:00:25. > :00:30.Hello and welcome to the final Stormont Today of this session, as
:00:30. > :00:37.MLAs take a break from the stresses and strains of life on the hill.
:00:37. > :00:39.But before hitting the beaches ,they had plenty of business to do.
:00:40. > :00:44.The finance minister has been addressing the crisis at the Ulster
:00:44. > :00:47.Bank. They're talking about next week though they wouldn't say the
:00:47. > :00:52.beginning or the middle of the week, simply that they hoped and it was
:00:52. > :00:54.that they hoped to have it resolved by next week. With the holidays
:00:54. > :01:01.about to start, has the culture minister given away her dream
:01:01. > :01:04.destination? I think it's important the people like me from Belfast get
:01:04. > :01:07.on the bus, which leaves Belfast every half hour, and go to Derry
:01:07. > :01:17.because it has a lot to offer. look back at the year in higher
:01:17. > :01:20.education Gerry Campbell from It's the end of term at Stormont
:01:20. > :01:27.and while members will get some time off, one minister has had a
:01:27. > :01:30.bit of a reprieve. The Department of Employment and Learning was due
:01:30. > :01:33.to be scrapped over the summer, but it's unclear now what's going to
:01:33. > :01:39.happen. So is it worth saving? With me, Gerry Campbell from the
:01:39. > :01:43.umbrella group Colleges NI. Is it worth saving? Department of
:01:43. > :01:47.employment an learning has been supportive of colleges across the
:01:47. > :01:51.last 14 months that the minister has been in post. In terms of the
:01:51. > :01:55.decision the executive made in January in terms of abolishing them,
:01:55. > :02:02.we had asked that time be take ton look at the decision to be made and
:02:02. > :02:05.take some views on board of various stake holders of where the
:02:05. > :02:09.functions will transfer to. I'm pleased to say the members of the
:02:10. > :02:13.executive have take than on board and have listed to my sector and
:02:13. > :02:18.the various colleges who put forward reviews, along with other
:02:18. > :02:21.key stake holders in terms of the CBI, the Federation of Small
:02:21. > :02:25.Businesses, the Institute of Directors and a range of business
:02:25. > :02:28.organisations and employers, who have said that there is a strong
:02:28. > :02:33.role that colleges have to play in supporting economic development and
:02:33. > :02:36.in helping to create jobs and innovation and entrepreneurship in
:02:36. > :02:40.the economy. It's important then to look at the role that the colleges
:02:40. > :02:44.play within a new sector and the sector colleges NI and the sector
:02:44. > :02:49.have come out strongly to support moving to a new department of the
:02:49. > :02:53.economy or a defpt similar to what Derry exists at the moment. Has the
:02:53. > :03:00.uncertainty affected your sector? It's been business as usual ats the
:03:00. > :03:03.moment. Colleges have continued to deliver at the moment. However,
:03:03. > :03:08.we're now at a stage where a decision needs to be made sooner
:03:08. > :03:12.rather than later in terms of what department or the functions will
:03:12. > :03:15.transfer across to. The dainker is moving over the summer recess and
:03:15. > :03:19.moving into the Autumn, is that there becomes uncertainty that
:03:19. > :03:24.leads to difficulties within the sector. The sector employers,
:03:24. > :03:27.students, learners all stake holders need to know where the
:03:27. > :03:32.sector will move across. In the intervening period since the
:03:32. > :03:35.announcement was made, the sector and colleges have made great
:03:35. > :03:39.strides to engage with employers, students and lecturing staff,
:03:39. > :03:43.engage with the Assembly committee and other political parties and a
:03:43. > :03:47.wide range of stake holders. It's fair to say they've listened to our
:03:47. > :03:49.reviews. We hope they would take that on board in terms of the final
:03:49. > :03:52.decision to be made. Staying at employment and learning minister
:03:52. > :03:57.Stephen Farry should have been facing his last Q&A session as
:03:57. > :04:02.we've explained. We'll hear from him shortly, but first up today was
