole of the UK for deprivation and
:24:36. > :24:40.unemployment. Now I think that this government in the next month must
:24:41. > :24:45.signal that health, deprivation and unemployment are the top priorities
:24:46. > :24:50.that we are to deal with, and it is joined up government dealing with
:24:51. > :24:55.these. So the enterprise recognises that health outcomes that arise from
:24:56. > :24:59.dealing with the issues. And agriculture, understanding the rules
:25:00. > :25:01.that they can have. Without that, that will undermine the public
:25:02. > :25:06.confidence. Yes a month to sort this out. I want the other government
:25:07. > :25:12.departments and I want them to declare tonight that is what they
:25:13. > :25:15.are going to commit themselves to, otherwise there is no public
:25:16. > :25:24.confidence at all in the delivery of this. We cannot tolerate the
:25:25. > :25:30.statistics. Simon Hamilton's health department is suffering that the
:25:31. > :25:43.situation with regards to mental health... I want to get context from
:25:44. > :25:48.Professor Gormley Heathen, who has written on this subject a great
:25:49. > :25:52.deal. Do you think public trust in politics in the Assembly,
:25:53. > :25:57.specifically, is an at all time low? It is at a low but that is in
:25:58. > :26:02.keeping with trust in politicians generally. Trust in politicians have
:26:03. > :26:06.been declining for a number of years.
:26:07. > :26:10.What is important to point out is that the link between transparency
:26:11. > :26:15.and trust does not always work out the way that people expect it to.
:26:16. > :26:19.Greater transparency does not necessarily lead to greater trust in
:26:20. > :26:23.politicians. The reverse can sometimes happen. Trust declines
:26:24. > :26:26.even more. But the most important point that has come across from the
:26:27. > :26:30.panel is the notion of whether or not the Assembly is working. There
:26:31. > :26:35.is a distinction that must be made between the able ale and the
:26:36. > :26:39.Executive. Some of the panel are talking solely about the work of the
:26:40. > :26:45.Executive but this is a Northern Ireland Assembly assembly election
:26:46. > :26:50.if you compare how the Assembly has performed in compareson to Scotland
:26:51. > :26:57.for example, the amount of ledge vagus that our Assembly has past is
:26:58. > :27:01.comparable. So from 2011 to 2016 we passed 77 pieces of legislation,
:27:02. > :27:05.Scotland passed 86. That is pretty comparable.
:27:06. > :27:09.I want to leave it there to move on to another question. Thank you very
:27:10. > :27:15.much for that. Janet Smith is to ask for the third
:27:16. > :27:21.question, the Director of the Royal College of Nursing.
:27:22. > :27:25.The expert panel set up by the Donaldson Review called on the
:27:26. > :27:28.politicians to tick brave decisions to reform services. Nurses in
:27:29. > :27:34.Northern Ireland have demonstrated that they can lead change, so I want
:27:35. > :27:37.to ask the panel what they will do to support nurses and other
:27:38. > :27:43.healthcare professionals to make the changes that need to be made in our
:27:44. > :27:50.healthcare system. Michelle? When we look at the health
:27:51. > :27:53.service, we look at the finances there, and the structural issues
:27:54. > :27:58.that must be addressed. Moving forward, that is one of the things
:27:59. > :28:02.we have to do. It comes back to collective working. People want the
:28:03. > :28:08.Executive and the ministers to work together. When it comes to health,
:28:09. > :28:13.there is no room for point scoring. I believe we should tackle root
:28:14. > :28:18.causes as to where why people get sick in the first place. To tackle
:28:19. > :28:22.that head on and put money into prevention otherwise we will have
:28:23. > :28:27.the pressures that we have at the acute end of the hospital service.
:28:28. > :28:31.Moving forward, what we are committing to is re-establishing
:28:32. > :28:35.that connection, making sure that the health staff and healthcare
:28:36. > :28:39.workers and proofs are involved in how to structure the health service
:28:40. > :28:44.and moving forward. I think that I have heard from other parties there
:28:45. > :28:49.is a will to remove the political point scoring to get down. A key
:28:50. > :28:55.issue for the incoming programme for government has to be health, it has
:28:56. > :29:02.to be education, it has to be jobs. Fearghal McKinney, what would your
:29:03. > :29:06.party do? The Donalson Review recommended an impartial body to
:29:07. > :29:11.look at the future of health and the politicians should have signed up.
