:00:25. > :00:29.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Coming up on the programme: The
:00:30. > :00:37.Finance Minister talks tough to Sinn Fein on welfare reform.
:00:38. > :00:41.The move forward on the basis on a package of measures that will take
:00:42. > :00:46.away some of the worst effects that people will suffer. Let him think
:00:47. > :00:48.about the effect he has having right now.
:00:49. > :00:53.Requests from the Speaker's chair meet with a frosty response during
:00:54. > :00:59.Question Time. Could I have a question please shortly all we will
:01:00. > :01:02.move on. I will set down. I do not like where you are doing this. --
:01:03. > :01:04.sit down. And I'm joined by the Newsletter's
:01:05. > :01:09.political correspondent, Sam McBride.
:01:10. > :01:12.Money was top of the agenda at Stormont today as the Finance
:01:13. > :01:16.Minister divvied up his loose change. The health department was
:01:17. > :01:20.the big winner, with an extra ?30 million being allocated to help deal
:01:21. > :01:23.with winter pressures. There was also extra money for improvement of
:01:24. > :01:27.the road network and the expansion of the University of Ulster in
:01:28. > :01:33.Belfast. But it was welfare reform, or rather the lack of it, that was
:01:34. > :01:39.first up. Before I go on the allocations made, I returned to the
:01:40. > :01:45.welfare reform issue. I am hugely disappointed that no progress has
:01:46. > :01:50.been made on this. The executive had no option but to set aside ?50
:01:51. > :01:52.million to cover the cost of financial penalties for the
:01:53. > :01:58.remaining three months of this financial year. This in effect as
:01:59. > :02:02.one executive colleague described it is dead money, returning to the
:02:03. > :02:08.Treasury, which is now unable to be spent on services that benefit us.
:02:09. > :02:12.Those who resist the inevitability of welfare reform can answer why our
:02:13. > :02:15.health budget, our roads budget or our schools budget has to lose out
:02:16. > :02:22.this year and potentially next year as well. The -- the Department of
:02:23. > :02:26.Health will receive an allocation of ?30 million towards key health care
:02:27. > :02:31.pressures. Whilst there are further significant pressures, I have made
:02:32. > :02:36.it clear to the health Minister that I expect his department to contain
:02:37. > :02:40.the remaining costs. That said, this allocation will help to alleviate
:02:41. > :02:46.the significant front line pressures that have emerged during 2013, 2014.
:02:47. > :02:54.It will pray a critical role -- play a critical role -- in those issues
:02:55. > :02:57.affecting patients and the elderly population, and benefit the large
:02:58. > :03:03.number of patients and service users. The Department for reach
:03:04. > :03:08.another look -- development -- regional development was allocated
:03:09. > :03:13.money to maintain our road network and improve local bus stations. The
:03:14. > :03:16.Department for agriculture will receive ?3 million for expenditure
:03:17. > :03:21.disallowed under the current Common Agricultural Policy. The executive
:03:22. > :03:27.agreed a further ?3.3 million under the rule development programme. The
:03:28. > :03:30.executive agreed to provide capital thundering to the University of
:03:31. > :03:41.Ulster through a system financing their greater Belfast development
:03:42. > :03:45.scheme. -- funding. It is my party's view that in terms of the
:03:46. > :03:53.?15 million of welfare money the Minister refers to, but is not dead
:03:54. > :03:58.money, that is still in the black -- pockets of many low incomes -- low
:03:59. > :04:04.income people, and is more likely to be spent, so that money is not dead
:04:05. > :04:11.money, but money that is quite important to the local economy. The
:04:12. > :04:14.reality of what we have had to do today in making provision of ?50
:04:15. > :04:19.million, which will rise to ?200 million, is to deny that money from
:04:20. > :04:25.some of the very same people the member tries to speak very fondly
:04:26. > :04:30.about. By taking ?50 million this year away from expenditure into
:04:31. > :04:35.health, that we can put into education and elsewhere, is denying
:04:36. > :04:39.some of the very same vulnerable people key services that they
:04:40. > :04:42.require on Ady today basis. So whenever the member and his
:04:43. > :04:47.colleagues deny the inevitability of moving forward, they move forward on
:04:48. > :04:51.the basis of a package of measures that will take away some of the
:04:52. > :04:55.worst effects that vulnerable people will suffer. Let him think about the
:04:56. > :04:59.effect he is having not in the future, but right now. I will be
:05:00. > :05:04.interested in the Minister's understanding of what is and is not
:05:05. > :05:10.happening at the Maze site and what -- and the reasons why. What goes on
:05:11. > :05:16.at the Maze site is not a direct responsibility of my department, I
:05:17. > :05:19.have to deal with as I have in this set of circumstances. The reality of
:05:20. > :05:27.no progress on a particular project. That is a question better
:05:28. > :05:31.put to those who are responsible, that being the first Minister and
:05:32. > :05:36.Deputy first Minister. It is unfortunate that we are not able to
:05:37. > :05:40.progress with the full potential of the development of that site. I
:05:41. > :05:45.appreciate there are huge sensitivities around certain aspects
:05:46. > :05:50.of that area, but I think the member I am sure would agree with me that
:05:51. > :05:54.beyond one particular project earmarked for that site, there is
:05:55. > :05:57.huge economic and social benefit for Northern Ireland.