:04:02. > :04:06.Caral Ni Chuillin and a question on the city of culture. Cot minister
:04:06. > :04:12.outline the benefits of this funding for not just Londonderry,
:04:12. > :04:18.but the whole of the North West? Absolutely and I thank the member
:04:18. > :04:23.for that question. It is accepted that that region has been
:04:23. > :04:27.underfunded for decades. Certainly in terms of the economy, it will
:04:27. > :04:31.help generate the local economy, help provide employment and the
:04:31. > :04:36.development of skills which will hopefully make local people
:04:36. > :04:40.employable. It will be on the culture, when the culture, City of
:04:41. > :04:44.Culture finishes. As well as that, you've got hotel beds, restaurants,
:04:44. > :04:50.local companies involved in design and production and indeed, you've
:04:50. > :04:59.also got tourism, transport, local transport as well as that. And
:04:59. > :05:05.that's just the economic, you know, there's estimated well over 30
:05:05. > :05:12.million euro has been spent. Goes from 30 million to beyond. You have
:05:12. > :05:16.the annual convention as well, which will bring substantial amount,
:05:16. > :05:19.the social legacy that will leave also is very important. Again, it
:05:19. > :05:24.will help build and develop good relations from the people across
:05:24. > :05:26.the city, but indeed across the North West region. It will feed
:05:26. > :05:30.into the border counties in surrounding areas as well. I think
:05:30. > :05:37.it's only but good. Certainly the executive's contribution to this is
:05:37. > :05:41.quite substantial. I understand that the Culture
:05:41. > :05:44.Company is still to secure �7.75 million for marketing and
:05:44. > :05:49.programming. They hope to secure part of this through sponsorship.
:05:49. > :05:52.If this is not secured, does Decal plan to make up the short fall? If
:05:52. > :05:57.so, would the minister give assurance that further funding
:05:57. > :06:02.required would not be as a result of a further pillaging of the
:06:02. > :06:07.Ulster Scots museum budget? I'll take the last point first. The
:06:07. > :06:12.budgets weren't pillaged. When people don't spend their money it
:06:12. > :06:15.gets brought back into central fund. It is a disgrace that they didn't
:06:15. > :06:18.spend their money. If that continues to happen, I'm going to
:06:18. > :06:25.make future arrangements for that because that can't happen at all.
:06:25. > :06:29.Will the minister agree with ewith -- with me that not only will this
:06:29. > :06:34.have a great impact on employability but a longer laster
:06:34. > :06:39.effect with cultural legacy? I do. I thank the member for his question
:06:39. > :06:44.and the legacy is one of the important issues for the executive.
:06:45. > :06:48.I suppose in response, the -- to the question raised, economic
:06:48. > :06:54.legacy will bring investment to a part of the north, which has been
:06:54. > :06:58.deprived of investment for decades. It will also bring local employment,
:06:58. > :07:03.and employability skills, above and beyond, it will actually put a part
:07:03. > :07:07.of the north, which has a brilliant cultural hub any way, it will help
:07:07. > :07:13.promote that, but leave a richer and greater legacy. It is crucial,
:07:13. > :07:17.even the one-day concert, which had something like 8,000 to 10,000
:07:17. > :07:21.people attending, all of which attended and spent money, not all
:07:21. > :07:25.of which were from the city of Derry. It's important that people
:07:25. > :07:29.like me from Belfast get on the bus, which leaves every half hour, and
:07:29. > :07:33.go to Derry because it has a lot to offer. Onto employment and learning
:07:33. > :07:39.and does an Irish passport guarantee free tuition in Scotland
:07:39. > :07:45.or not? Here's Stephen Farry. understand that some Northern
:07:45. > :07:49.Ireland domiciled students are applying to Scottish universities
:07:49. > :07:54.as European Union members. I understand it's too early in the
:07:54. > :07:58.application cycle to say whether there will be issue for places for
:07:58. > :08:02.such students. As this is a matter for the relevant Scottish