:29:12. > :29:15.We don't have that. There is international representation but not
:29:16. > :29:18.knowing how highly respected they are with clinical leads from
:29:19. > :29:25.Northern Ireland. So I have worries about that.
:29:26. > :29:30.Primarily, we need to invest in the community side of the system. That
:29:31. > :29:39.is what Simon Hamilton and his colleagues blinded themselves to,
:29:40. > :29:43.dealing with the implications of TYC. We need to see the community
:29:44. > :29:51.side of the system funded, investment in domiciliary care, so
:29:52. > :29:55.we don't have a system swamping patients into the expense of the
:29:56. > :30:01.hospital side of the system, stressing out nurses, consultants
:30:02. > :30:05.and doctors. It is linked to the economic peace, what we have to do
:30:06. > :30:11.is deal with the bigger stresses. Michelle has talked about the
:30:12. > :30:16.original issues, the causes. Actually, the best intervention here
:30:17. > :30:22.is still going to be a job. There are huge mental health issues, major
:30:23. > :30:28.obesity issues, major alcoholism issues and depression, other issues
:30:29. > :30:32.occurring in communities. If we manage to agree, going back to the
:30:33. > :30:35.point of the joined up government, prioritising these issues, it has to
:30:36. > :30:40.be the case. Without dealing with that, we are in another five years
:30:41. > :30:43.of turmoil and another five years of a health minister experiencing
:30:44. > :30:46.extreme difficulties and not being able to do the job, Simon has
:30:47. > :30:52.proved, and his colleagues have proved themselves not be able to do.
:30:53. > :30:55.Do you recognise that? I don't, you would not expect me to. I was
:30:56. > :30:59.pleased to be able to set up the expert panel Janice referred to. I
:31:00. > :31:10.think we are fortunate to have that panel, somebody of the qualities of
:31:11. > :31:11.the professor from Spain. It is somebody who has worked for the
:31:12. > :31:16.World Health Organization, administration, somebody of that
:31:17. > :31:23.calibre, we are lucky to have. If administration, somebody of that
:31:24. > :31:27.recommendations, he and his panel, will the DUP, and we do not know he
:31:28. > :31:34.will be back at the Assembly, we don't know if you will be the Health
:31:35. > :31:39.Minister, whoever is, will the DUP back that individual, taking painful
:31:40. > :31:45.decisions, if it is best for the Health Service in Northern Ireland?
:31:46. > :31:48.Sketching out my vision for reform and a world-class health service in
:31:49. > :31:54.Northern Ireland, collectively, as parties in Stormont, we have to take
:31:55. > :31:59.these difficult decisions. I am asking you specifically, will your
:32:00. > :32:02.party? We are open to the big challenges facing the Health
:32:03. > :32:08.Service. Even if it is unpopular with your backbenchers? Under the
:32:09. > :32:17.DUP watch, waiting lists are 90% worse... I think Thurber wants to go
:32:18. > :32:32.back into your job, Mark. He talks about implimenting transforming care
:32:33. > :32:37.in full. One of the steps were closing the homes, and he was on the
:32:38. > :32:45.steps protesting against it. Some are not up for the challenge, but I
:32:46. > :32:50.am. The DUP refused to deal with the issues at the time, that is why we
:32:51. > :32:55.are in this dreadful situation. 400,000 people, 400,000 people on a
:32:56. > :33:04.waiting list of one kind or another. That is DUP failure. You have to let
:33:05. > :33:08.me respond to that. You have one sentence. He has not read the memo
:33:09. > :33:13.from his party leader, who last night said they should be taking
:33:14. > :33:23.politics out of health. I need to bring in Danny and Naomi. If you
:33:24. > :33:29.don't mind, Fearghal... Danny... Your manifesto talks about health
:33:30. > :33:32.issues today. You say the Ulster Unionist Party once regionalisation
:33:33. > :33:36.of services and the ability to respond to emergency needs of local
:33:37. > :33:39.people. To me, it sounds like you are backing the status quo and will
:33:40. > :33:46.not be up for the difficult decisions, if that is what is
:33:47. > :33:50.recommended? Let me say, we should take the politics of the playground,
:33:51. > :33:56.which we have heard evidence of year, out of health and we should
:33:57. > :34:05.take politics out of health. You can't take politics out of health?