:05:58. > :06:02.Simon Hamilton. I'm joined by the Newsletter's political
:06:03. > :06:05.correspondent, Sam McBride. Failure to deal with the issue of welfare
:06:06. > :06:12.reform remains a huge issue, and the costs of that as the months unfold
:06:13. > :06:17.were laid before the house today. Yes, it is about ?5 million on
:06:18. > :06:26.month, and that figure was first raised last summer. It was to try to
:06:27. > :06:34.joke people into some sort of sense of urgency about this issue. --
:06:35. > :06:38.jolt. Now we are getting close to where the cuts are going to come,
:06:39. > :06:43.perhaps more so. But I suppose ?5 million is a substantial sum of
:06:44. > :06:47.money, and it will necessitate cuts in other areas, but in the grand
:06:48. > :06:51.scheme of things in our budget of many billions of pounds, it it is
:06:52. > :06:57.for a few months I think we can certainly live with that, and after
:06:58. > :07:01.the election I think it would be used to compromise on this issue.
:07:02. > :07:06.You can understand the logic of that if it is for a few months, but Simon
:07:07. > :07:14.Hamilton made it clear that it becomes very expensive. ?200 million
:07:15. > :07:19.perhaps in two years' time. There was a lot said today about the extra
:07:20. > :07:28.?30 million for health, it is not long before it matches up.
:07:29. > :07:31.Absolutely. I think ?3 million to health was pretty significant in the
:07:32. > :07:36.context of what was being divided up, but immigrant scheme of things
:07:37. > :07:40.it is not massive. It is going to be interesting to see whether Simon
:07:41. > :07:45.Hamilton as a massively different personality to his predecessor is
:07:46. > :07:51.able to make process -- progress in this area. If he had been there
:07:52. > :07:54.today I think he would have been confrontational about this. He would
:07:55. > :08:00.have been spoiling for a fight perhaps with some of those he thinks
:08:01. > :08:14.are holding this up. Simon Hamilton's approach is more of
:08:15. > :08:17.gentle persuasion. The Finance Minister was back on his
:08:18. > :08:20.feet facing questions from the floor in the afternoon. The behaviour of
:08:21. > :08:24.banks and addressing income inequality were in his in-tray, as
:08:25. > :08:25.well as more on welfare reform and the penalties handed down by the
:08:26. > :08:30.Treasury. I met with the Chief Secretary to
:08:31. > :08:33.the Treasury on 18th November, where he reinforced his intention to
:08:34. > :08:37.enforce penalties should the Northern Ireland Executive and this
:08:38. > :08:45.Assembly not progress the welfare reform bill by January 2014. As the
:08:46. > :08:49.member we know from the January statement earlier, I have had to
:08:50. > :08:54.make a provision of ?50 million for penalties we will incur this year.
:08:55. > :08:58.The Northern Ireland welfare reform bill remains stalled, and Mini to
:08:59. > :09:03.progress it as a matter of urgency to avoid any further fines. -- we
:09:04. > :09:08.need to progress in. I am indebted to the Minister for his answer. I
:09:09. > :09:13.did hear what I thought was a Mini forewarning about the rolling on of
:09:14. > :09:18.debts or call ups by the Treasury which could end up in ?200 million
:09:19. > :09:25.if we do not use something about this.
:09:26. > :09:34.However, since April 20 -- 2007, prices have risen but 18%... Can we
:09:35. > :09:43.have a question, please? Could we have a question, please?