:08:02. > :08:07.authorities, Northern Ireland domiciled students who hold non-UK,
:08:07. > :08:11.European Union nationality are advised to contact the Scottish
:08:11. > :08:16.higher education institution where they intend to study and the
:08:16. > :08:24.students awards agency for Scotland to clarify their fee status and
:08:24. > :08:27.eljablt for tuition fee support. thank the minister for his answer
:08:27. > :08:31.and appreciate that in many ways these decisions are taken by the
:08:31. > :08:35.Scottish Executive. But it does leave a lot of Northern Ireland-
:08:35. > :08:38.based or Northern Ireland originating students in a degree of
:08:38. > :08:42.limbo through a lack of certainty. Account minister give any
:08:42. > :08:46.indication has the Scottish Executive given an indication as to
:08:46. > :08:53.the time scale for a difintive answer as to how their applications
:08:53. > :08:56.will be treated? I think this is an important issue. I certainly want
:08:56. > :09:01.to give as much clarity as I possibly can from the Northern
:09:01. > :09:06.Ireland's perspective. But ultimately, the best and I think
:09:06. > :09:11.the only real advice that we can give to students is that they, on
:09:11. > :09:16.an individual basis, need to talk to both the Scottish awards agency
:09:16. > :09:21.and also the institution to which they are applying. I think there's
:09:21. > :09:24.a danger in anyone drawing generalities from this or coming to
:09:24. > :09:29.any assumptions regarding their personal circumstances that may
:09:29. > :09:32.flow from what has happened with somebody else. Of course, this
:09:32. > :09:37.situation has arisen from the fact that the Scottish authorities have
:09:37. > :09:40.taken their own particular decisions around free tuition for
:09:40. > :09:46.Scottish-based students. We have done something similar in Northern
:09:46. > :09:49.Ireland with our freeze on tuition fees. This is an aspect in terms of
:09:49. > :09:53.what happens under devolution, decisions that both have taken are
:09:53. > :09:57.done with the best of reasons. There are anomalies that may arise
:09:57. > :10:02.and distortions to student flows. We have to take actions to mitigate
:10:02. > :10:07.those. I do understand that the Scottish authorities are looking at
:10:07. > :10:11.various means by which they can address this situation and that
:10:11. > :10:16.there may be discussions in the near future between officials from
:10:16. > :10:20.the devolves regions and the department of business and
:10:20. > :10:23.innovation and skills in London in the veneer future. One of the main
:10:23. > :10:25.criticisms of this year's Stormont session has been a lack of
:10:25. > :10:31.legislation. First thing this morning the junior minister
:10:31. > :10:38.outlined a plan to introduce 26 bills next year. He made a point of
:10:38. > :10:43.answering the Assembly's critics. Members will know that a bill is
:10:43. > :10:49.the culmination of a lengthy process of policy development,
:10:49. > :10:53.public consultation and expert technical drafting. Insofar as it
:10:53. > :10:59.places duties and obligations on government, specific bodies or
:10:59. > :11:03.private individuals, it must both be necessary and fit for purpose. I
:11:03. > :11:08.think I can confidently speak for the executive when I say it does
:11:08. > :11:13.not intend to promote large amounts of hasty and ill-thought out
:11:14. > :11:19.legislation, nor to overregulate society for the sake of generating
:11:19. > :11:26.activity. It is that which would be abysmal, not a failure to meet
:11:26. > :11:29.notional numerical targets. I'd also suggest that a customary
:11:29. > :11:34.extension sought by committees for the scrutiny of bills indicate that
:11:34. > :11:39.they share the executive view that legislation is too important an
:11:39. > :11:44.issue to rush, other than in compelling circumstances. None of
:11:44. > :11:48.this is in any way to deny the central role that legislation must
:11:48. > :11:56.play in what is, after all, a legislative Assembly. But that
:11:56. > :12:00.wasn't good enough to satisfy the Assembly's harshest critic.
:12:01. > :12:07.months in office before it produces a tentative legislative programme.
