18/01/2016 Stormont Today

One week into the job and the new First Minister

had her first formal outing answering questions on behalf

Arlene Foster used the appearance to seek to clarify her position over

the forthcoming Easter Rising commemorations in Dublin.

Whilst I will not be attending the official commemorations are any

other commemorations in relation to what happened in Dublin in Easter

1916, I will of course reflect on everything else that took place that

year. Meanwhile Mervyn Storey received

a warm welcome from a constituency colleague on his first day

in the chamber as Finance Minister. I am sure he will bring that

well-known North Antrim quality of financial prudence to the post,

except when it comes to considering projects from North Antrim itself!

And joining me with his perspective on today's proceedings

is our political correspondent, Stephen Walker.

After all the hoopla of last week, it was down to business in the top

The new First Minister was facing her first Question Time

in office, though she's plenty of experience at the dispatch box

from her previous Executive roles, of course.

Mrs Foster was asked to clarify her comments on attending

a commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising, but firstly

there was a question about funding for victims' groups.

The funding for 2015/16 in the current budget year has been

increased with over provided to support the victims

sector. provided to support the victims

victims. I have fought to protect victims issues and budgets and I

will continue to do that within this department. I believe it is

something we will be proactive in certainly in the coming year and

years to come. Funding for victims and survivors will continue to be a

priority for the new executive office if I am returned as First

Minister. Could I ask how disappointed she is that the fresh

start deal failed to deliver a comments of framework on legacy

issues for survivors in Northern Ireland? I think many of us,

probably all of us were disappointed that we were not able to have an

agreement in relation to the legacy issues. Great work has been carried

out. We were close to having a conference of agreement and that is

why it is important to continue to engage with our own government and

the Government of the Republic of Ireland and with the victims sector

as well. But we must be honest and open about the chances of doing that

at a particular time and I have been asked if I think this will be sorted

before our next election and I must be honest and I think it is not

going to happen before the next election because there is an

election in the Republic abound and we have an election in May and I

don't think -- the Republic of Ireland, and we have an election in

May and I don't think we will be able to deal with the issues. Will

there be tangible benefits for victims? I share his concern that

there are some engaged in trying to write a particular narrative about

what happened here and across the island over the past 30 or 40 years.

Some are trying to rewrite what happened in 1916, so we shouldn't be

surprised. But I will resist any attempts to rewrite what happened in

the past. With the First Minister clarify her position? Which she

agreed to attend commemorations for -- or events surrounding the

commemoration of the Easter Rising in Dublin or elsewhere? I thanked

him for his kind comments in relation to my appointment to this

office. I wish him well in his retirement from office. He served

their constituents of north Belfast for a long time and I wish him well

in retirement. In terms of the issues surrounding Easter 1916, I

was asked a very specific question by a journalist as to whether I

would attend the commemorations in Dublin for that event and I

indicated that I would not and that is still my position. I have since

indicated on a wider perspective that I am very aware that the events

that happened in Dublin in Easter 1916 were part of a wider context of

what was going on in these islands at that time, and further afield,

and I am more than content, in fact I am looking forward to attending

lectures, symposiums, discussions in and around the year of 1916 and the

context of what was going on. Whilst I won't be attending official

commemorations or any other commemorations in relation to what

happened in Dublin in Easter 1916, I will reflect on everything else that

took place that year. And I think it's now pretty clear

what the First Minister will and will not do

in connection with 1916? Yes, it is very clear and it was

very clear from what we heard in the Assembly today. She is happy to take

part in a conference or symposium but she will not take part in an

official commemoration for the 1916 Easter Rising. She made that clear

in the interview with the impartial reporter and the interview with you

last week. She understands the importance of the Easter Rising, the

importance to many people, but she will not take part officially in any

commemoration. And staying with the past,

not surprisingly the issue of victims and the legacy

of the past cropped up Yes, this whole legacy of the

troubles -- Troubles haunts our politics. Arlene Foster was

disappointed there was not an agreement about the legacy in the

fresh start... And we are looking to the end of March and then you have

the Assembly elections in May so there's very little time so there is

a general consensus that it will be very difficult to make progress in

the weeks are left. Quite an important day.

