:00:26. > :00:29.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up on the programme tonight:
:00:30. > :00:37.The Health Minister outlines the extent of the problem at the Royal
:00:38. > :00:45.Victoria Hospital's emergency unit. The inspection has confirmed
:00:46. > :00:47.concerns about stuffing levels, allegations of bullying, and a
:00:48. > :00:49.system of care that does not function fully.
:00:50. > :00:56.The Social Investment Fund finally gives the go-ahead to 23 projects.
:00:57. > :00:59.These projects amounted to more than ?33 million and from a court --
:01:00. > :01:07.across all nine zones. And I'm joined by Stephen Walker for
:01:08. > :01:11.his analysis of today's proceedings. Not enough staff, allegations of
:01:12. > :01:14.bullying and intolerable pressure. Harsh words that the Health Minister
:01:15. > :01:18.used to describe the situation at the Royal Victoria Hospital's
:01:19. > :01:22.Accident and Emergency Department. Edwin Poots was updating the
:01:23. > :01:25.Assembly on a review into A care. The review was carried out by the
:01:26. > :01:28.Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority following problems for
:01:29. > :01:32.both patients and staff at the Belfast hospital. Mr Poots told MLAs
:01:33. > :01:40.the system of care doesn't function as it was set up to do.
:01:41. > :01:46.Over the weekend of the 31st of January, they said that the quality
:01:47. > :01:54.of care and dignity afforded to patients in the A department.
:01:55. > :01:59.Secondly, I decided that rather than a lead review of the major incidents
:02:00. > :02:03.last month, it would be better to be a review on the rules. The IQ IAA
:02:04. > :02:20.has agreed to carry out to the trust for health and social care.
:02:21. > :02:26.And my department on its preliminary findings. I have been advised that
:02:27. > :02:31.the inspection gave a range of issues that give serious concern
:02:32. > :02:39.about performing to a high standard that we expect and exacting the
:02:40. > :02:42.commit months. I want to share to the Assembly the aspects of the
:02:43. > :02:46.feedback that has given me concern and the early findings require our
:02:47. > :02:52.immediate intention. The inspectors spoke to many staff
:02:53. > :02:57.across a range of roles and functions. They have confirmed
:02:58. > :03:04.concerns about staff levels, allegations of bullying, pressure
:03:05. > :03:10.and a system of care that does not function as it was set up to do.
:03:11. > :03:13.This is not something new to us in this house and community.
:03:14. > :03:17.Almost a year ago, a year ago next month, we had this report from the
:03:18. > :03:24.College of emergency medicine, outlasted -- outlining that the
:03:25. > :03:30.procedures were not sustainable. We had an improvement group. Can I
:03:31. > :03:35.ask, considering that he is widening this review out, is he now fully
:03:36. > :03:43.accepting that there is indeed a crisis in our emergency care?
:03:44. > :03:51.Thank you. I have to say in terms of emergency care, waiting times are
:03:52. > :03:57.coming down. In terms of how we respond to the major critical
:03:58. > :03:59.illnesses, such as strokes, heart attack and major trauma, we are
:04:00. > :04:05.getting better outcomes. So when none of those aspects you are
:04:06. > :04:12.looking at a crisis situation, you are looking instead at improvement.
:04:13. > :04:17.The Minister referred to the situation at the Odyssey last verse
:04:18. > :04:25.tonight. Can he give the Assembly his views on what caused that major
:04:26. > :04:27.issue as far as any concerns. And what his colleagues can do to ensure
:04:28. > :04:43.issue as far as any concerns. And Thursday night. There was around 100
:04:44. > :04:49.young people who required treatment. Some of that was voluntary. A lot of
:04:50. > :04:52.that was carried out by the Ambulance Service on-site and 17
:04:53. > :04:58.people attended the emergency departments. They were anticipating
:04:59. > :05:04.many more coming through with the first reports. The cause of it,
:05:05. > :05:10.alcohol and drugs. And the number of people who were attending the
:05:11. > :05:13.emergency departments were 15, 16, 17, 18-year-olds. None of them
:05:14. > :05:19.should have been drinking alcohol and the drugs were legal. Can the
:05:20. > :05:24.Minister advises white he is only now advising of a review, having
:05:25. > :05:30.denied that there was a crisis? And is this a result of the
:05:31. > :05:37.Spotlight programme and the health committee later this week?
