11/12/2012 Stormont Today


11/12/2012

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Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. A beautiful view from here on the

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Hill this afternoon, but while Christmas may be firmly behind us,

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the seasonal spirit of giving was still in the air.

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Over �200 million was announced for new school builds.

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�17 million was unwrapped for new buses and road improvements.

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�10 million extra was given to health.

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It wasn't all good cheer as the Agriculture Minister faced pressure

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And no stranger to goings-on up here on the Hill, the political

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commentator, Alex Kane, is with me in the studio.

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More on financial giveaways, questions to the Agriculture

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Minister, Michelle O'Neill, and the rest of the day's business in the

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Chamber a little later, but let's begin tonight with the other big

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debate in the corridors and cafes up here.

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Sinn Fein's call for a border poll and the DUP's response to it.

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The commentator Alex Kane is with me. What have you made of the DUP's

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reaction today to Sinn Fein's demand? Surprised by. It when this

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debate has been had before, when it was mentioned by Sinn Fein 18

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months ago that they liked the idea of a border poll the DUP was

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dismissive, unionism generally was very dismissive. They needed a

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response to the official launch to the campaign, contingency was on

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Saturday. Most people thought it would be fairly dismissive look,

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it's not going to happen anyway, the conditions aren't right, there

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are more important things. People were surprised when Arlene Foster

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suggested they would be in favour of tsm they seem to have rowed back

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slightly. She seemed to be clearer in one of the radio interviews, not

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quite so equivocal later in the day, is that fair? She got caught on the

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hop. She gave a gut reaction, yeah, if they want a poll bring it on. We

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are ready for. It they had a chat with her in the back rooms of the

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DUP afterwards and said, we don't want it at this time. I think that

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is what happened. Have unionists anything to fear from a border

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poll? They don't. If you look at the census and all the other

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polling figures it's absolutely clear there would be a comfortable

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majority for the union, from Catholics, nationalists whatever

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you want to call them as well as unionists. How the unionists

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reacted against a poll DUP seemingly for. It UK IP for. It

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they start on day one when this debate started Euniceism is already

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divided. My fears would be Euniceism would mix its message.

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might be something for unionists to unite behind. Something that would

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allow them to banish the flag debate which has been divisive?

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one day wonder. That would have worked if Euniceism had a united

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response to Sinn Fein's campaign and demand for a border poll. They

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came out today with Arlene surprising the media, surprising

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her own party and the rest of uniononism not where it stands.

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It's a bad day for them. Do you think the average unionist voter

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would relish calling Republicans bluff on the issue or would rather

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their representatives up here at Stormont and Westminster were

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dealing with more pressing issues like the state of the economy, and

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the unresolved flags issue? there was a real opportunity for

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the debate to happen, under the existing legislation it requires

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the Secretary of State who dismissed it. She is not keen. Most

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unionists and most nationalist woos compare the government to get on

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and govern to hands on relevant necessary legislation instead of

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flags debate, parades debate, we hate you more than you debates.

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They want them to govern and not get bogged down on side issues.

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now, thank you very much. Now, good news for some schools as

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the Education Minister, John O'Dowd, approved 22 new school building

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projects worth a total of �220 million.

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Making the announcement in the Assembly, the Minister said

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substandard accommodation has to be tackled. Last June I made it clear

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the capital budget available meant we had to do more with the existing

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estate. In support of this I announced the establishment of a

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new schools enhancement programme which would make �4 million

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available for refurbishing or sustaining schools. I will have the

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first call for projects under that programme. Information on the

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scheme and details on the ap pry kaition -- application process has

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been issued to the relevant managing authorities and schools.

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Details of the programme have been placed on the department's website.

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It is anticipated that the first projects selected under the

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programme will be announced before the end of the school year. After

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�20 million will be made available for this programme at each of the

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two financial years coming. The School Enhancement Programme will

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prioritise projects aimed at facilitating amalgamations,

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improving facilities and structural changes needed across the estate. I

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highlighted the funds being ringfenced to tackle the backlog

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across the estate, �40 million has been invested in the current

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financial year. This focus on maintenance will be continued over

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the coming financial year and taking with the investment in minor

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works the new programme as well as the investment in new builds should

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go a long way to addressing the long outstandinging accommodations

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issues across the estate. In relation to work on education

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campus, the department has taken recipe of the outlining business

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case and is progressing with the examination of this as a priority.