:12:07. > :12:11.I can begin to see now why this executive will need every one of
:12:11. > :12:17.the 161 staff and press officers to spin this as achievement. But could
:12:17. > :12:23.I comment on the total absence of any subStantive measures to deal
:12:23. > :12:30.with the bloated nature and size of Government. And is it the case that
:12:30. > :12:34.even the one step in relation to Dale is now stalled in. An answer,
:12:34. > :12:38.six weeks ago, the minister's department said legislation would
:12:38. > :12:42.be interdeuced by July. Now we don't even have a commitment the
:12:43. > :12:47.legislation, we have some form of words which says that ministers
:12:47. > :12:53.will confirm their legislative intentions. Is there still an
:12:53. > :12:57.intention to abolish Dale? If so when? That's been to the executive?
:12:57. > :13:00.And can I finally reassure the minister his department is in no
:13:00. > :13:03.danger of falling into rushed legislation, because so far, it's
:13:03. > :13:13.been nil on quantity and nil on quality.
:13:13. > :13:17.
:13:17. > :13:22.Let's hear from the minister This is still under consideration
:13:22. > :13:25.and this is a very important decision for Northern Ireland. My
:13:25. > :13:31.Department is a major economic department and it is a top priority
:13:31. > :13:36.for the Assembly and we have to ensure that whatever read to, we
:13:36. > :13:45.protect the important economic drivers around skills and we have a
:13:45. > :13:50.coherent agenda that brings together sticky players, and
:13:50. > :13:57.employers, on to one roof to move ahead in a coherent manner. -- on
:13:57. > :14:04.the one roof. Jim Allister does not see this as a key department.
:14:04. > :14:07.the past year, a lot has come through my department and we
:14:07. > :14:11.announced a major scheme to address youth unemployment in Northern
:14:11. > :14:17.Ireland and measures to address the needs and we have had a freeze on
:14:17. > :14:21.tuition fees and a major departure from the rest of the UK and
:14:21. > :14:27.devolution inaction and we have published a higher education
:14:27. > :14:30.strategy and the skills strategy. We are doing a lot across a broad
:14:30. > :14:35.range of activities to invest in the skills of the workforce and
:14:35. > :14:38.create job opportunities. It is difficult, there has been
:14:38. > :14:42.discussion that we are focusing too much and youth unemployment and
:14:42. > :14:47.should be looking at the parents and keeping them in jobs to set a
:14:47. > :14:52.good example? Unemployment is an issue across the board and we have
:14:52. > :14:55.to address everybody's needs and we have programmes and place but
:14:55. > :15:02.almost one third of unemployment falls within a very narrow six-year
:15:02. > :15:06.gap between 18 and 24 or and in many cases many people who have
:15:06. > :15:10.education and training but lack employable skills and that is the
:15:11. > :15:16.intervention we're trying to achieve. We are trying to produce a
:15:16. > :15:19.Budget that will be on a greater skill -- scale and comparative
:15:19. > :15:25.schemes in the UK and we will invest in new measures to address
:15:25. > :15:30.the needs and these are major achievements. Some people argue
:15:30. > :15:34.that instead of these science and technology subjects, we are
:15:34. > :15:39.training to many people because there are jobs at the other end?
:15:39. > :15:44.have a report on the future skills needs of the economy and that has
:15:44. > :15:49.shown that we will need more high- level skills and within that, more
:15:49. > :15:53.people studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics and I
:15:53. > :15:58.have completed a working group with an action plan for that sector and
:15:58. > :16:02.there is a good footprint in ICT and the indications that there are
:16:02. > :16:09.shortages and we cannot squander the opportunities by not investing
:16:09. > :16:15.in the right skills. Corporation Tax is as far away as
:16:15. > :16:19.ever. Gerry Campbell, do you think the department has done enough,
:16:19. > :16:25.particularly for you sector? Over the last 14 months the Minister has
:16:25. > :16:29.been a great supporter of the colleges and the work they do and I
:16:29. > :16:33.think not only the department but the executive is to really
:16:33. > :16:36.recognise the important role that colleges play as a linchpin in
:16:36. > :16:40.delivering the programme for government and economic strategy.