:34:06. > :34:09.You can improve the situation. Undertake the suggestion we have
:34:10. > :34:13.made, once the election is over, the votes are counted and the seats
:34:14. > :34:17.allocated, we set about the serious as that of agreeing a programme for
:34:18. > :34:21.government. If there are difficult decisions to be taken as far as
:34:22. > :34:30.health is concerned, is the Ulster Unionist Party up for that? That is
:34:31. > :34:36.before the parties allocated departments to themselves. That is
:34:37. > :34:40.not a question, with respect? It is central to taking the politics out
:34:41. > :34:46.of this. Health has been dogged by politics. Can you take politics out
:34:47. > :34:49.of health? What you can do is support clinical professionals
:34:50. > :34:52.working in it, you know what needs to be done to do the job they need
:34:53. > :34:57.to do, to provide better care for patients. What is your message to
:34:58. > :35:04.politicians? If the expert panel comes back and chimes in with
:35:05. > :35:08.comments of Sir Liam Donaldson, when he was invited to set the whole
:35:09. > :35:13.process going in the first place, saying that we need to do some
:35:14. > :35:18.things which might not prove popular on the ground, but might be better
:35:19. > :35:21.overall, should politicians do that if necessary? I think we have no
:35:22. > :35:25.choice other than to take it seriously. We have been talking
:35:26. > :35:33.about that for far too long. I agree with the comments Naomi has made
:35:34. > :35:38.about public health. That needs to underpin everything we do. I think
:35:39. > :35:42.we have to be led by the clinical evidence put in front of us. Some of
:35:43. > :35:47.these decisions may not be popular. I would rather use a health service
:35:48. > :35:51.that is safe and effective, than one that is necessarily popular. I think
:35:52. > :35:55.you will find it is popular if it is safe and effective, sustainable,
:35:56. > :35:57.that is what we need to work towards. Supporting those that
:35:58. > :36:01.deliver the service and giving them what they require to deliver it
:36:02. > :36:05.properly. It will require difficult decisions, not just a programme of
:36:06. > :36:09.government stage, throughout the mandate. As the income changes, we
:36:10. > :36:15.have to adapt to meet that. I do think it has to be led by clinical
:36:16. > :36:19.evidence. You can't take politics out of the Health Service, there is
:36:20. > :36:23.politics in every part of the life. But you can take party politicking
:36:24. > :36:27.out of it. We should not be point-scoring around the Health
:36:28. > :36:31.Service. We should try to provide a service which any of us sitting
:36:32. > :36:36.here, or anywhere else, might be reliant on in any point in time. Let
:36:37. > :36:39.me be clear, I have spent the last two and a half years asking the
:36:40. > :36:42.health minister and the Department what they were doing about implement
:36:43. > :36:47.in the plant that should have led us to a better place. I was told at the
:36:48. > :36:54.start but it was being incremented. I discovered subsequently it wasn't.