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I'm committed to delivering on the programme for the government

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flagship project as soon as prabgkabl. -- I'm announcing a

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further 22 projects to be advanced in planning. This represents a

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potential investment of some �220 million. These projects have been

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drawn from priority Jects identified by the various managing

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authorities. The process is available on my department's

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website. All the projects have been considered within the context of

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area planning. Work being undertaken and forming part of a

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long-term provision within their Of the 22 projects I'm announcing

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today, 14 are required to deal with previous or planned amalgamations

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orational ications within the estate. This is consistent with the

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drive towards viable and sustainable schools and the

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principle of area planning. Mr Speaker, I do not believe that a

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modern, forward looking society we should accept a situation where

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children receive their entire primary school education in

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temporary accommodation majority of which is clearly outdated. We are

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not in a position to resolve all situations at this time, six profit

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jects taken forward will provide permanent accommodation.

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Well, John O'Dowd wasn't the only Minister opening his purse strings

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today. Sammy Wilson, the Finance Minister,

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had some good news of his own. Executive agreed to �10 million of

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resource expenditure to the Department of Justice for the

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prison officers exit scheme. This allocation will help to drive

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forward ongoing Prison Service reform and members should also note

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that this allocation will be more than matched by DOG -- DOJ

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surrendering capital, that should help the Executive address the over

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commitment in that year. �10 million also allocated to the

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Department of Health and social services and public safety. This

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allocation allows the department to address additional demand on

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emergency departments and other acute hospital services which

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result from winter and unscheduled care pressures. It provides some

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additional resources for family and childcare services, general dental

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services and further work on infection control in our hospitals.

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I think that should be welcomed by the Assembly. The Executive agreed

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to allocate �17.7 million of capital investment funding to the

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department of regional development and that will allow the department

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to purchase 42 new buses. I have got good news for the Green Party

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who don't turn up at a total cost of �6.7 million. Furthermore, it

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provides an additional �10 million towards roads structural

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maintenance and �1 million for the replacement of 600 street lighting

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columns. That brings expenditure to structural maintenance on this year

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Earlier I caught up with Danny Kennedy to find out his reaction.

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:10:32.:10:49.

It is very good news for road that we will be getting the basses.

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They will be very pleased. -- We have 130 gritters in operation.

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300 staff were actively employed. Resources are given to the

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maintenance programme. You did say we are ready for the winter, bring

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it on. Some people are not very happy with the way the network was

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acquitted. What to do have to say to them? I am aware. I was a

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casualty of the road conditions. If Road agencies are working hard to

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provide the grit. Up for her to disruption. -- that led. Moths due

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She made the decision and she's standing by it, that's the attitude

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of the Agriculture Minister, Michelle O'Neill, as she hit back

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at criticism over the decision to relocate her department's

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headquarters from Belfast to Ballykelly. There is a real sense

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you have moved ahead of your department and officials with them

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now playing catchup. Can you explain why you took the decision

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on effectively a political decision on Ballykelly before asking your

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officials to write the business case? Well, I'm the Minister, it's

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my job to make decisions. I think that the member will be very well

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aware in the programme for government we had a commitment to

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relocate our headquarters to a rural area. All parties signed up.

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That was the, I suppose, starting point for me to make the decision.

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Using the criteria I outlined to the member, the 23 local government

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districts under the recent development strategy we used those

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criteria alongside the other criteria this area came up as being

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We have a programme board in place which is very competent, which is

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looking at all the issues, particularly buildings which can be

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save money to the public purse. Also the fact there are buildings

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on the site which could potentially be used. Any that can be used, we

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A direction is necessary in the case where you want to avoid delay.

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When you want it reduce uncertainty. Stand standard procedure would be

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to apraise all options even those which don't make the exactives

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identify policy as set out in the programme in government to move to

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a rural location by 2015. In the final analysis wasteful of

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resources. The decision was taken on the criteria I outlined. Anyone

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can explore it further. In the further objective criteria where

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applied. Whether you like it or not the north-west was identified. The

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top two areas identified as a result of that objective criteria

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applied. As a result of that the Ballykelly site for the obvious

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advantages which I outlined being an Executive-owned site was a

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natural option to take. Next, at the despatch box was the

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Culture Minister, Caral Ni Chuilin, who dealt with questions on sports

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as diverse as boxing, tennis and even road bowls.

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First though, she was asked if progress is being made towards

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solving the accommodation difficulties faced ahead of the

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upcoming World Police and Fire Games. Accommodation has and

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remains a key area of work for 2013 where police and fire games limited

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and in recognition of this the company has developed an

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accommodation strategy based on analysis of the acam --

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accommodation required for athletes This is a big opportunity for local

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businesses and local people generally. Is there any specific

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advice that the minister would give to those who wish to provide

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additional accommodation to both visitors and athletes? I think the

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member is right, it's a brilliant opportunity. It's a once-in-a-

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lifetime opportunity where we will have Games of this size in Belfast.

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As many as people as possible who feel they can offer something

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towards the Games in towards of accommodation, we want to hear from

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you. Every opportunity should be made available to them to make that

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process as easy as possible.. Games anticipate 23,000 visitors.