:16:40. > :16:44.Colleges are an important link between post-primary education
:16:44. > :16:49.through to university and employment and the challenge that
:16:49. > :16:54.we have ahead of us as a society is to win sure that we not only tackle
:16:54. > :16:59.properly the needs issue for people between 18 and 24 but also to look
:16:59. > :17:03.at adults who need to retrain and also this who are currently
:17:03. > :17:07.unemployed to give them the opportunity to go back into
:17:07. > :17:11.employment. There are challenges ahead if the Corporation Tax comes
:17:11. > :17:16.on board and they need a requirement for the minister's
:17:16. > :17:20.department to continue investment in colleges and in the right levels
:17:20. > :17:25.golf professional, technical, vocational education and to make
:17:25. > :17:30.sure the department works with other colleagues, particularly
:17:30. > :17:34.education, to ensure that young people at the ages of 14 - 16 are
:17:34. > :17:37.given the opportunity to make the right choices at that time. Are you
:17:37. > :17:43.not concerned that in the Department of the economy, you will
:17:43. > :17:47.get lost and not have the focus that you have now? Nor, we are the
:17:47. > :17:52.key drivers for the economic strategy and with key links to
:17:52. > :17:55.ensure that employers get the right levels of skills within colleges.
:17:55. > :18:00.These are the key constituents in the charming be economically
:18:00. > :18:04.relevant curriculum. The idea about getting people moving through post-
:18:04. > :18:09.primary education, through university, and people will go
:18:09. > :18:16.through apprenticeships, with 100 jobs and 100 days, so there is work
:18:16. > :18:19.that colleges do. We will leave it there. The Finance Minister had
:18:19. > :18:24.meetings with senior figures from RDS on the Ulster Bank over the
:18:24. > :18:28.ongoing crisis which has left tens of thousands with little or no
:18:28. > :18:32.access to their own money. In his third week and with little sign of
:18:32. > :18:36.any resolution, the Minister had measured criticism for the
:18:36. > :18:41.organisation. The one point that I made to Sir Philip yesterday was
:18:41. > :18:50.that I believed the bank had probably done themselves sun damage
:18:50. > :18:57.as well as raising problems for individuals by this drip-feed. It
:18:57. > :19:06.will be fixed by Monday, Friday, next week. It would be better if
:19:06. > :19:11.they had been up front and said this would be three weeks. I must
:19:11. > :19:16.say, even after the conversation with Sir Philip, I am still not
:19:16. > :19:21.clear as to win the problem will be sorted. It cannot be sorted this
:19:22. > :19:25.week. They have made that clear. They're talking about next week,
:19:25. > :19:34.although they would not say if it was the beginning or the middle of
:19:34. > :19:38.the week. They hoped to have it resolved by next week. All of the
:19:38. > :19:42.jumping up and down by the Finance Minister here and the Assembly, and
:19:42. > :19:45.the intervention by the Chancellor or the Finance Minister in the
:19:45. > :19:51.Republic, none of that will resolve what is basically a tactical issue
:19:51. > :19:56.but I can only take the assurances that Ulster Bank and RDS have given
:19:56. > :20:00.me. The reason for the sequencing is nothing to do with priority is
:20:00. > :20:06.as far as who the most important customers are or what is the most
:20:06. > :20:10.important market. The system failed in a certain way and then a certain
:20:10. > :20:16.sequence and had to be repaired in a certain way. Since Ulster Bank
:20:16. > :20:20.were at the end of that sequence, the They'll be the last to be dealt
:20:20. > :20:26.with. Because of that, there is a bigger backlog of transactions that
:20:26. > :20:30.has built up. Housing Executive is feeling talents and tax payers.
:20:30. > :20:33.That is what the Social Development Bannister told the Assembly area.
:20:33. > :20:38.Nelson McCausland men a statement following a report into multi-
:20:38. > :20:43.million-pound maintenance contracts. He said he would introduce special
:20:43. > :20:48.measures but warned that more radical change could be on the way.