So what was the general verdict on Mrs Foster's first

It was a good performance, sure-footed. Arlene Foster is no

stranger to the Assembly or the dispatch box. She was economy

minister, Finance Minister, she stood in for Peter Robinson before.

I think she would have predicted the questions and been well briefed and

people generally regard it as a good debut.

And news of an interesting example of the First

and Deputy First Ministers working together?

They went to the king span stadium, about Ireland's bid to host the

Rugby World Cup. We saw Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness working

together. Really they both understand the importance of key

sporting events and they want to bring the Rugby World Cup to

Northern Ireland cos they know there will be an enormous economic and

social spin off, and political. She looked happy to get her picture with

Brian O'Driscoll. Yes. There was quite a buzz about the players but

clearly both the Deputy First Minister and First Minister wants to

win this bid. We don't know whether Martin McGuinness converted the

penalty. We don't know if he got it over the bar. Maybe we will find out

eventually. Jobs, how many are being created

and where, dominated questions to the Enterprise, Trade

and Investment Minister, I think the first thing we want to

do is to ensure we get the jobs to Northern Ireland. That must be our

priority. We will always target and showcase particular areas for the

unique skills that might be there because of the cluster of areas that

are there, and working with councils. We have asked them to look

at their unique selling points for articular areas. We have asked

Invest Northern Ireland to look at Northern Ireland as a whole. During

2011-2012 to 2014-15, there were 27,150 jobs. During the same period,

businesses created 20,451 jobs. During the same period with Invest

Northern Ireland support, businesses created 9000 plus jobs. It is Invest

Northern Ireland's wrote to support those companies that bring forward

investment projects based on merit, irrespective of where they were

based. I am alarmed that for every job created west of the river, there

are three comparable ones on the East. Does he accept areas west of

the river merit more focus? Can he say when the subgroup intends to

meet to discuss the issues that present themselves in Fermanagh and

County Tyrone? We have been looking at what we can do. It is important

to note that in terms of working alongside Fermanagh and South Tyrone

in terms of the regional start initiative to produce a business

plan as one of the key early steps to a new business. By November 2015

the western regional contract of RSI had delivered 2251 business plan

approvals. Manufacturing is hugely important to the Northern Ireland

economy. It makes a significant contribution to export levels and

research and development in Northern Ireland, both of which are essential

to wealth creation. According to the latest economic commentary, in

October 2015, manufacturing has continued to post strong growth with

output up 3.2% over the past four quarters. In terms of jobs, the

sector added 1870 jobs over the past year, which brings the total of

manufacturing jobs to more than 80,000, and having taken

manufacturing to more than 80,000 jobs, it is the first time we have

achieved that since 2008. However there have been a number of major

redundancies announced. There was no room for complacency. My department

and Invest Northern Ireland will continue to support investment to

create jobs and promote competitiveness in the manufacturing

sector. Jonathan Bell on the challenge

of securing existing jobs Mervyn Storey has been

in the Finance role for less than a week, but today he brought

to the Assembly floor a bill that Members debated the Consideration

Stage of the Legal Complaints and Regulation Bill which contains

a proposal to create a Legal Services Oversight

Commissioner, who would deal with complaints made against members

of the legal profession. Yell and deputy leader, this bill

provides for a new process for lawyers and enhanced oversight of

the regulation which I believe will age concern was bringing confidence

for users of legal services and added transparency. Northern Ireland

has high surprisingly low level of them plays. I am sure that this and

the legal services review group, which did a ten month study of this

issue, found that it is mainly due to good service provided by

professionals in this area. A number of consultees identified that there

could be a danger that the recorded numbers of complaints, those

complaints which are made to the society could potentially mask a

higher number made to individual practices. This, as noted, is more

accurate in association to solicitors who, in terms of