:36:55. > :36:57.That is the point. If I could finish my remark, because Fearghal has had
:36:58. > :37:01.some time, it is telling about the commitment to health and how it is
:37:02. > :37:07.viewed, that it is so often the last pic when an Executive is formed. It
:37:08. > :37:10.is seen as a hot potato issue, a difficult challenge. I am making it
:37:11. > :37:13.clear if we are in a position to make decisions, we would be happy to
:37:14. > :37:17.take the health Department, we think there is a job of work to be done
:37:18. > :37:22.here, in terms of reform, investment, turning the Health
:37:23. > :37:25.Service around and increasing morale by making promises to clinicians
:37:26. > :37:29.that are kept. We think that needs to happen and we don't want to see
:37:30. > :37:38.it left lying on the table when the government is formed. If you are
:37:39. > :37:43.returned, after made a fifth, -- made the fifth, and a party is in a
:37:44. > :37:47.position to pick ministries, with the DUP choose health further up the
:37:48. > :37:52.lion than it was chosen last time? We did take it last time, when other
:37:53. > :37:57.parties have the opportunity to pick it. It was a late pic. I would not
:37:58. > :38:01.get into the position of what we would take at this stage, I would
:38:02. > :38:06.not be that presumptuous. Talking to people on the doors, they say they
:38:07. > :38:10.want us to take lots of departments, the education Department, the
:38:11. > :38:15.economy, some, not those around the table, want me back as Health
:38:16. > :38:19.Minister as well. We do need to face up to the challenges that are facing
:38:20. > :38:22.the Health Service. What we always need to keep up the forefront of our
:38:23. > :38:28.mind is that we are producing better outcomes for our people. You did not
:38:29. > :38:33.demonstrate that in the last five years. That is why we have invested
:38:34. > :38:35.half a billion more in the last five years and we are making a big
:38:36. > :38:42.spending commitment, in terms of wanting to increase the budget by ?1
:38:43. > :38:46.billion. We also need to restore the staff morale and confidence. Staff
:38:47. > :38:57.that are truly appreciated and properly paid. Let's move on to a
:38:58. > :39:02.question from Emma Campbell, a member of Alliance For Choice. In
:39:03. > :39:08.light of last week's conviction of a 21-year-old Hugh, in desperation,
:39:09. > :39:11.accessed abortion pills on the internet to induce a miscarriage, do
:39:12. > :39:14.they believe we should trust women, or we should put women in jail for
:39:15. > :39:27.having abortions in Northern Ireland. My party position in
:39:28. > :39:30.relation of abortion, we are not in favour of abortion on demand. In all
:39:31. > :39:33.of these things, that has to be compassion. I don't think it was in
:39:34. > :39:39.the public interest to prosecute a young woman who found herself in a
:39:40. > :39:46.difficult position. When it comes to sexual crime or the situation of
:39:47. > :39:52.fatal fatal abnormality, we need to support women in difficult
:39:53. > :39:55.situations. On this specific case? The young woman needs to have
:39:56. > :40:00.counselling, guidance and support. There needs to be proper services in
:40:01. > :40:03.place to support women. I think that is very clear. Any woman who might
:40:04. > :40:08.consider buying drugs online for whatever reason, with no medical
:40:09. > :40:13.supervision, that is not advisable for anybody. The difficulty you have
:40:14. > :40:17.got, you began your answer by saying he wanted to be clear that Sinn Fein
:40:18. > :40:21.does not support abortion on demand. There are people here saying that
:40:22. > :40:24.accessing drugs in this way, effectively, is abortion on demand?
:40:25. > :40:28.But you are saying the woman in question should not be prosecuted?
:40:29. > :40:33.These are not black and white issues. It is a compassionate issue,
:40:34. > :40:37.we need compassion for this woman and any woman who finds herself in
:40:38. > :40:45.crisis pregnancy. We have an obligation as leaders to show
:40:46. > :40:47.leadership, to take positive choices, work with and make sure we
:40:48. > :40:53.have proper services on the ground. That is where we need to prioritise
:40:54. > :40:56.issues. In a recent court case, it was said that our abortion
:40:57. > :41:03.legislation is not even human rights compliant. That is not acceptable.
:41:04. > :41:08.This is a matter of conscience, I speak only for me and my colleagues.
:41:09. > :41:12.I believe this is an example of where real life outside of politics
:41:13. > :41:14.has moved way beyond where legislation is capable in Northern
:41:15. > :41:19.Ireland of dealing with the situation. We have a situation where
:41:20. > :41:23.somebody procured pills across the internet and have taken them home. I
:41:24. > :41:26.don't think it was in the public interest to take that young woman
:41:27. > :41:34.through the courts. It is notable that, even under the 67 Act, it
:41:35. > :41:37.would have been an offence, you're not allowed to take those tablets
:41:38. > :41:42.without supervision, and there was a good reason that is the case. Young
:41:43. > :41:45.women that do that in the future may haemorrhage, developed septicaemia,
:41:46. > :41:49.they might be too afraid to present at hospitals because they are afraid
:41:50. > :41:54.of being criminalised. We need to grasp the nettle and deal with this.