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Account Minister provide some details of how the plans that she

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has in place or is putting in place, how that accommodation is going to

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be met? If all 25 visitors come to Belfast this August, there is an

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estimate shortfall of between 5,000-70,000. That is where the

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idea of campus hotels, campus and student accommodation come. In the

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assurance given is that the accommodation must be of a certain

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standard. That is why the work is starting now with the tourism board,

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with the Belfast Visitors and Convention Borough so all the

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requirements are in place as soon as possible. Bowls is important in

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my constituency. Would the Minister join me with me in supporting the

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association in seeking recognition from Sport NI. I am very aware of

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road bowls. I met someone from Cork. It's Cork and Armagh are the two

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main counties that are prominent. Other sports who hadn't received

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recognition have came to the department and we have made

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arrangements with Sport NI getting recognition, as a member for North

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Antrim will know will weightlifters, is a long process. We have to make

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sure there is transparency is all on board. I' happy to support it.

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I'm hoping that other counties take up road bowling. It's one of those

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sports that is very much linked to a loft our cultural and heritage.

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Could the minister explain how the funding package for boxing can go

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forward fairly at this time given the Assembly's commitment to

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equality and fair treatment being in -- bearing in mind the abuse of

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Sandy Row Amateur Boxing Club? Would she agree that the governing

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body needs to look at it is own systems and get it is house

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urgently in order? I don't agree that the Irish Amateur Boxing

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Association urgently needs to get its house in order. I don't agree

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with. That I don't agree of the accusation that the member has made

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in terms of well documented systematic abuse. Despite my offers

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to meet this member and indeed other members in relation to this

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club, neither of which, for some reason, haven't accepted that offer.

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I'm assuming you are afraid to step into the ring! Can the Minister

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inform the House as she had any discussions with the Education

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Minister in respect of trying to introduce tennis in schools or

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reintroduce it, I know it used to be when I was at school there were

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tennis clubs and a lot of issues around tennis. Has she had

:20:54.:20:58.

discussions and if not, will she to encourage people to get back to

:20:58.:21:02.

playing tennis? I haven't had any discussions with the minister of

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education about tennis. I am I would ignore your colleague abouts

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their jibe abouts how long ago was it you were playing tennis? I have

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spoke to the Department of Education and the Minister for

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Education around making sure we do what we can to open up sports

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facilities and and grounds during school and after school hours. The

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Department of Education are involved in the sports monitoring

:21:29.:21:32.

and implementation group we are looking at sports provision in

:21:32.:21:36.

school that the whole community can benefit from. No particular

:21:36.:21:41.

discussion on tennis. The Environment Minister, Alex

:21:41.:21:45.

Attwood, spent a considerable amount of time on his feet this

:21:46.:21:48.

afternoon extolling the virtues of his new Planning Bill.

:21:48.:21:54.

He told the House that a trip to Belfast City centre last weekend

:21:54.:22:00.

had reminded him why economic benefit should be a factor in

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planning policy. It does not say, as PPS24 suggests, that economic

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consideration should be given. That is not the intention of the Bill.

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What the Bill will do is recognise, I think it is appropriate to

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recognise, that the planning system, not least in these difficult times,

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I spent two hours on Saturday afternoon, Mr Speaker, in this

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Belfast City Centre, I hadn't spent that length of time in Belfast City

:22:30.:22:36.

centre... Sorry. Protest? I was doing what a lot of other people

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did over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and reclaiming the streets

:22:41.:22:46.

for true purpose in terms of the city centre, to shop, drink, have a

:22:46.:22:50.

coffee to eat and to do some business. And there were many other

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people who did so. I was struck, I have to say, when you walk the

:22:56.:23:02.

streets of Belfast down town and spend a couple of hours walking the

:23:02.:23:12.
:23:12.:23:12.

streets in lawful activity about the scale of vacancies. It's only

:23:12.:23:16.

when you spend time on the streets that you see the scale of the issue.

:23:16.:23:21.

In my view, it is timely and it's appropriate and it is reasonable

:23:21.:23:28.

and it is legal to send a message without compromising the wider

:23:28.:23:32.

purposes and principles of the planning system. It's entirely

:23:32.:23:36.

appropriatable, necessary and timely to spend -- send a message

:23:36.:23:41.

through this Assembly, through the Planning Bill that a material

:23:41.:23:46.

consideration, when it comes to a planning application, our planning

:23:46.:23:52.

policy is economic considerations. After 40 years in existence, the

:23:52.:23:55.

Housing Executive was given its notice by the Social Development

:23:55.:23:59.

Minister last week. Nelson McCausland said the move is

:23:59.:24:02.

part of a restructuring move by his department.

:24:02.:24:05.

He was asked though if the changes would result in a reduction in

:24:05.:24:11.

staff, as we can hear now in our weekly look at committee business.

:24:11.:24:16.