regulations made by new society, have you set out an individual

complaints handling process to the clients. When looking to work in

this area, I doubt they would of thought that almost a decade would

pass before they would be discussing it here. It has been a long journey

but today's debate has taken us closer to the aim of seeing a better

system in place. I started today by congratulating the Minister on his

appointment and I'm sure it will bring that great quality of

financial prudence to the role as well. Especially considering his

role itself. It's good to me has been to capture information on the

conflict against solicitors, which are made and referred to as the

first cheer. They need to do this -- tier. This neatly presented any

figures published to date. Currently, they only face this from

the Observer and the nature of complaints. There are no powers to

investigate. It is not subject to any statuary over site. This would

require to number of complaints made against barristers. It has been

acknowledged that there has been an ace attract increasing the number of

complaints. This has resulted in better awareness of the complaints

process, rather than a deterioration of standards. Arising from the

evidence received, a number of other stakeholders raised issues regarding

the figures surrounding solicitors. The Law Centre pointed out that

there is no critical evidence and that one of the complaint is due to

lack of satisfaction, or a lack of faith -- some of the complaints. I

am always quick to say that, when a constituent come through the door,

that a complaint is outside the remit. I am glad to say it is

outside the remit of the daily work. Nonetheless, I think it is important

that we do is beat your constituents regarding some of the complaints

they have and how we deal with them in the process. It is good to be

able to say that there is a complaints process to go through and

that I believe, certainly through this process, that this bill will

ring the necessary clarification and transparency invalidity -- dealing

with them. You'll like this is a local bill. It is a local solution.

Regarding local conditions. That is the important thing. It has been

tailor-made to Northern Ireland and I think Professor Bain and his

colleagues, when introduced this, they did not, as it were, this

regard the provisions in Britain. The Prime Minister himself regarded

to the fact that, in 2006, by a legal services review group chaired

by George Bain, the then Minister of Finance and personnel, David Hanson,

an end even some of you may remember, the report has been

considered by being in subsequent. It has been around for quite a long

time. Members referred to the fact that this is not a branch reform but

it will bring significant change to the system and will establish a new

position of legal services over said Commissioner. The Alliance party has

committed having a strong service to the public and holding ourselves

accountable. I think this bill goes a long way to achieving that.

And the Legal Complaints and Regulation Bill went

The Education Minister reported to the Assembly today on the most

recent meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council,

and John O'Dowd was keen to point out that the level of cross border

co-operation in education is increasing.

But the Minister still had to answer some testing questions on teachers

moving jobs across the border and educational under-achievement.

The council welcomed the ongoing cooperation in both due restrictions

on matters to reduce obstacles to teachers. This includes the waving

of faith to teachers, credited by the National teaching Council. It

also agrees teaching application. It requires teachers to provide a

quality. This includes the impact of the structure of the postgraduate

certificate and that a European directive 2005,. DVD double report

was I could not be better to revisit the report on the series of

recommendations that have been already put in place in 1998 new

Morrissey and literacy? It is something we need to draw on. Can I

ask -- numerically and literacy. I am not in favour of carrying out

studies for the sake of it. I think in terms of examining best practice

on both sides of the border, and tackling educational achievement, it

is worth money and worthwhile doing. I have studied numerous reports. I

have studied the most recent report in relation to education and

underachievement, we need to tackle it. We need to tackle it head on

every serious about tackling educational underachievement. The

cost of the review to each department and the jurisdiction is a

?40,000. I think it is ?40,000 spent. Sorry, just to clarify, that

is ?40,000. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I know the First Minister has properly