:41:55. > :41:58.How would you deal with that? We talked earlier about taking party
:41:59. > :42:01.politics out of it. That is the first step. We do have an informed
:42:02. > :42:06.conversation around the issue of abortion. It is not as simple as
:42:07. > :42:10.saying we will trust women. At some stage in the debate, we have to
:42:11. > :42:13.consider their two lives involved. People have a variety of views at
:42:14. > :42:16.what point that happens, for lots of different reasons. There are moral
:42:17. > :42:21.and ethical questions engaged in this. I personally believe, as
:42:22. > :42:26.Michelle has said, that in the cases of fatal fetal abnormality and in
:42:27. > :42:30.cases of sexual crime, it is right that abortion should be available in
:42:31. > :42:34.those difficult circumstances. There is a wider issue we have to address
:42:35. > :42:37.as an Assembly. I think we can only do that properly by having a
:42:38. > :42:43.reasoned conversation around where limits in this might be. The 67 Act,
:42:44. > :42:47.in my view, is not fit for purpose and I do not believe its extension
:42:48. > :42:50.in Northern Ireland is good for the people of Northern Ireland or it
:42:51. > :42:55.will deliver what those who campaign for it would like to see. Fearghal,
:42:56. > :42:58.your party has a clear pro-life position, but not necessarily all of
:42:59. > :43:06.your elected representatives agree 100%? This is an emotive issue and
:43:07. > :43:10.it should be discussed in a mature and open way, which is why my party
:43:11. > :43:13.deeply regretted the way the Alliance Party tacked it onto the
:43:14. > :43:20.end of the justice Bill, in the dying days of the mandate. I'll have
:43:21. > :43:28.to come back on that. This is a story of tragedy involving a young
:43:29. > :43:36.woman. And her friends. I find it sad that, in 2016, we have to reach
:43:37. > :43:41.for abortion as a first option, and that as our consideration. We do not
:43:42. > :43:44.have the services, the advice and the caring authority that is needed
:43:45. > :43:51.to ensure people like that young woman are protected. You think the
:43:52. > :43:56.subject needs to be discussed in a sensitive and mature way, and then
:43:57. > :44:01.you attack the Alliance Party. Let me allow Naomi to come back, because
:44:02. > :44:05.she is not happy with the way she was characterised. First of all, the
:44:06. > :44:11.Alliance Party didn't do anything. It is a matter of conscience.
:44:12. > :44:15.Members of the Alliance Party brought amendments, not acting as
:44:16. > :44:21.members of the party, but as individuals. They were not tacked
:44:22. > :44:25.on. They had been consulted on extensively, with David Ford, as
:44:26. > :44:29.Justice Minister, if I could finish, because you did start this, despite
:44:30. > :44:36.it being a matter of conscience, the way that my colleagues dealt with
:44:37. > :44:40.this case, it is something that I am very proud of, they did not make
:44:41. > :44:43.false promises, saying they would give their members a free vote, and
:44:44. > :44:47.then whipping them through the division lobbies, they were honest
:44:48. > :44:51.in what they could do and I think it is shameful that anyone would try to
:44:52. > :44:55.use the case that young woman to attack another party. Those who made
:44:56. > :44:59.her false promises should be hanging their heads in shame.
:45:00. > :45:09.Simon is the Health Minister, it is a health and justice issue that
:45:10. > :45:14.straddles both departmental responsibilities. Let's not forget
:45:15. > :45:20.the question: Should a woman go to jail for having an abortion? I think
:45:21. > :45:26.that the case that Emma refers to, it was well publicised as a tragedy
:45:27. > :45:31.on all sides, for the mother, for the baby and also for her friends,
:45:32. > :45:37.that is why I think we have to be, as others have said, incredibly
:45:38. > :45:42.sensitive and respectful and compassionate in how we discuss and
:45:43. > :45:46.deal with the issue. That is why we tried to have the informed
:45:47. > :45:51.conversation that night-time yes talked about by creating a working
:45:52. > :45:56.group that will have clinical experts and legal experts in that
:45:57. > :46:02.group and importantly to talk to those directly affected and looking
:46:03. > :46:05.at the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities.
