Browse content similar to 10/12/2013. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
Hello. Welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up: MLAs go on the attack | :00:26. | :00:33. | |
over the lack of a Sexual Orientation Strategy. . I find the | :00:34. | :00:38. | |
DUP's attitude in this particular position to be Seine phobic, | :00:39. | :00:46. | |
homophobic and claustrophobic. The Road Racing Bill passes its final | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
stage. On this occasion I am very happy to be a member of this | :00:51. | :00:54. | |
Assembly because we've done something positive, constructive. We | :00:55. | :00:59. | |
operated the committee system in the way it should be. I am joined by | :01:00. | :01:02. | |
Gerry Millar to look at the final sitting of the Assembly before | :01:03. | :01:05. | |
Christmas. Yet again the Assembly was divided | :01:06. | :01:15. | |
on an issue involving the gay community. The office of the First | :01:16. | :01:20. | |
and Deputy First Ministers was accused of dragging its heels on | :01:21. | :01:24. | |
producing a Sexual Orientation Strategy. Some MLAs singled out the | :01:25. | :01:31. | |
Dup. It is about the absence of | :01:32. | :01:36. | |
discrimination. About ensuring people are treated the same | :01:37. | :01:40. | |
regardless of difference. From home phobic bullying in schools to tragic | :01:41. | :01:46. | |
incidents of hate crime and suicide, far too many lesbian, gay, bisexual | :01:47. | :01:52. | |
and transgender people are subjected to discrimination because of their | :01:53. | :01:59. | |
sexual orientation or gender identity. This is as outdated as it | :02:00. | :02:06. | |
is wrong. Junior minister Newton in 2010 suggested to the House that a | :02:07. | :02:12. | |
strategy was imminent. Then on 18th June last, his successor made clear | :02:13. | :02:19. | |
it was an intention to publish a revised Sexual Orientation Strategy | :02:20. | :02:22. | |
by the end of last year. There seems to be a commitment to test opinion | :02:23. | :02:27. | |
on issues about the right to live a free life, free of intimidation and | :02:28. | :02:35. | |
fear. I do not believe, given the section 75 of the Northern Ireland | :02:36. | :02:39. | |
Act that we need to test those opinions. Let's get on and support | :02:40. | :02:43. | |
the strategy. No-one is above the law. To that end, there is in the | :02:44. | :02:48. | |
document a commitment to publishing a Sexual Orientation Strategy aimed | :02:49. | :02:53. | |
at ensuring that people of the community are not subjected to such | :02:54. | :02:57. | |
crimes. This House should be acquainted with the stage we're at | :02:58. | :03:00. | |
in this process. I would refer everyone back to a question answered | :03:01. | :03:06. | |
by Jonathan Bale in Question Time on the 13th October this year. I quote | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
- a consultation document that will inform public consultation on the | :03:12. | :03:15. | |
strategy is under consideration in the department. That strategy will | :03:16. | :03:20. | |
be published once the consultation process has been completed. I | :03:21. | :03:26. | |
noticed that Miss Lo asked the question - is it two parties not | :03:27. | :03:31. | |
agreeing. I think it is. It is obviously Sinn Fein stand on issues | :03:32. | :03:35. | |
of equality. It needs to be pointed out that it could ring hollow to | :03:36. | :03:40. | |
some that it is being brought forward by the Alliance Party. | :03:41. | :03:46. | |
Some have failed to show up to vote. However, Sinn Fein has been highly | :03:47. | :03:50. | |
supportive of the community. It is obvious where the blockage is on | :03:51. | :03:56. | |
this issue. This is about delivering for those people in our society who | :03:57. | :04:00. | |
have been left behind, because far too often this House tells them they | :04:01. | :04:04. | |
are not a full member of our community, that they don't have a | :04:05. | :04:08. | |
right to play their full part in our society. It is about time that we | :04:09. | :04:12. | |
started sending them a different message. I find the DUP's attitude | :04:13. | :04:19. | |
in this particular position to be Seine phobic, homophobic and claws | :04:20. | :04:28. | |
-- zenophobic, homophobic and claustrophobic. | :04:29. | :04:32. | |