:09:44. > :09:49.Can I repeat where I was, in the middle of a question? Could I have a
:09:50. > :09:58.question or we will move on. I tell you what, I will sit down. I do not
:09:59. > :10:03.like the way you are doing this. What discussions has he had locally
:10:04. > :10:05.with the Ulster bank, the RBS and the appropriate Treasury Minister to
:10:06. > :10:08.ascertain what can be done to prevent more companies being forced
:10:09. > :10:17.out of business by the seizing of assets. Evidence albeit anecdotal
:10:18. > :10:21.coming forward from various companies of what they might
:10:22. > :10:26.describe as sharp practice from some of the banks who were seizing the
:10:27. > :10:31.assets, putting them out of business in order to repair their own balance
:10:32. > :10:33.sheet. I would add that that is anecdotal, we get some of that
:10:34. > :10:37.evidence coming through the Department, it is hard to assess
:10:38. > :10:41.whether it is true or accurate because we do not have a full view
:10:42. > :10:47.of everything. Lawrence Tomlinson carried out a review on behalf of
:10:48. > :10:53.the business secretary Vince Cable, it's happens am meeting with him
:10:54. > :10:57.tomorrow. -- it so happens. Since his report was published, we have
:10:58. > :11:00.had some people raising some particular concerns about the
:11:01. > :11:06.practice the banks have with them. I have passed that along, and there
:11:07. > :11:11.are various enquiries following on from Lawrence Tomlinson's report,
:11:12. > :11:14.and I will engage tomorrow on how we can feed any Northern Ireland
:11:15. > :11:20.evidence into that. If individual members have evidence of sharp
:11:21. > :11:25.practice, I am more than happy to channel but on anonymously through
:11:26. > :11:28.the appropriate authorities. How does the Minister proposed to
:11:29. > :11:34.address the challenges of income and equality? This is a problem that
:11:35. > :11:40.Northern Ireland has faced for a number of years, and will not be
:11:41. > :11:47.simply or easily resolved by me or anybody within the executive. Most
:11:48. > :11:54.economists talk about an imbalance between Great Britain -- the rest of
:11:55. > :12:00.the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. If you go south of the
:12:01. > :12:05.border you would see incomes and disposable household income is
:12:06. > :12:09.higher must say, than in Dublin and the West of Ireland or Donegal or
:12:10. > :12:13.somewhere like that. It is not an easy thing to address, but this is
:12:14. > :12:18.where the executive's economic strategy comes into play, focusing
:12:19. > :12:22.not just where -- on why it is important to get jobs into our
:12:23. > :12:25.economy, and I welcome the significant progress made by the
:12:26. > :12:31.jobs fund that the economy Minister announced yesterday. But we need to
:12:32. > :12:35.continue to pursue trying to attract new businesses into Northern
:12:36. > :12:38.Ireland, existing businesses, to encourage them to move into sectors
:12:39. > :12:41.where the average wage is higher. Simon Hamilton. The Environment
:12:42. > :12:44.Minister Mark H Durkan, also faced questions today and the continuing
:12:45. > :12:47.delay in the publication of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan
:12:48. > :12:50.dominated proceedings. Mr Durkan told the Assembly that the
:12:51. > :12:59.construction industry and many other businesses depend on getting the
:13:00. > :13:03.area plan up and running. The planning appeals commission
:13:04. > :13:09.completed an independent public inquiry into the draft Belfast
:13:10. > :13:19.Metropolitan Area Plan in 2008 and sent its report in stages. My
:13:20. > :13:26.predecessor published all these reports on the draft plan in June,
:13:27. > :13:29.2012. My department has now completed its scrutiny of these
:13:30. > :13:36.reports and all other material considerations and has finalised the
:13:37. > :13:41.draft plan for publication. My department submitted the map to the
:13:42. > :13:46.Department for regional development for assessment of a planned against
:13:47. > :13:52.their strategy 35 and I can confirm the plan was awarded a certificate
:13:53. > :13:55.of general conformity on the 21st of October last year. I recognise the
:13:56. > :14:01.importance of this plan for future development the region and the need
:14:02. > :14:05.to ensure it is adopted and published in its final form as soon
:14:06. > :14:08.as possible. I have sought the agreement of my ministerial
:14:09. > :14:12.colleagues and my department now adopts and publishes the plan. Has
:14:13. > :14:17.the Attorney General advised the Minister that the Belfast