:46:06. > :46:10.Nobody in my party was whipped to vote. I think that was the case for
:46:11. > :46:15.other parties as well. What we saw in the Assembly was a clear
:46:16. > :46:18.pronouncement by parties on all sides, that there what a pro-life
:46:19. > :46:23.position in Northern Ireland. That is something that we are proud to
:46:24. > :46:28.fight for and will continue to do so, notwithstanding that these are
:46:29. > :46:32.difficult cases that we have to look at carefully and deal with in a
:46:33. > :46:38.sensitive way. I want to bring in Peter Lynas, the
:46:39. > :46:42.director of Evangelical Alliance, again, this is an issue you feel
:46:43. > :46:48.strongly about, and you take a different view from Emma's on this?
:46:49. > :46:53.Absolutely. It is a difficult issue. The church and others have been
:46:54. > :46:58.leading the way in providing passion, counselling and support and
:46:59. > :47:06.looking at plans for hospice care. We want to end the crisis, not the
:47:07. > :47:11.pregnancy. We don't want to see decriminalisation, the implications
:47:12. > :47:17.of that are to say that any woman, any time, anywhere, could end a
:47:18. > :47:22.pregnancy. If there are two lives engaged, then the criminal law must
:47:23. > :47:27.remain. We want to see clarity. The guidelines need to be clear. We are
:47:28. > :47:33.fans of that. The church is consistent on a range of issues.
:47:34. > :47:39.People talk of child poverty that begins in the womb. We have led the
:47:40. > :47:43.fight on human trafficking but on this issue, we are encouraging the
:47:44. > :47:48.parties, most of whom have a pro-life, to clear, no change in the
:47:49. > :47:52.mandate. Not on behalf of ourselves but on behalf of those who have no
:47:53. > :47:56.voice and have no vote on the 5th of May.
:47:57. > :48:00.Thank you very much. Danny, would you like to pick up on what you have
:48:01. > :48:07.heard so far and tell us your party position and your personal position?
:48:08. > :48:11.I think it is important that I state the party's position, that is
:48:12. > :48:15.freedom of conscious for our representatives and members.
:48:16. > :48:20.Would you like that to be the case for all? I think it is helpful in
:48:21. > :48:26.all cases, I thoroughly recommend it to the other parties. I think that
:48:27. > :48:31.these are issues that are complex and highly sensitive and deeply
:48:32. > :48:36.emotional. We need to be carefully, to trade carefully as we tread
:48:37. > :48:44.through them. It is clear that the law as it stands was broken. Was it
:48:45. > :48:48.right to prosecute? It is a matter for the judicial authorities to
:48:49. > :48:54.decide. It is not for the politicians to determine. It... But
:48:55. > :48:56.it is a matter for the judicial authorities to decide whether or not
:48:57. > :48:58.it is appropriate. What I say is that justice
:48:59. > :49:03.it is appropriate. What I say is tempered with mercy. I think
:49:04. > :49:04.it is appropriate. What I say is balance has to be found
:49:05. > :49:07.it is appropriate. What I say is Christian compassion we would
:49:08. > :49:08.it is appropriate. What I say is that balance to be found. I look
:49:09. > :49:12.forward to the review under taken. that balance to be found. I look
:49:13. > :49:17.hope that it will report and that the report will be debated in
:49:18. > :49:21.hope that it will report and that mature and a respectable manner,
:49:22. > :49:24.fashion. The woman in this particular case, of course, received
:49:25. > :49:26.a suspended jail sentence but she particular case, of course, received
:49:27. > :49:35.stands, the difficulty is particular case, of course, received
:49:36. > :49:42.the law is broken, it is particular case, of course, received
:49:43. > :49:47.remedied in some shape or form. But I am saying in this particular case,
:49:48. > :49:51.and in cases like it, justice should be tempered with mercy.
:49:52. > :49:56.And from Emma, what do you make of what you heard from the politicians?