:05:38. > :05:42.We were late -- we will wait and see what that programme says and what it
:05:43. > :05:46.says about the good things that are happening in the hospitals, or
:05:47. > :05:54.whether it is just attacking the health care system. What I clearly
:05:55. > :06:00.thought, before we learnt about anything to do with Spotlight, was
:06:01. > :06:03.asking the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority to go in and
:06:04. > :06:08.look at what was happening in the Victoria Hospital. That was not on
:06:09. > :06:15.the back of the media, that was because of talking to the media.
:06:16. > :06:18.It was the First Minister answering questions during Question Time
:06:19. > :06:20.today. Peter Robinson and his Junior Minister Jonathan Bell, were
:06:21. > :06:23.questioned on fracking, the online abuse of a Sinn Fein councillor and
:06:24. > :06:27.child poverty. The First Minister started by announcing a ?33 million
:06:28. > :06:30.investment in the first projects to benefit from the Social Investment
:06:31. > :06:34.Fund. I am pleased that we have announced
:06:35. > :06:38.today the first 23 successful projects that will be funded from
:06:39. > :06:44.the Social Investment Fund. These projects amount to more than ?33
:06:45. > :06:45.million and from across all nine zones. The list of
:06:46. > :06:56.million and from across all nine and we will communicate with the
:06:57. > :07:00.organisations involved. The remaining projects within the
:07:01. > :07:04.funding are all currently within the process and within the next few
:07:05. > :07:12.weeks and months we anticipate making the remaining announcements
:07:13. > :07:19.fully committing the remaining fund. The office of the First Minister and
:07:20. > :07:25.Deputy First Minister has had no discussions with the trade on
:07:26. > :07:31.bringing across conversation on the exploitation of shale gas. Given the
:07:32. > :07:34.fact that two ministers have opposed the exploitation of shale gas in
:07:35. > :07:41.Northern Ireland, something that 42% of kidney -- consumers who are
:07:42. > :07:46.struggling with fuel bills will find the watering, can he give assurance
:07:47. > :07:52.that there will be a serious discussion on energy policy,
:07:53. > :07:55.investment policy, planning policy, environmental policy and mineral
:07:56. > :07:59.exploitation policy to ensure that we do not lose out on the
:08:00. > :08:03.opportunity that has transformed the American economy and has got the
:08:04. > :08:07.potential to transform the Northern Ireland economy?
:08:08. > :08:13.It will ultimately be a matter for the Northern Ireland executive and
:08:14. > :08:15.stop I think the Northern Ireland executive will be judicious as they
:08:16. > :08:19.look at this matter. We should be aware of the best
:08:20. > :08:25.practice in the United States of America. We should be aware and look
:08:26. > :08:28.whether it is best practice in the rest of our United Kingdom. And we
:08:29. > :08:33.have to judiciously weigh the evidence in a measured way that
:08:34. > :08:38.allows us to be good stewards of the earth that we have inherited and
:08:39. > :08:42.that we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren, but that
:08:43. > :08:45.also that we don't miss out on the huge opportunities available to
:08:46. > :08:50.deliver jobs and investment to the people that we serve. I would like
:08:51. > :08:55.to ask the First Minister what his view is on the sectarian
:08:56. > :08:57.intimidation on the young teacher Catherine Seeley in the Boys' Model
:08:58. > :08:59.School? Catherine Seeley in the Boys' Model
:09:00. > :09:11.We have already spoken on this deplore intimidation in the
:09:12. > :09:15.workplace, no matter where it takes place. People should be getting jobs
:09:16. > :09:19.on merit, they should be allowed to carry out their employment in a
:09:20. > :09:22.peaceful and dignified way. Can I ask the First Minister if he
:09:23. > :09:29.believes that we will achieve the targets in the poverty act?
:09:30. > :09:33.The trends with this in terms of the economy. It is clear that
:09:34. > :09:38.unemployment is going down, the claimant amount is going down. More
:09:39. > :09:41.people are getting into work and prosperity would therefore
:09:42. > :09:46.increase. However, I have some problems with the issue of child of
:09:47. > :09:52.the statistics in that we base them on the medium incomes and therefore
:09:53. > :09:58.we never get rid of child of the on that basis. Poverty will always be
:09:59. > :10:01.with us if we use that criteria. Poverty in Northern Ireland is the
:10:02. > :10:07.same in India if you use that criteria, and anyone who has been
:10:08. > :10:13.the slums of India that the deputy prime -- Depp to First Minister and
:10:14. > :10:16.I saw, you know that those are two different situations. You are not
:10:17. > :10:25.dealing with a world recognised criteria for poverty, it is relative
:10:26. > :10:28.poverty. Joining me now is our Political
:10:29. > :10:30.Reporter, Stephen Walker. Stephen, let's start with health and
:10:31. > :10:32.those developments today, particularly relating to A
:10:33. > :10:39.provision. Yes, a lot of headlines about health
:10:40. > :10:43.in recent weeks, in the media and the policies dominating in
:10:44. > :10:52.Stormont, the stories of waiting this and waiting times. We had a
:10:53. > :10:56.report today saying that there was not enough doctors. Edwin Poots was
:10:57. > :11:05.concern about staff levels, allegations of bullying, pressure.