:20:48. > :20:52.On taking up the post, I expressed my concerns about the issue of
:20:53. > :20:56.contract management, both on the briefing of the Government review
:20:56. > :21:03.findings and under mentation and on the issues leading to the
:21:03. > :21:09.termination of the Red Sky contract in 20th July 11. I wrote to the
:21:09. > :21:14.chair of the executive board asking for assurance that they haven't
:21:14. > :21:19.place robust and focused contract monitoring arrangements for all
:21:19. > :21:27.contracts. I was assured that the monitoring arrangements for
:21:27. > :21:30.response maintenance contracts were indeed very thorough. However, in
:21:30. > :21:34.light of my continued concerns about the issues which led to the
:21:34. > :21:37.termination of the Red Sky contract by the Housing Executive, that
:21:37. > :21:41.might be present and other contracts which had not been the
:21:41. > :21:45.subject of an a full investigation. It I asked that a forensic
:21:45. > :21:49.investigation was carried out of a sample of Housing Executive
:21:49. > :21:53.maintenance contracts to provide me with assurances in relation to the
:21:53. > :22:01.other contracts, the quality of services to tenants and the proper
:22:01. > :22:05.use of public funding. I have received, on 29th June, the draft
:22:05. > :22:10.report in relation to the forensic investigation that I commissioned.
:22:10. > :22:16.As this was on the receipt in the last few days, by officials need
:22:16. > :22:21.time to consider this in detail. Nevertheless, I am very concerned
:22:21. > :22:25.that the findings of the evidence clearly demonstrate that there are
:22:25. > :22:31.considerable issues in relation to the Housing Executive's management
:22:31. > :22:35.of Response maintenance contracts. I will be copying this report to
:22:35. > :22:41.the Housing Executive for comment and will ask what they consider the
:22:41. > :22:47.issues raised and respond to me by mid- August. I believe that a
:22:47. > :22:51.Northern Ireland Housing Executive has failed to date to demonstrate
:22:51. > :22:55.the required response to the known shortfalls and contract management,
:22:55. > :23:00.either in a manner which recognises the importance and significance of
:23:00. > :23:05.these issues, or which demonstrates an unequivocal demonstration to
:23:05. > :23:09.address these matters with the necessary pace and urgency. Hyphae
:23:09. > :23:13.that tenants and the tax payer are not getting the quality of service
:23:13. > :23:18.that they have the right to. I do believe that there has been a
:23:18. > :23:22.culture within the agencies and perhaps other departments that are
:23:22. > :23:25.responsible we never seemed to lie with anyone and I want to assure
:23:25. > :23:28.the Minister that whenever these reports are being worked through,
:23:28. > :23:31.the responsibility right through from the agency and into the
:23:31. > :23:36.apartment if need be, that we get to the bottom of that
:23:36. > :23:43.responsibility. We're getting to the 0.4 we can see the overall
:23:43. > :23:46.picture. -- to the point where we can see. We need to see how that
:23:46. > :23:50.revealed within the Housing Executive for such a number of
:23:50. > :23:53.years. I will want to know how that happened and we need to get to the
:23:53. > :23:58.bottom of this and we need to see were the responsibility lies and I
:23:58. > :24:01.will pursue that to the very opposite of my ability. This
:24:01. > :24:08.Stormont a suitable place for children? MLAs thinks so. They want
:24:08. > :24:13.to make it easier for school groups to come and visit. The issue was
:24:13. > :24:17.raised to the Assembly commission. Would he consider through the
:24:17. > :24:20.commission liaising with the Department of Education to ensure
:24:20. > :24:29.that funding is made available to allow schools to get access to
:24:29. > :24:32.Stormont? I thank the number for his supplementary and sometimes I
:24:33. > :24:40.think that he is more parochial than I am, he mentions that also
:24:40. > :24:45.quite a bit around you. The figures for Mid Ulster, incidentally, are
:24:45. > :24:50.23 inward visits from your constituency with 711 participants.