I want you to rule on that, Deputy Speaker or the speaker to rule on | :04:33. | :04:36. | |
it. It is out of order, in my book. I have never been home phobic to | :04:37. | :04:40. | |
anyone. The member has his remarks on the record. Can I remind members | :04:41. | :04:45. | |
that members are allowed to be critical. I just do not get it. Why? | :04:46. | :04:52. | |
One particular section of the community, somehow is to be elevated | :04:53. | :04:59. | |
to this special status - this privileged position, where they are | :05:00. | :05:04. | |
to be given for themselves some specific strategy that doesn't apply | :05:05. | :05:12. | |
to anyone else. That is inequality. It is worth noting since devolution | :05:13. | :05:18. | |
in 2007, not a single penny has come from them to support groups working | :05:19. | :05:25. | |
with LGBT community and trying to help them to exercise their rights | :05:26. | :05:28. | |
and to fight and to tackle discrimination. Not a single penny. | :05:29. | :05:32. | |
I think that is an indictment of this Assembly and of OMFD. The | :05:33. | :05:39. | |
motion was carried by 48-30. I am joined nour by the journalist -- | :05:40. | :05:45. | |
joined now by the journalist Gerry Millar. It seems the DUP, | :05:46. | :05:50. | |
apparently, out of step with the other parties? The public are losing | :05:51. | :05:57. | |
confidence. So much log jam. Mike Nesbitt pointed out one of the | :05:58. | :06:01. | |
issues, one of the subjects held in the log jam is a way to solve the | :06:02. | :06:07. | |
log-jam. It has gone on too long. As we know, some of the things | :06:08. | :06:11. | |
mentioned today, the problems people are suffering, problems of hok | :06:12. | :06:19. | |
phobic bullying or hate -- homophobic bullying or hate crimes. | :06:20. | :06:24. | |
It may have taken place thousands of miles away, but the celebration of | :06:25. | :06:27. | |
the life of Nelson Mandela today caused a bit of division in the | :06:28. | :06:31. | |
House. Personally, I am surprised that maybe the First Minister or | :06:32. | :06:36. | |
maybe a senior unionist is not going to the funeral. We know that peace | :06:37. | :06:42. | |
talks were hosted in 1997. He was central to the peace process here. | :06:43. | :06:45. | |
It is like an early Christmas present to Sinn Fein that they will | :06:46. | :06:50. | |
take all the press attention with Martin McGuinness going. | :06:51. | :06:54. | |
Let's hear from a member of the executive who was asked a question. | :06:55. | :06:59. | |
He made it clear, he wanted answers to key questions about who was | :07:00. | :07:02. | |
representing the executive and Northern Ireland in South Africa | :07:03. | :07:05. | |
this week. Let's hear what he had to say. Many people, I think, across | :07:06. | :07:08. | |
Northern Ireland will understandably feel it is not appropriate for the | :07:09. | :07:15. | |
Deputy First Minister to attend alone, pro-purporting to represent | :07:16. | :07:20. | |
-- purporting to represent Northern Ireland. I find myself sympathetic | :07:21. | :07:25. | |
to that position, given we learn that Gerry Adams will attend, does | :07:26. | :07:30. | |
not improve that situation. I am not aware whether the First Minister | :07:31. | :07:36. | |
declined an invitation and whether he agreed to the Deputy First | :07:37. | :07:40. | |
Minister representing or the people of Northern Ireland. Danny Kennedy, | :07:41. | :07:43. | |
not a bit happy with how things worked out as far as the | :07:44. | :07:48. | |
arrangements are concerned. What is your best guess as to how that | :07:49. | :07:53. | |
situation came about? E-Prince Charles will be there. -- Prince | :07:54. | :07:57. | |
Charles will be there. Sinn Fein officials will be there. I | :07:58. | :08:01. | |
think it is a sort of event, if you can call it an' vent, a sad event, | :08:02. | :08:05. | |
that your political leaders should be there. I am surprised. On the | :08:06. | :08:14. | |
other hand, there is an argument you do the Pope and I do the Queen. They | :08:15. | :08:19. | |
do divide certain duties among themselves, to whatever fits best. | :08:20. | :08:24. | |
Interesting to see if we do get any more information about what exactly, | :08:25. | :08:28. | |
how it worked out, the way it did. One last issue on the road racing | :08:29. | :08:32. | |