:11:06. > :11:12.And saying that the... System of care was not functioning properly.
:11:13. > :11:15.The intervention that we heard earlier talking about the
:11:16. > :11:29.The intervention that we heard inquiry. Edwin Poots made it clear
:11:30. > :11:38.that the inquiry had been launched before he knew about the programme.
:11:39. > :11:43.And we have had details of the first funding from the social investment
:11:44. > :11:50.funds. Yes, the delay there has been
:11:51. > :11:55.criticised. ?33 million to be invested in 23 projects. The whole
:11:56. > :11:59.idea is to deliver social change. What they want is to help people who
:12:00. > :12:03.have mental health issues, people who have problems of finding jobs.
:12:04. > :12:08.There has been a lot of criticism that it has been much delayed, but
:12:09. > :12:13.finally today the First Minister has been giving details of what will be
:12:14. > :12:16.spent. And the former Boys' Model School
:12:17. > :12:21.teacher Catherine Seeley, who was centre stage at the Sinn Fein Ard
:12:22. > :12:26.Fheis, was centre stage here today. Yes, her case was referred to twice.
:12:27. > :12:32.It was referred to at the First Minister's Questions and later on in
:12:33. > :12:40.the day by a Sinn Fein member. She was centre stage, she got a big
:12:41. > :12:44.reception at the Ard Fheis. Peter Robinson was asked about the case,
:12:45. > :12:48.he condemned what had happened, saying that nobody should be
:12:49. > :12:51.subjected to that. There has been a development in the case today, we
:12:52. > :12:54.understand that Catherine Seeley has been offered another place and that
:12:55. > :13:03.there have been discussions between her and the board. That element has
:13:04. > :13:08.been welcomed by the teaching union. They condemned what went on, but
:13:09. > :13:13.they welcomed that she has another job elsewhere.
:13:14. > :13:19.And it was the First Minister who handled the questions today. Some
:13:20. > :13:27.members seemed determined to provoke the Deputy First Minister.
:13:28. > :13:33.Yes, Gregory Campbell used the situation to have a jibe at Martin
:13:34. > :13:35.McGuinness. Gregory Campbell wanted to talk about the fact that Martin
:13:36. > :13:46.McGuinness recently Martin McGuinness. Let's hear what
:13:47. > :13:53.Gregory Campbell had to say. Can I welcome the positive approach
:13:54. > :13:58.that the Deputy First Minister have taken in relation to the seat, much
:13:59. > :14:03.more positive than counting the number of people who do and don't
:14:04. > :14:10.speak to you, making you look and sound like a real loser.
:14:11. > :14:17.I think I will respond to the first part of that question.
:14:18. > :14:23.The First Minister there. Stephen, we will hear more from you later.
:14:24. > :14:26.The Employment and Learning Minister also faced questions today and he
:14:27. > :14:29.revealed that his department spends more than ?7 million a year teaching
:14:30. > :14:32.students from the Republic in Northern Ireland's further education
:14:33. > :14:35.colleges. Stephen Farry was also asked about what is being done to
:14:36. > :14:38.help the 250 people who were recently made redundant with the
:14:39. > :14:42.closure of the construction firm Mivan.