:14:18. > :14:22.Metropolitan Area Plan is a crosscutting issue and would require
:14:23. > :14:31.executive approval? I am aware of the view that the map is a
:14:32. > :14:36.crosscutting policy issue and therefore the view that it does need
:14:37. > :14:41.executive approval. I have outlined in my initial answer that I have
:14:42. > :14:48.sought the approval of my ministerial colleagues to proceed
:14:49. > :14:51.with publication, particularly given uncertainty that the delay on
:14:52. > :14:58.publication is causing outside that developers, businesses and so many
:14:59. > :15:01.others. What abuse have been expressed by the business community
:15:02. > :15:08.in respect of the adoption of the plan Which? what abuse have been
:15:09. > :15:14.expressed by the business community in respect of the adoption of the
:15:15. > :15:20.plan? Some have grave concerns over the continued delay. Many
:15:21. > :15:25.house-builders see the adoption of it as critical to the recovery in
:15:26. > :15:30.their sector to the workforce can only be sustained by the continuous
:15:31. > :15:32.supply of planning approvals. A substantial number within the
:15:33. > :15:38.business community, including builders, have participated in the
:15:39. > :15:41.planning process since its initiation and it is no exaggeration
:15:42. > :15:48.to say that millions of pounds have been invested by those participating
:15:49. > :15:52.in the public inquiry, engaging specialist consultants and legal
:15:53. > :15:54.advisers, undertaking specialist studies and submitting evidence to
:15:55. > :16:01.the inquiry in order to secure the zoning of land for housing and
:16:02. > :16:05.employment. Whilst he released by my predecessor of the report -- whilst
:16:06. > :16:10.the release of my predecessor of the report, that has provided some
:16:11. > :16:15.assurance, but many builders supported by their banks through the
:16:16. > :16:19.most severe recession in living memory are now under severe pressure
:16:20. > :16:23.from those banks to deliver on these sites, to recover significant sums
:16:24. > :16:30.invested in the process. I believe we have a duty of care to those
:16:31. > :16:35.people and therefore that is why I am determined that it should be
:16:36. > :16:40.published as soon as possible. Mark H Durkan. Sinn Fein has called on
:16:41. > :16:48.the environment minister to bring forward changes to the law to help
:16:49. > :16:54.rural dwellers. It is difficult for non-farmers living in the
:16:55. > :16:57.countryside to get planning permission for new houses. What are
:16:58. > :17:06.your issues surrounding current planning policy Western Mark --
:17:07. > :17:14.current planning policy? There is some provision. If a young person in
:17:15. > :17:19.a rural area at this time beyond the development limits of a village or
:17:20. > :17:23.town wanted to build a bungalow, a single dwelling in the countryside,
:17:24. > :17:29.it is almost impossible. They don't even apply nowadays. I was a
:17:30. > :17:32.councillor between 2000 and 2010 and I attended hundreds of site meetings
:17:33. > :17:36.where young people were applying for a single House in the country and
:17:37. > :17:42.they either got it or did not get it but now they do not apply. If every
:17:43. > :17:44.young couple in the countryside wanted to build an additional
:17:45. > :17:49.bungalow, you could not cope with the demand. There have to be
:17:50. > :17:56.restrictions for that reason. I accept that. I am not for unfettered
:17:57. > :18:03.free for all bungalow blight. Think about it. If a site in the
:18:04. > :18:08.countryside can be integrated with vegetation, vegetation around the
:18:09. > :18:18.House, or arising landform behind it, if you can achieve... If you can
:18:19. > :18:23.address road safety concerns... Sometimes there is such a thing in
:18:24. > :18:29.the country as a good side. At the minute, it is almost as if they are
:18:30. > :18:36.all bad. You must be talking about relatively small numbers. Most land
:18:37. > :18:43.in the countryside is owned by farmers and limited the element is
:18:44. > :18:45.allowed on agricultural land. The previous planning legislation has
:18:46. > :18:50.been relaxed and a lot of people see it as sensible progress. Most people
:18:51. > :18:57.who live in a single House in the countryside would not have room for
:18:58. > :19:03.a site for an additional House. What is rural? Anything in the North
:19:04. > :19:08.outside Belfast and Derry is rural. There is a perception in Belfast if
:19:09. > :19:14.you are from outside of fast that you are a farmer. You might not be.