:49:57. > :49:59.I think I am very disappointed. What this ignores is that thousands of
:50:00. > :50:02.women from Northern Ireland have had to travel to England to access
:50:03. > :50:07.abortion healthcare which means that to travel to England to access
:50:08. > :50:10.the law hasn't stopped any abortions, it just made them more
:50:11. > :50:13.difficult, more dangerous and harder to access. There are also hundreds
:50:14. > :50:18.of women amonth to access. There are also hundreds
:50:19. > :50:23.online. So it is just as was said if the law is not doing anything to
:50:24. > :50:25.stop them, what is it for? The law clearly
:50:26. > :50:27.stop them, what is it for? The law Northern Ireland. The rates of
:50:28. > :50:30.abortion, even taking travelling to England and Wales,
:50:31. > :50:35.they are lower in Northern Ireland. travelling to England and Wales,
:50:36. > :50:39.As Naomi said, this travelling to England and Wales,
:50:40. > :50:43.England and Wales, so the notions that the numbers are not there is
:50:44. > :50:46.not representative. It is an offence in England and Wales but the
:50:47. > :50:51.difference is there that someone can in England and Wales but the
:50:52. > :50:53.attend and get medical avice in England and Wales but the
:50:54. > :50:57.take the medication, which they cannot do here. That is a point that
:50:58. > :51:01.we have to look at. Thank you
:51:02. > :51:05.we have to look at. the question. Thank you, Emma, thank
:51:06. > :51:06.we have to look at. you to Peter, and we have aired the
:51:07. > :51:15.we have to look at. way. Now the next question from
:51:16. > :51:20.Deirdre Gillespie who is the Principal of St Mary's Magherafelt.
:51:21. > :51:24.I have listened with interests of the views shared by the panel
:51:25. > :51:27.members of the commitment to the growth of our economy. Without
:51:28. > :51:31.members of the commitment to the doubt, the growth of any economy is
:51:32. > :51:36.dependent on investment in our young people. This comes at a time when
:51:37. > :51:41.our budgets in schools are cut considerably. The workings of that
:51:42. > :51:49.is subject choice being reduced. . There are more nonspecialist
:51:50. > :51:54.teachers teaching the young people and those on vocational pathways
:51:55. > :52:03.with linkages through the further education colleges are disappearing.
:52:04. > :52:08.My question is simply: How will panel members ensure adequate
:52:09. > :52:14.investment to ensure that all our of your people reach full potential?
:52:15. > :52:19.Quick answers. I was the Finance Minister and we have been dealing
:52:20. > :52:23.with very difficult budget settlements over the last five
:52:24. > :52:28.years. It has been challenging in the last number of years. I am
:52:29. > :52:32.pleased to say that we were able to freeze the education budget at the
:52:33. > :52:38.time when other departments were taking cuts. We want to see schools
:52:39. > :52:44.like you having greater autonomy to spend the budgets that you have. I
:52:45. > :52:49.know that my children are in a great school but it is hampered by the
:52:50. > :52:54.situation that it cannot spend the money it has.
:52:55. > :53:01.And despite all of those challenges, this is a good news story. It has
:53:02. > :53:03.been overseen that there is ?1.2 billion in educational
:53:04. > :53:08.infrastructure but outside of it we have to ensure that the education is
:53:09. > :53:16.delivered to all of our children. More kids are coming out with five
:53:17. > :53:21.GCSE's, more kids coming with A-levels and better numeracy. But we
:53:22. > :53:26.have to do this. After this, deliver for the economy, deliver for health,
:53:27. > :53:29.let's deliver for more jobs and make sure that there are more jobs for
:53:30. > :53:36.the kids when they come out of school.
:53:37. > :53:45.Danny? Well, lately education has been nothing short of a disaster.
:53:46. > :53:52.Driven on the issue of selection. Michelle, I did not interrupt you.
:53:53. > :53:58.Michelle let him answer. There are issues that must be tackled, and
:53:59. > :54:02.among them are underachievement. But the initiatives that John O'Dowd and
:54:03. > :54:07.his predecessors took... ALL SPEAK AT ONCE
:54:08. > :54:09.We would be pleased to keep the education portfolio and make a
:54:10. > :54:14.proper job of it. Naomi Long? The amount of money
:54:15. > :54:23.available in education is static at best. Looking at inflation it will
:54:24. > :54:28.drop. We have to deal with the 70-thousand and empty school desks.