bill, which we will see more about in just a moment. Showing MLAs can | :08:33. | :08:37. | |
get things done when they put their minds to it. 24 days - an accelerate | :08:38. | :08:43. | |
accelerated Bill, if you excuse the pun. The other thing I am amazed | :08:44. | :08:48. | |
probably so few people sit and watch a real debate, but when you do, how | :08:49. | :08:54. | |
pleasant, effective and how respectful everybody is. | :08:55. | :08:57. | |
Particularly with members of the opposing political parties. It was | :08:58. | :09:02. | |
very effective and how we want to see our politicians work. Thank you | :09:03. | :09:05. | |
very much. The Assembly often comes in for criticism for the pace it | :09:06. | :09:10. | |
works at. Today, our MLAs proved they can really get motoring when | :09:11. | :09:14. | |
they want to. Just three weeks after it was introduced, the Road Racing | :09:15. | :09:18. | |
Bill was passed. It will become law in March, in time for next year's | :09:19. | :09:24. | |
Northwest 200. After an accelerated passage through the House. That yuz | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
not to say there was -- that is not to say there was not some | :09:29. | :09:33. | |
disagreement along the way. It has been integral to bring the bill to | :09:34. | :09:37. | |
this stage. The key facet with us to bring it through the accelerated | :09:38. | :09:41. | |
passage process in order that it would progress through the Assembly | :09:42. | :09:47. | |
and receive Royal Assent before 31st March, 2014. This could not have | :09:48. | :09:52. | |
happened without the support of the committee, who the minister must | :09:53. | :09:58. | |
seek approval of, understanding order 42 and the support of this | :09:59. | :10:03. | |
House when the motion on accelerated passage is debated. Consequence of | :10:04. | :10:08. | |
approving the motion was that the committee stage was removed from the | :10:09. | :10:15. | |
legislative process. This is, as I have said, integral to the passing | :10:16. | :10:20. | |
of this Bill because it saved a significant time period. Meryvn | :10:21. | :10:27. | |
White and his 800 colleagues who work on this deserved the outcome | :10:28. | :10:33. | |
that they have got and most certainly if the process had been | :10:34. | :10:37. | |
derailed, then they would not have deserved that. I am very, very | :10:38. | :10:41. | |
happy. On this occasion, I am very happy to be a member of this | :10:42. | :10:45. | |
Assembly because we've done something, absolutely positive, | :10:46. | :10:51. | |
constructive. We operate the committee system and the way it | :10:52. | :10:54. | |
should be. We've got the support of the minister who exercised extreme | :10:55. | :11:00. | |
wisdom and how he handled it. I am very happy, Mr Speaker. The | :11:01. | :11:05. | |
regional development committee not xablly known as the most overworked | :11:06. | :11:11. | |
committee in the build building did drop the ball on this piece of | :11:12. | :11:16. | |
legislation and it is quite obvious that it dropped the ball the very | :11:17. | :11:23. | |
fact that the only real scrutiny this that Bill came under ended up | :11:24. | :11:28. | |
come from these benches and especially from Mr McAllister. That | :11:29. | :11:33. | |
was the only scrutiny that came. This Bill, Mr Speaker, would have | :11:34. | :11:39. | |
gone through this House unamended. This Bill, in its final form, is not | :11:40. | :11:44. | |
all I would have wished it to be. I would have wished its pro-decktion | :11:45. | :11:51. | |
of -- protection of Sunday to be stronger. Undoubtedly it emerges | :11:52. | :11:56. | |
through the processes of this House as a better Bill than what it | :11:57. | :12:05. | |
entered as, by virtue of amendments made. And I am grateful to have had | :12:06. | :12:10. | |
the opportunity to make some contribution to that and equally | :12:11. | :12:18. | |
grateful that, for the evolution of support, which eventually made some | :12:19. | :12:24. | |
of those changes possible. I welcome the fact and have no issue with the | :12:25. | :12:28. | |
fact that the amendments that have been incorporated now into this bill | :12:29. | :12:34. | |
I think will give comfort, particularly to both the member | :12:35. | :12:40. | |
members of congregations and churches who exist on the course of | :12:41. | :12:46. | |