Change is about to have an effect, but the reassurance I'm giving, I

:24:16.:24:19.

will give it to the trade unions directly, autumn the function that

:24:19.:24:23.

is are now happening will still have to happen, it will require the

:24:23.:24:26.

same amount of time for somebody to do a function probably in the

:24:26.:24:30.

future as it does now. It will require ruffle the same number of

:24:31.:24:37.

people, but it would be premature at this point to speculate exactly.

:24:37.:24:41.

This is not about cutting jobs. I want to emphasise that as much as

:24:41.:24:45.

possible and will do that to the unions. Core function also have to

:24:45.:24:48.

be done and it will require ruffle the same number of people. Are you

:24:48.:24:53.

able at this early stage again to indicate you, you know, say in the

:24:53.:24:58.

two or three year period post the shake down, is it likely that there

:24:59.:25:05.

will be rental freezes or just in line with inflation? People are

:25:05.:25:10.

looking for reassurance there won't be inflation-busting rental

:25:10.:25:15.

increases post the change? Well, as the member will be aware, annual

:25:15.:25:19.

rent increases have been a feature of social housing over many years

:25:19.:25:29.
:25:29.:25:31.

and that needs to happen to maintain standards. I think in

:25:31.:25:37.

future - future rent levels will need to be better aligned to

:25:37.:25:43.

provide funding requirements. I consider should - we need to have

:25:43.:25:48.

some convergence over a period of time, this is over a period of time.

:25:48.:25:52.

It's not suddenly. The housing executive have spent a lifetime

:25:52.:25:57.

building up a connection with people that they rent houses to.

:25:57.:26:03.

Housing Associations are estranged from most of their clients. Unless

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we get this right, we have the task now of setting housing on a

:26:09.:26:15.

platform for the next 40 years. If we get it wrong, we have done a bad

:26:15.:26:20.

job. I think if we remove the community cohesion that exists and

:26:20.:26:28.

social housing, then we have lost a lot? Yeah. There is an opportunity

:26:28.:26:33.

here to get this right for a long period of time. Yes. There are

:26:33.:26:37.

things, people have identified them here, that are not as it should be

:26:37.:26:41.

with the presence system. Problems that arise otherwise I wouldn't

:26:41.:26:44.

have people coming to my door raising problems and issues. There

:26:44.:26:48.

are things that need to be worked on. There is a huge opportunity,

:26:48.:26:55.

with a huge responsibility. Alex Kane is with me. We talked quite a

:26:55.:27:00.

bit on prot gram last night about Basil McCrea's position in the

:27:00.:27:04.

Ulster union party. He is facing a disciplinary hearing on Friday. How

:27:04.:27:08.

do you read what is going on there? I think Basil is clear he is on

:27:08.:27:13.

solid ground. He thinks he has not been in breach of party policy. He

:27:13.:27:16.

would accept he should have contacted the press office before

:27:16.:27:20.

going on Nolan or any other programme, he is fighting it on the

:27:20.:27:25.

basis he was defending party policy. That the three councillors involved

:27:25.:27:30.

didn't discuss anything with the leadership. They are not being

:27:30.:27:34.

disciplined. There may be a surprise there. What are the

:27:34.:27:39.

options open to the party in terms of sanctions? Does it come down to

:27:39.:27:42.

whether the party allows him to stay or kicks him out? Is it as

:27:42.:27:45.

simple as that? It will be that simple. Other thing is, because

:27:45.:27:49.

Mike Nesbitt has withdrawn the whip already, anything that stops short

:27:49.:27:53.

of expulsion will look like a kick in the teeth to Mike Nesbitt.

:27:53.:27:58.

People will say, you withdrew the whip and your own discipline

:27:58.:28:04.

committee say that is is too much. If he decides to leave, other also

:28:04.:28:07.

follow across the party officers in constituency and members. It's a

:28:07.:28:13.

win, win for Basil and a lose, lose for Mike. It's not good for him

:28:13.:28:17.

personally. The party won't make to Kay Kay a martyr on Friday,

:28:17.:28:23.

presumably? They will choose not to be. Basil is prepared to be a

:28:23.:28:27.

martyr. The difference between Basil McCrea and Dave individual

:28:27.:28:34.

McNarry and Ken McGuinness, if he is thrown out he will demand why he

:28:34.:28:38.

has been thrown out much he wants the party and media to understand.

:28:38.:28:43.

In that understanding I think he hopes martyrdom lies. He is saying

:28:43.:28:47.

to people, if this party is no longer a comfortable place for

:28:47.:28:51.

people like me, it's no longer a comfortable place for people like

:28:52.:28:55.

you. Is it a unionist realignment here? We are witnessing the very

:28:55.:29:01.

beginning of the final end of the Ulster unionist party. Realignment

:29:01.:29:06.

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