:19:15. > :19:20.You could be a plumber, a childcare worker, solicitor. You are not
:19:21. > :19:26.likely to be a landowner. Very often a family could give to a family
:19:27. > :19:31.member smallholding site and it can be built upon. I have a good memory
:19:32. > :19:37.of a particular site in my time as a councillor on the mountain and I
:19:38. > :19:42.remember a man had gifted a sight to his daughter. In the background was
:19:43. > :19:46.these overwhelming wind farms and yet the girl in question was not
:19:47. > :19:50.being allowed... She was a teacher and she was not going allowed a
:19:51. > :19:55.single dwelling in the countryside. Integration could be achieved.
:19:56. > :19:58.Nowadays there is a presumption against of element in the
:19:59. > :20:01.countryside and I am saying some sites are good sites. I want to open
:20:02. > :20:07.up possibilities for some young people in Australia at this time who
:20:08. > :20:12.have emigrated for work I want them to come home and live where they are
:20:13. > :20:17.from. There was an SDLP amendment and you backed it. Is there a way
:20:18. > :20:23.forward that everyone can agree on? There is. We were pleased to accept
:20:24. > :20:27.the amendment. We put on the motion but we were happy to accept the
:20:28. > :20:36.amendment. In the spirit of things today, we knew it was more likely to
:20:37. > :20:39.achieve maximum consensus. We want to open up greater opportunities for
:20:40. > :20:44.people to build in the countryside. Thank you very much. The culture
:20:45. > :20:48.minister reported back to the assembly on recent meetings with the
:20:49. > :20:53.ministerial Council today and plans to extend the island's canal
:20:54. > :20:56.network. Planning approval has now been
:20:57. > :21:05.received regarding the project to reopen the canal. Does the Minister
:21:06. > :21:16.have a definite time frame for that to happen?
:21:17. > :21:20.I thank him for his ongoing interest. As I have stated
:21:21. > :21:27.previously, given the fact that this is a very significant project for
:21:28. > :21:30.both governments, a certain timeline has to be considered which is based
:21:31. > :21:37.upon the availability of funding. There are certainly options around
:21:38. > :21:39.funding availability... It has dictated the timeline. For example,
:21:40. > :21:46.a single design and construction contract can take up to two years.
:21:47. > :21:51.Three or four smaller contracts spread over a period of three to
:21:52. > :21:59.five years is an option as well as a large number of small contracts of
:22:00. > :22:03.over a period of six to eight years. Looking at strategic direction for
:22:04. > :22:08.waterways and the need to explore and optimise opportunities to earn
:22:09. > :22:13.income... I also note and welcome the adoption of three new
:22:14. > :22:19.publications. Does she believe that those initiatives have been
:22:20. > :22:23.successful in terms of uptake as far as the number of users on the canal
:22:24. > :22:34.is concerned? What effect has that had in 2013 on the increased
:22:35. > :22:40.earnings? Thank you. I think him for his question -- I thank him for his
:22:41. > :22:48.question. It has been very significant work, and I want to use
:22:49. > :22:53.this opportunity to congratulate the partners as well. The waterways
:22:54. > :22:59.Ireland does not have enough money, like many of our bodies, it does not
:23:00. > :23:04.have enough money to meet the things it wants to do. But one thing about
:23:05. > :23:07.these publications, it reflected the opportunities for people who live
:23:08. > :23:12.and work on the waterways to make income. That is to be welcomed. I
:23:13. > :23:16.would like to see that developed to ensure that not only is it
:23:17. > :23:19.maintained but that they have additional earnings and additional
:23:20. > :23:24.employment opportunities for the years ahead. Party leaders met again
:23:25. > :23:30.this afternoon to discuss draft seven of the Richard Haass
:23:31. > :23:33.proposals. One of the leaders ventured out to talk to the press
:23:34. > :23:37.afterwards. He was heartened by the meeting. Another very useful
:23:38. > :23:46.meeting. Two hours of intense discussions. I am heartened. We are
:23:47. > :23:50.all coming from different positions. We all have different political
:23:51. > :23:56.pressures on us and we have different needs. But I feel we fully
:23:57. > :24:01.recognise the gaps are there. We recognise the difficulties. There is
:24:02. > :24:03.the space for us to get a bridge over the difficulties, I have no
:24:04. > :24:08.doubt. If I did not believe they have the will to do a deal and I
:24:09. > :24:12.would not be wasting time. I believe I have trust and confidence in other
:24:13. > :24:18.political leaders and I believe that we can do a deal. We are here as the
:24:19. > :24:21.SDLP looking quite simply to make progress on the stuff that was
:24:22. > :24:27.broadly agreed in the Richard Haass progress. A lot was agreed there. We
:24:28. > :24:36.want to see the legislation moving, or at least the beginnings laid. We
:24:37. > :24:43.want to see resolution. The SDLP leader. Sam McBride has rejoined me.