had enough questions and is of cross-border arrangements. They

didn't see that the dangers from the north can now apply for teaching

posts in the south but it doesn't say how successful they are. --

teachers. Is there anything to say that teachers are actually getting

these jobs? I do not have those figures at hand. There they are a

will, I am more than happy to share them. There have been buyers in the

past digital from idle jurisdiction travelling. I have worked for a

number of years to try and remove them. It has been frustratingly slow

but we have seen progress in the last number of months. I am more

than happy to investigate the numbers further and if there are

figures are available and those of the number of teachers applying

proposed in the south and the number of teachers who are successful, I am

more than happy to share them. We had around 50 uniformed

guests at Stormont today. MLAs were keen to have their

pictures taken with members of the Northern Ireland Fire

and Rescue Service The firefighters were here

to protest about cuts And the MLAs also backed

the firefighters in the chamber, voting to pass a motion calling

on the Health Minister Sitting here today, we can have very

little comprehension of the scenes of which these brave men and women

are faced with in the course of their duties. Many lives in the

communities ourselves by them. It is difficult to put into words the

emotions they must go through in the course of those duties. They are

very clear in your priorities and that is saving lives. Their message

to me on numerous occasions as being that they have already been working

hard to deliver efficiencies in recent years. These should be

agreed, not forced. Firefighters you responded to a total of nearly

23,000 emergency incidents across Northern Ireland, that is including

traffic collisions, recipes, flooding and we have all witnessed

that. -- rescues. Firefighters are there when the public's lives are

put on your line. We must never compromise public safety. Any

savings should be prioritised while minimising the impact on the

public's safety. This is something that has been outlined for some

considerable time. Any changes have always been said they would be risky

asset to ensure the continued safety of both the public and firefighters.

Risk assessed. Your mac they are very clear on the effect of the cuts

we are having. -- they are very clear on the effect of the country

are having. It has been very difficult in this financial year.

The figures clearly demonstrate that firefighting is a cost effective

service. What we have are some of the bravest and most courageous

people who put their lives on your line for the job they are doing.

That has already been said that it is to save lives and ensure safety

where ever emergency occurs. Even to the bond of sacrificing their own

lives. That is what I call dedication to the people they serve.

They must be regarded as a front-line service. Anyone who

denies this is living in cloud cuckoo land. The services they

provide must be in the highest quality. The services must be

allocated across the country based on professional assessment of risk.

It must opinion deliver new ways of engaging and consulting with the

people it serves on how it does its job. Collaborative approaches to the

provisions of emergency services must be further explored and

developed in order to deliver editors over the public. We must

look to the future and continue to support the rescue service and that

staff and firefighters are happy to work in and confident in.

And Stephen Walker is here for a final word.

We had some speculation this afternoon about the DUP's Jim Wells

and the forthcoming Assembly election.

This is an interesting development. It has been said that he is seeking

nomination for the DUP lead role. He may have stepped down as an MLA

because his wife, Grace, was very ill. There is a lot of talk as to

whether he would run again but he has confirmed today that he will put

his name for work. He has put his name forward and it is being

considered by the party hierarchy. He needs to wait to see what the

party hierarchy are going to say to see if he will be selected for

southbound. Obviously, Jim Wells is a very well-known figure, then there

is controversy surrounding him and Iraqi has made in the past, he is

very well known, well established. He wants to continue his total

career and now his name has been considered by party officers.

South Down is shaping up to be a fascinating electoral

It'll be one of those seats that people are going to watch. It has

many names that people very well. There is also a fascinating battle

on the unionist side. You would also have a battle going on within the

Unionist ranks. A crowded unionist field. And very crowded. It is said

that that may open the door to other candidates. Those who agree with

unionist unity would not like to see so many unionist candidates in that

field. When it comes to the election, southbound will be one of

those constituencies that people will want to watch. Yes, big day for

Mervyn Storey. Mervyn Storey Newly in the job and he wants to make sure

that the people of Northern Ireland are looked after. Visa, he has only

been any job a view days. It'll a special day. He will also face tough

questions. Thank you. That's it for tonight,

but do join me again tomorrow night You can have me any way you want.

Fun girl. Vloggers, at this moment,

are pioneers. a boy he met while playing

online video games... I'm going in.

It is psychological warfare. One Click Away, a series of

documentaries exploring life online, on Tuesday, January 26,

on BBC Three and online. They're making a new panel show

about the use of language. Patrick Kielty's brought

a few intellectual friends over... Thank you, Patrick!

..to discuss the finer points... ..language?

Here, is this script right? You've popped a couple of things

you shouldn't, there.