the north-west 200 and indeed churchgoers in that general area. | :12:47. | :12:50. | |
The Regional Development Minister, Danny Kennedy, welcoming the new | :12:51. | :12:57. | |
road ras racing legislation. Ulster Bank has asked for a postponement to | :12:58. | :13:02. | |
appear before computer problems. There was a briefing requested for | :13:03. | :13:07. | |
tomorrow. The committee member Daithi McKay joins me now. Just to | :13:08. | :13:13. | |
recap, that was another embarrassing episode for the Ulster Bank last | :13:14. | :13:18. | |
week. It was. It has damaged their reputation once again. It is not | :13:19. | :13:21. | |
something they want to see in the committee, not something the public | :13:22. | :13:24. | |
want to see. The idea of inviting the bank to the committee was so the | :13:25. | :13:29. | |
bank had an opportunity to provide some assurances to customers and to | :13:30. | :13:33. | |
give us a rough idea of where they are going in terms of their IT | :13:34. | :13:36. | |
system. There has been some indication that they are going to | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
decouple some of the IT system from RBS. I believe that's the way to go | :13:41. | :13:46. | |
and something that wants to be looked. Do you accept that when | :13:47. | :13:49. | |
executives do appear in the New Year they will be better placed to answer | :13:50. | :13:53. | |
some of the questions than they would have been if they appeared at | :13:54. | :13:58. | |
such short notice? When it comes to that coming before committees this | :13:59. | :14:02. | |
kind of excuse comes up again and again, when the Ulster Bank or any | :14:03. | :14:05. | |
other witness is under pressure sometimes it is better to play it | :14:06. | :14:10. | |
safe in terms of trying to postpone for a few weeks. I am disappointed | :14:11. | :14:14. | |
they are not coming before the committee tomorrow. There is a | :14:15. | :14:19. | |
history of some avoiding coming before committees. The Ulster Bank | :14:20. | :14:22. | |
will have an opportunity to come before the committee to answer | :14:23. | :14:25. | |
questions in relation to that. We also have time to prepare some other | :14:26. | :14:30. | |
questions and to some very concerned in there and there is the Ulster | :14:31. | :14:35. | |
Bank, the GRG, controversy that emerged a couple of weeks ago as | :14:36. | :14:39. | |
well. Theish shoo u was debated in the -- the issue was debated last | :14:40. | :14:44. | |
week. It was suggested the Ulster Bank could be separated from RBS. Is | :14:45. | :14:49. | |
that something that should be looked at? Is that something your committee | :14:50. | :14:53. | |
has a view on? Well, the committee would not have a view on that as | :14:54. | :14:57. | |
yet. It is something we are concerned about and there is a | :14:58. | :15:02. | |
variety of views with regards to the banks. I met with some business | :15:03. | :15:07. | |
representatives today. They believe that banks, access to finance are | :15:08. | :15:11. | |
some of the biggest issues facing the local economy here at the | :15:12. | :15:16. | |
moment. It is in everyone's interest the Ulster Bank should get back to | :15:17. | :15:19. | |
where it should be. Ultimately that is what we all want to see in the | :15:20. | :15:23. | |
months and years ahead. Can I ask you about one final issue. You | :15:24. | :15:28. | |
tabled a debate on the state of Ballymena bus and train station. Are | :15:29. | :15:32. | |
facilities really that bad that they need to be discussed on the floor of | :15:33. | :15:37. | |
the Assembly? Ballymena is the station that translink forgot. I use | :15:38. | :15:42. | |
it on regular occasions. It has not been updated -- upgraded since 1981. | :15:43. | :15:48. | |
Ballymena passengers there are entitled to a good service. First | :15:49. | :15:54. | |
class, 21st century service. Ballymena, unfortunately has been | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
left behind. It is up to the RD menster and translink to answer the | :16:00. | :16:02. | |
question as to why it is the question. If it did not get a | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
satisfactory answer from the minister there today. It is | :16:07. | :16:11. | |