:54:29. > :54:34.Without proper planning we will be underresourced. Part of the planning
:54:35. > :54:41.for Mijas to be about tackling the fact that 80% of parents want
:54:42. > :54:46.children in integrated education, and only 70% do. We can do a long
:54:47. > :54:53.way to reorganising the schools and engaging with the schools to try to
:54:54. > :54:58.provide the integrated option, to meet the needs and deal with the
:54:59. > :55:02.empty desks. I was delighted to visit the early years organisation.
:55:03. > :55:08.That is where major investment must be. I know that many people value
:55:09. > :55:15.the Catholic education sector and the quality that emerges from that.
:55:16. > :55:19.We have to look at the good outputs. I'm disappointed with the way that
:55:20. > :55:22.the Sinn Fein have run it and the mess that they made with the failure
:55:23. > :55:27.to deal with the selection process. Thank you very much for that.
:55:28. > :55:32.I think we can squeeze in one more question if we are quick about it.
:55:33. > :55:43.Deirdre Gillespie, thank you very much for that Michael McGlade, the
:55:44. > :55:47.digital tal editor of the Mid Ulster Times.
:55:48. > :55:56.I would like to ask the panel if you are not successful in the election,
:55:57. > :56:02.what is your plan B? Danny? I am not contemplating failure. Hoping I will
:56:03. > :56:06.not fail. But I think that my wife and I recently became grandparents.
:56:07. > :56:17.Perhaps it would allow us more time to look after Eva. And also looking
:56:18. > :56:26.forward to looking to see the euros. Damn is your man! Michelle? I would
:56:27. > :56:31.have lots of work to do to be elected.
:56:32. > :56:36.So you will get a job in the party anywhere? Always an activist.
:56:37. > :56:41.Not contemplating failure? Absolutely not.
:56:42. > :56:46.Danny? I am not planning to fail. I sometimes joke about the time when I
:56:47. > :56:53.was an accountant, when I worked for a living, I could return to that. If
:56:54. > :56:57.Danny does get the gig as bag carrier for Michael O'Neill, I may
:56:58. > :57:00.apply for the job as Danny's bag carrier.
:57:01. > :57:07.A deal. Naomi? Been there, done that! This
:57:08. > :57:12.is something you have experience of! There is life outside of politics
:57:13. > :57:17.but it cannot be that great as I'm here again. I'm planning for
:57:18. > :57:23.success. But if you are not elected it is not the end of the world. It
:57:24. > :57:29.would take my political engagement in a different direction.
:57:30. > :57:35.And Fearghal McKinney? I will have a plan B which is plan A. I will push
:57:36. > :57:40.to ensure that the new Government deals with everything that we are
:57:41. > :57:44.talking about today. I thought you were auditioning to
:57:45. > :57:50.come back as a television presenter? So did we! You don't miss it? No. I
:57:51. > :57:55.don't miss it. I like being on this side of the stage as well. I loved
:57:56. > :58:00.being on that side of the stage. I find that side of the stage was a
:58:01. > :58:05.privileged position. This side is on the pitch, sometimes it is cold,
:58:06. > :58:08.sometimes it is hard play but I'm aiming for success and goals.
:58:09. > :58:11.Thank you very much. Thank you very much to the members
:58:12. > :58:17.of the audience. That is just about it on the
:58:18. > :58:22.positive note. We say good night from Castledawson and our election
:58:23. > :58:25.special. Thank you to the panel of politicians and the #5udence and of
:58:26. > :58:26.course to everyone at Moyola Precision Engineering, for all of
:58:27. > :58:29.their help. I'll be back with Sunday Politics
:58:30. > :58:32.at 11.35 here on BBC1. For now, though, from everyone
:58:33. > :59:00.here, bye bye. the Good Friday Agreement
:59:01. > :59:07.was born... the first-time voters,
:59:08. > :59:11.to have your say.