:24:50. > :24:55.That is in the last year. There were to agree to visits involving
:24:55. > :24:59.126 per to some of its and obviously the Assembly benefits
:24:59. > :25:04.from the enthusiasm of the individual member, such as Mr McRae,
:25:04. > :25:07.who is enthusiastic about the service. There is a travel subsidy
:25:07. > :25:10.available to visiting groups and within the commission, I am sure
:25:10. > :25:17.you will appreciate that there is an atmosphere of diminishing
:25:17. > :25:21.budgets. Having said that, it is a good idea that you should contact
:25:21. > :25:24.and be in dialogue with the Department of Education about ways
:25:24. > :25:32.and means of encouraging more and more schools to take up this
:25:32. > :25:37.invitation and an informed at 95% of the school's have taken up the
:25:37. > :25:42.education service in either of the direct way of coming here are
:25:42. > :25:47.receiving them in their individual schools but that does leave 5% and
:25:47. > :25:52.the Assembly commission is looking that -- looking at that. Those
:25:52. > :25:55.schools that have not engaged, we want to look at that.
:25:55. > :25:58.Environment Minister told the chamber today about plans for a
:25:58. > :26:03.one-off payment to councillors who are leaving after decades of
:26:03. > :26:09.service. As Mark Devenport told me, it is part of a plan to reduce the
:26:09. > :26:17.number of councils from 26 to 11 councils. This is part of the local
:26:17. > :26:21.council shake-up and that has been complicated. They will streamlined
:26:21. > :26:24.best down to 11 and they expect some other veterans who have been
:26:24. > :26:32.sitting through the years of the Troubles to buy out at this stage
:26:32. > :26:35.and some of them say, well, after so many years, we deserve a pay-off.
:26:35. > :26:39.Payments to politicians are always pretty controversial and I detected
:26:39. > :26:44.some nervousness on the part of the Minister, Alex Attwood, about all
:26:44. > :26:51.this but he did justify the play- offs in the following terms. There
:26:51. > :26:56.will be some criticism about pay- offs to politicians and many people
:26:56. > :27:01.would regard this in terms of recognition for unsung heroes.
:27:01. > :27:05.says that what he is proposing is going to be less generous than what
:27:05. > :27:10.had been previously envisaged in 2009 when people talked about a
:27:10. > :27:13.scheme costing more than �4 million. He was unable to come up with any
:27:13. > :27:17.overall cost, that depends on how many councillors and feel of the
:27:18. > :27:23.scheme but he says these payments will be capped. At no more than
:27:23. > :27:28.�30,000 for the longest serving. And to the MLAs and the TD's, we
:27:28. > :27:32.have information today about this Inter-Parliamentary for them.
:27:32. > :27:37.would ahead of the game because Martin McGuinness told you on the
:27:37. > :27:41.Sunday politics that this was going to go ahead. Maybe some pay back
:27:41. > :27:44.from Sinn Fein who have been keen on this for long. They made that
:27:44. > :27:49.move with the Queen and we have some kind of agreement about to be
:27:49. > :27:55.announced. There will be a meeting tomorrow involving Willie Hay and
:27:55. > :27:59.his counterpart in Dublin and we would expect them at that meeting
:27:59. > :28:03.to come out and give us a date for the North-South parliamentary forum
:28:03. > :28:05.which in the olden days would have been rejected by Unionists as an
:28:05. > :28:09.embryonic All-Ireland Parliament but nowadays there seemed prepared
:28:09. > :28:16.to go along with this because in the new spirit, this is all about
:28:16. > :28:20.practical co-operation. A final word, in terms of the recession,
:28:20. > :28:24.high army being affected? Come Lodges are working with efficiency
:28:24. > :28:33.savings and they have been giving efficiency saving go for the last
:28:34. > :28:37.five years for -- over the last five years. Colleges are continuing
:28:37. > :28:44.to deliver the same mind if not more to students but within this
:28:44. > :28:48.diminishing budget. -- same amount. That challenge is maintaining that