somethingly be pursuing in the near future. Daithi McKay, thank you. It | :16:12. | :16:18. | |
has been a long time coming, but the Social Development Minster told the | :16:19. | :16:24. | |
Assembly he hopes to bring the welfare Welform Reform Bill forward | :16:25. | :16:27. | |
in the New Year. Before he discussed welfare reform, | :16:28. | :16:32. | |
he faced a tough time over the Housing Executive. Mr Speaker, I | :16:33. | :16:35. | |
acknowledge the minister's answer. It was a question about whether he | :16:36. | :16:40. | |
had apologised or planned to apologise to the four contractors | :16:41. | :16:46. | |
who he said had overcharged by an estimated ?18 million. | :16:47. | :16:50. | |
If the minister is not going to apologise, could he give us an | :16:51. | :16:57. | |
assessment of the damage both in finances and reputational to those | :16:58. | :17:01. | |
four companies from quoting a figure, on 10th June, which he | :17:02. | :17:07. | |
realises was wrong? I am not sure whether the member was | :17:08. | :17:19. | |
actually listening to what I said. It may be necessary to repeat for | :17:20. | :17:25. | |
his information the fact that the figure quoted initially was provided | :17:26. | :17:28. | |
by the chair of the housing executive. The second figure was the | :17:29. | :17:35. | |
figure quoted and produced in the report by Campbell Tacal. There is a | :17:36. | :17:43. | |
piece of work still on going, whereby the contractors and the | :17:44. | :17:46. | |
Housing Executive together need to come to a final figure as to the | :17:47. | :17:51. | |
level of repayments that will be required. The question was and | :17:52. | :17:57. | |
again, I find this difficult to deal with because the members don't seem | :17:58. | :18:03. | |
to listen. There was nothing to apologise for and therefore there | :18:04. | :18:13. | |
would not be an apology. We know from the report that it came with a | :18:14. | :18:20. | |
very severe caveat because that report confirms that it was given as | :18:21. | :18:26. | |
a broad-brush estimate in need of refinement as more evidence is | :18:27. | :18:29. | |
generated. Why did the minister give no mention | :18:30. | :18:37. | |
to that in his rush in this House to headline the ?18 million figure? I | :18:38. | :18:41. | |
made it clear at the time this was p only an estimate. The fact is, and I | :18:42. | :18:44. | |
have said this already this afternoon - it doesn't matter | :18:45. | :18:52. | |
whether it is ?5 ?10 - when there are millions overpaid by the Housing | :18:53. | :18:56. | |
Executive to housing contractors, any responsible person will firstly | :18:57. | :19:00. | |
recognise it is a serious issue and any sensible person will recognise | :19:01. | :19:04. | |
the minister in the relevant department has a responsibility to | :19:05. | :19:07. | |
make it known to members of this aaccept be. There would have been | :19:08. | :19:12. | |
cries from all quarters if there had not been a report like this T I did | :19:13. | :19:18. | |
the right thing to make --. Like this. I did the right thing to make | :19:19. | :19:23. | |
the information available. Does the minister believe the Welform Reform | :19:24. | :19:27. | |
Bill would have made any progress before the end of the year? | :19:28. | :19:31. | |
Considering the deadline of the New Year, when they said that the | :19:32. | :19:38. | |
devolved situation here will have to face bills of ?5 million per month? | :19:39. | :19:49. | |
At the last meeting of the xufive, oh -- executive, a meeting has been | :19:50. | :19:53. | |
scheduled for 16th December. It really is a one-item agenda. I don't | :19:54. | :20:00. | |
know what else there'll be on the agenda other than one item. That is, | :20:01. | :20:06. | |
how do we move this forward. I hope we can make progress after that | :20:07. | :20:11. | |
meeting next Monday. Given the Christmas recess, the earliest any | :20:12. | :20:15. | |
Bill can be brought back to the executive for decision would be 16th | :20:16. | :20:19. | |
January. If we meet that deadline, then I could expect the Bill to | :20:20. | :20:25. | |
receive Royal Assent by March/early April. | :20:26. | :20:29. | |
The Regional Development Minister, Danny Kennedy, was also on his feet | :20:30. | :20:36. | |
today - bus passes for pensioners, rural transport and European money | :20:37. | :20:43. | |