:14:43. > :14:48.My department has been proactive in determining what steps we can take
:14:49. > :14:51.to help employees facing redundancy, to help them and give them advice
:14:52. > :14:56.and ultimate of employment. To that end, my officials have been working
:14:57. > :15:03.with Mivan since the official redundancies were announced. We have
:15:04. > :15:07.already started delivering a package to the staff. The working with range
:15:08. > :15:15.of organisations, the Citizens Advice Bureau and customs to deliver
:15:16. > :15:19.redundancy clinics that took place on the 29th of January. Officials
:15:20. > :15:28.have received interest from a number of countries up -- companies about
:15:29. > :15:33.re-employing the affected staff. We want to make sure that the
:15:34. > :15:47.opportunities get the attention of the redundant workers. For the 2012
:15:48. > :15:59.academic year the figure was 7 million pounds. Can
:16:00. > :16:02.academic year the figure was 7 they have been or will be any
:16:03. > :16:08.academic year the figure was 7 efforts to recall any of that money
:16:09. > :16:16.from the Republic of Ireland bearing in mind a figure of 5 million in
:16:17. > :16:20.terms of the cost of educating republic of Eddie -- Republic of
:16:21. > :16:29.Ireland students in our universities. It is important we
:16:30. > :16:39.encourage a natural flow of students in both directions in Ireland. Those
:16:40. > :16:51.flows are dominantly from South to North. -- predominantly. The
:16:52. > :16:57.Catherine Seeley case highlights the reality that if we are moving to a
:16:58. > :17:17.more normal society there will be people from one community becoming
:17:18. > :17:27.an -- embedded in another. I am grateful to the member for her
:17:28. > :17:31.question. Those are the responsibilities for the Minister of
:17:32. > :17:38.education but what I would stress is that I want to see a situation where
:17:39. > :17:53.any teacher is capable of teaching in any type of school irrespective
:17:54. > :18:00.of his or her particular background. That is what should be the norm in a
:18:01. > :18:03.healthy and modern society. The Employment and Learning
:18:04. > :18:06.Minister, Stephen Farry. As this financial year draws to a close,
:18:07. > :18:09.MLAs spent much of today looking at the final spending plans for the
:18:10. > :18:11.current financial year. Numerous members and committee chairs
:18:12. > :18:13.highlighted areas where they felt money could be better spent. The
:18:14. > :18:17.Finance Minister used the highlight, once again, the possible
:18:18. > :18:27.penalties for the non-delivery of welfare reform. I have confirmed in
:18:28. > :18:37.January that ?15 million will be lost in the 2014 financial year. The
:18:38. > :18:43.forecast penalty for not progressing welfare reform is now ?105 million.
:18:44. > :18:50.This cannot be met through the requirements that usually
:18:51. > :18:59.materialise. It will therefore need all departments. Is our health
:19:00. > :19:01.service properly funded or will we constantly be in need of bailouts
:19:02. > :19:11.until the end of this budgetary period? Sinn Fein will not ignore
:19:12. > :19:23.the negative impact of many of the key elements of the welfare reform
:19:24. > :19:28.Bill. The historic institution began without a budget line determined and
:19:29. > :19:38.it is welcomed that the line has been found. There are also many
:19:39. > :19:44.victims of clerical abuse within institutions and frankly I would say
:19:45. > :19:50.it is not good enough to say they should go to social services if
:19:51. > :19:53.there is an enquiry for one group of victims surely this should be
:19:54. > :19:59.enquiries for all. I would like to raise again the review of the
:20:00. > :20:05.financial process. If we could scrutinise decisions we do need
:20:06. > :20:09.better read across the various financial documents before us. The
:20:10. > :20:15.education minister has some outstanding concerns about the
:20:16. > :20:22.proposed changes. Desert the Finance Minister believe he will make more
:20:23. > :20:31.headway than his predecessor? -- there's the finance minister.
:20:32. > :20:32.The Alliance Party's Judith Cochrane, and Daithi McKay, who
:20:33. > :20:42.chairs the Finance Committee, Cochrane, and Daithi McKay, who
:20:43. > :20:46.it all about? Today was about displaying estimates, the estimates
:20:47. > :20:51.for the 2013 and 2014 year were set last year in June and this is about
:20:52. > :21:00.a tidy up exercise be -- because between the 31st of March last year
:21:01. > :21:05.and now departments use that money so this is about tidying up. What
:21:06. > :21:13.you get is people talking about lots of different issues and departmental
:21:14. > :21:24.issues. It is a bit of a ragtag debate, isn't it? The subject matter
:21:25. > :21:27.of the debate is all the public are these will take that opportunity to
:21:28. > :21:36.talk about spending in a lot of different areas and that is their
:21:37. > :21:38.entitlement. But is it a useful exercise in terms of promoting
:21:39. > :21:45.understanding and moving the debate forward? I think more useful
:21:46. > :21:51.business is done in committee but I do think it is an opportunity for
:21:52. > :22:00.members to publicly express way they believe many should be allocated and
:22:01. > :22:06.hold the Minister to account. And the Minister was in a sense pointing
:22:07. > :22:14.the finger at some members as well on the issue of wealth where reform
:22:15. > :22:22.and saying -- welfare reform and he's got to set aside ?105 million
:22:23. > :22:31.for the next financial year. There are some issues in terms of what the
:22:32. > :22:40.penalties will be. Do you think they can be allocated? In terms of
:22:41. > :22:45.slamming a 5 million pounds on the assembly, the estimates he did not
:22:46. > :22:54.put out there with the fact that 450 million pounds could be
:22:55. > :23:00.put out there with the fact that 450 asked to ring fence ?105 million.