were on his agenda. Despite an extension being granted to do so | :20:44. | :20:50. | |
presents the executive with a stark reality. That is simply, use it or | :20:51. | :20:54. | |
lose it. The latter option must nt be allowed to happen -- must not be | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
allowed to happen. That n that respect, my department | :21:00. | :21:04. | |
has a proven track record in drawing down and spending out European | :21:05. | :21:08. | |
funds. My department has recently been approach approached - they are | :21:09. | :21:17. | |
trying to put it to in projects. The work of the enterprise would be, I | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
suppose, the most significant, project that is potentially | :21:23. | :21:27. | |
available to us. I am, however, aware of others and I believe there | :21:28. | :21:34. | |
is a scheme being brought forward by the sthorts in the republic -- | :21:35. | :21:40. | |
authority in the Republic of Ireland. | :21:41. | :21:43. | |
They will always have special significance to us here. Late | :21:44. | :21:49. | |
lamented comedian James Young said, we won the battle, but they got the | :21:50. | :21:53. | |
river. At least they are looking after us. Would the minister agree | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
that in many rural areas a translink bus is as usual as an ice train if | :22:01. | :22:07. | |
it is not linked with community transport. Is he satisfied with the | :22:08. | :22:12. | |
level of co-operation to make the integration more complete? Better | :22:13. | :22:17. | |
collaboration. Better integration of services because, you know, the | :22:18. | :22:23. | |
rural community can, in many ways, be isolated. It is important that we | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
make strenuous efforts to improve that and to en ensure that our | :22:29. | :22:36. | |
public transport systems are not just urban-based or particular | :22:37. | :22:41. | |
particularly Belfast-based. If the minister was listening to Radio | :22:42. | :22:45. | |
Ulster this morning, he would have heard of the sincere worries from | :22:46. | :22:51. | |
senior citizens to the threat of their senior smartcard. Will the | :22:52. | :22:54. | |
minister support the hands-off campaign? Will he give a cat gor | :22:55. | :23:00. | |
ribbing guarantee that the smartcard will remain, come high or hell | :23:01. | :23:06. | |
water? Let me say, under my watch, let me be clear - under my watch - I | :23:07. | :23:13. | |
don't intend to fundamentally overhaul the concessionary scheme | :23:14. | :23:17. | |
that we have. Danny Kennedy lending his support to current arrangements. | :23:18. | :23:22. | |
The Education Minister said both he and the Health Minister recognise | :23:23. | :23:27. | |
the need for co-copration around special education. He was -- | :23:28. | :23:31. | |
co-operation around special education. The motion was tabled by | :23:32. | :23:38. | |
the DUP. To tackle underachievement the earlier you tackle it in a | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
child's development, the better it was for the child in the long-term. | :23:43. | :23:49. | |
And the thing that really was very startling was you almost need to | :23:50. | :23:53. | |
tackle it at birth. We know that a child from a socially disadvantaged | :23:54. | :24:01. | |
background is more likely likely to not achieve. When I started in the | :24:02. | :24:08. | |
committee, almost the first matter that I remember being discussed. Was | :24:09. | :24:15. | |
early years. And that is now 20 months ago and we are still nowhere. | :24:16. | :24:20. | |
We need the joined-up solution. We need a lead department. We need it | :24:21. | :24:24. | |
for those with special education needs. I have a list of ten | :24:25. | :24:30. | |
questions that were submitted to me by a parent. If I can raise a few of | :24:31. | :24:34. | |
them. The parent that asked, why was my request for extra help on | :24:35. | :24:42. | |
assessment denied for five years? Why was my child subjected to years | :24:43. | :24:50. | |
of bullying, being called "stupid" and "thick" and other little girlsle | :24:51. | :24:55. | |
would not let her -- girls would not let her join in with the play? Why | :24:56. | :25:00. | |
was the special needs teacher allowed to teach the main capable | :25:01. | :25:06. | |
children and hand my daughter paper and crayons and told her to sit | :25:07. | :25:11. | |
quietly at the back of the classroom and colour in? In 2010, as a | :25:12. | :25:19. | |
researcher for the MLA I Saturday in a party for children and young | :25:20. | :25:22. | |
people and was presented with the strategy by an official. When I | :25:23. | :25:28. | |
asked the question, what collaboration has been there been | :25:29. | :25:33. | |
with the Department of Health? I was told this is a Department of | :25:34. | :25:39. | |
Education strategy. Now, this was an early years strategy - 0-6. It meant | :25:40. | :25:45. | |
it started at age three. It was a strategy that was going to miss out | :25:46. | :25:50. | |
three years of the development of our children's lives. The questions | :25:51. | :25:56. | |
posed by Mr Newton on behalf of a current - I can not validate the | :25:57. | :26:02. | |
authenticity of the questions. You don't need to change the legislation | :26:03. | :26:07. | |
to protect that child's rights T school in question is failing that | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
child. Under skurnlt legislation. Snoo if he comes to speak to me | :26:12. | :26:16. | |
privately and identifies the school to me, which he claims as allowing | :26:17. | :26:24. | |
the child to be bullied in the playground and a teacher feels it is | :26:25. | :26:30. | |
appropriate to exclude that child at seven, I can assure the member I | :26:31. | :26:38. | |
will deal with that personally. That is unacceptable. That legislation | :26:39. | :26:42. | |
has to be implemented on the ground. I believe that the Department of | :26:43. | :26:45. | |
Health and the Department of Education are working very well | :26:46. | :26:49. | |
together in relation to supporting our young people with special | :26:50. | :26:53. | |
educational needs. Of course we can improve the services on the ground. | :26:54. | :26:57. | |
When there are failings they need to be corrected. If it is the will of | :26:58. | :27:02. | |
the House, as we are processing the same legislation to place a | :27:03. | :27:05. | |
co-operation clause in the legislation and it is there for the | :27:06. | :27:10. | |
benefits of young people, then I can assure they will not face any | :27:11. | :27:15. | |
resistance from myself. Gerry Millar is with me once again. The last day | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
of the Assembly today before the Christmas break. Some interesting | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
performances? I think more than interesting performances. Very valid | :27:25. | :27:28. | |
issues. Their were discussing how best to identify children with | :27:29. | :27:32. | |
problems between the ages of 0-6. It is what we want a politician to do, | :27:33. | :27:39. | |
to perfect legislation or solve it actually internally. One issue about | :27:40. | :27:43. | |
that is it is unclear, I think the minister pointed it out, it is | :27:44. | :27:47. | |
unclear whether it can be resolved by legislation or through better | :27:48. | :27:51. | |
practise, or making better practise into common practise, which is what | :27:52. | :27:56. | |
someone suggested today. It is great to see politicians spending hours | :27:57. | :28:01. | |
debating these issues. Dr Haass is back in Belfast. He started to talk | :28:02. | :28:06. | |
to the parties again. Do you expect he'll reach a resolution before the | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
Christmas break? He discusses the most contention one and he seems to | :28:14. | :28:18. | |
be making progress on it. We suspect our politicians will have to work | :28:19. | :28:21. | |
over Christmas, which nobody is complaining about. I think a few | :28:22. | :28:25. | |
journalists may have to as well. I think everyone needs a break. | :28:26. | :28:31. | |
Deadlines here - nobody can stick to deadlines. I would not be surprised | :28:32. | :28:35. | |
if Dr Haass were to stay over Christmas. Our politicians will take | :28:36. | :28:42. | |
advantage of that. Thank you. That's it for tonight. We will be back for | :28:43. | :28:47. | |
the first day of the new term on 13th January. Make a point for | :28:48. | :28:56. | |
joining me for the View. Enjoy the of Christmas break. Goodbye. | :28:57. | :29:00. |