:23:01. > :23:06.When is that issue going to be resolved once and for all? The
:23:07. > :23:12.welfare reform issue will be reformed when the DUP gets serious
:23:13. > :23:21.about it. They said they could not look at a lot of welfare issues that
:23:22. > :23:30.Sinn Fein push them and we have to push that a bit further. Thank you
:23:31. > :23:32.for joining us. The current blanket ban preventing
:23:33. > :23:35.council employees standing in council elections was discussed in
:23:36. > :23:38.detail at last week's Environment Committee. The Minister, Mark H
:23:39. > :23:42.Durkan, told members the blanket ban has to go as he's been advised it's
:23:43. > :23:51.against the EU Convention on Human Rights. The view I would be of
:23:52. > :23:59.would-be it would be very restricting on an employee as both
:24:00. > :24:06.an employee and a counsellor, should there be a councillor on the council
:24:07. > :24:10.that employed them? There are suggestions it could be difficult
:24:11. > :24:15.for other councillors as well as difficult for other employees and
:24:16. > :24:29.we're looking at what practice there is in the June restrictions and
:24:30. > :24:46.whether this takes place. -- a virtue restrictions. I think it is a
:24:47. > :24:57.case when some will be more equal than others. It's going to create
:24:58. > :25:00.and I am away about the legislation but minister you have said they will
:25:01. > :25:15.not your blanket but minister you have said they will
:25:16. > :25:21.others. I do see a potential challenge there. I am of the view
:25:22. > :25:24.that if you decide your career is in local government you have made that
:25:25. > :25:32.decision and you know what you're doing and that is fine but then
:25:33. > :25:39.stick by that. The blanket ban has been challenged successfully. I
:25:40. > :25:46.don't think you can be a gamekeeper and approach at the same time. That
:25:47. > :25:53.is the real difficulty. What is the legal advice to the Department on
:25:54. > :25:58.this? On the blanket ban the legal advice is that it is against the
:25:59. > :26:08.European Convention which is the free expression. It is actually
:26:09. > :26:12.around elections and the ability to stand so it's that part of the
:26:13. > :26:16.European Convention. That is what has been driving the need to put a
:26:17. > :26:25.clause in that lifts the blanket ban, albeit as the Minister said, we
:26:26. > :26:31.need to think geographically and in terms of position as how to limit
:26:32. > :26:37.that in such a way it will minimise the clear conflicts of interest and
:26:38. > :26:43.bench any conflict of interest arise, showed a council employee
:26:44. > :26:50.could to another area, that will be dealt with. -- showed a council
:26:51. > :26:57.employee. I would say the blanket and has to go and we will be
:26:58. > :27:04.looking, the way I am looking at it now, this change could be employees
:27:05. > :27:18.to a certain level will be able to run for election. In another council
:27:19. > :27:29.area but not in their own. That covers it legally.
:27:30. > :27:32.area but not in their own. That go tonight to developments worth
:27:33. > :27:39.talking about. Firstly, welfare reform back in the headlines. As we
:27:40. > :27:42.heard earlier, this has been a real battle around the executive table
:27:43. > :27:48.and many figures are being bandied about. Today's developments surround
:27:49. > :27:54.the finance minister who has written to the executive warning them if
:27:55. > :27:56.there is a failure to implement the welfare changes being introduced in
:27:57. > :28:12.great written it could cost the executive more than 1 billion over
:28:13. > :28:16.the next five years. A fairly stark warning from him. And the bill
:28:17. > :28:24.surrounding plastic bags might have hit a snag? There was a bit of a
:28:25. > :28:27.surprise today. This has transformed the way people of carried out
:28:28. > :28:35.shopping. The carrier bags bill would increase the price of shopping
:28:36. > :28:39.bags. That debate has been postponed after Jim Allister tables and
:28:40. > :28:43.amendment seeking to exempt paperbacks.
:28:44. > :28:46.Stephen, thank-you. That's it for now. I'm back tomorrow night, same
:28:47. > :28:56.time, same place. 11.20pm on BBC Two. For now, though, goodbye.
:28:57. > :29:16.MUSIC: "Flight Of The Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov
:29:17. > :29:21.This Friday night, things are about to get lively...