:24:44. > :24:47.An optimistic note. It is interesting that nobody else was
:24:48. > :24:52.prepared to come out and talk to us. Martin McGuinness obviously came out
:24:53. > :24:56.and did a lot of talking last week and that did not advance the process
:24:57. > :24:59.even though it was interesting for journalists and people trying to
:25:00. > :25:02.work out what is going on behind the scenes. I think Alistair MacDonald
:25:03. > :25:06.was very optimistic but the still be have been relentlessly optimistic
:25:07. > :25:11.throughout the entire process and it has not got us very far. At various
:25:12. > :25:18.points, other people have also suggested we on the cost of
:25:19. > :25:22.something. I do not think there is massive belief that prior to an
:25:23. > :25:27.election there would be a breakthrough -- other people have
:25:28. > :25:34.suggested we are on the cusp of something. No one is suggesting
:25:35. > :25:37.there were about to change their position. It seems the process is
:25:38. > :25:43.beginning to take shape. Next week's talks will be expanded to a
:25:44. > :25:48.party leader plus another colleague plus a note taker. Potentially 15
:25:49. > :25:52.people in the room next Tuesday afternoon. Depending on how you look
:25:53. > :25:58.at it, that is either good or bad. I am not sure it will increase the
:25:59. > :26:01.chances of consensus. The parties will be reluctant, particularly
:26:02. > :26:06.Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, they will be reluctant
:26:07. > :26:11.to admit it has failed. It will probably drag on. I do not think
:26:12. > :26:14.there is any real suggestion that on the key issues that are dividing the
:26:15. > :26:18.parties that they are prepared to compromise this close to an
:26:19. > :26:22.election. Martin McGuinness has said in the past, we are not getting into
:26:23. > :26:26.when negotiating process and this will be kept at leaders level. Now
:26:27. > :26:30.it is being extended. Alistair MacDonald today knows, is
:26:31. > :26:36.interestingly used the term negotiations -- Alasdair McDonnell
:26:37. > :26:43.today used the term negotiations. It may have is been significant. It may
:26:44. > :26:49.have been a slip of the tongue. Who knows. It begs the question of after
:26:50. > :26:52.months of going through these issues, why would they suddenly now
:26:53. > :26:59.without the outside help of Dr Richard Haass be able to bridge the
:27:00. > :27:05.gap that Alasdair McDonnell says still exists? What is your view on
:27:06. > :27:09.the involvement of the two governments and the Americans?
:27:10. > :27:13.Alasdair McDonnell would say that the Americans are determined it
:27:14. > :27:22.should we pushed forward. It is very counter-productive for Martin
:27:23. > :27:26.McGuinness and other people to quietly suggest that the Americans
:27:27. > :27:32.are upping the anti-on this issue and might not invite our leaders out
:27:33. > :27:36.to Washington for St Patrick's Day. I do not think that outside pressure
:27:37. > :27:42.will cause great concern. There will be a little bit of embarrassment,
:27:43. > :27:44.but it is not going to win them votes and that is what they are
:27:45. > :27:51.thinking about at this point. The other big story of the week, of the
:27:52. > :27:56.fortnight really, the interview with Ian Paisley. Is it done and dusted?
:27:57. > :28:06.Can the DP move onto the next stage of politics in Northern Ireland --
:28:07. > :28:10.VDU P. It is certainly not done and dusted. What came out last night and
:28:11. > :28:14.the massive audience that saw it, I just do not think it will be raised
:28:15. > :28:19.from people 's memories for quite some time. It has blown apart the
:28:20. > :28:23.idea of something that was united behind the scenes. But the reaction
:28:24. > :28:30.has been really pretty negative towards Ian Paisley insofar as there
:28:31. > :28:36.has been reaction. There is still a son -- a stunned silence. A lot of
:28:37. > :28:42.sadness. They cannot believe what he has said and how he has said it.
:28:43. > :28:47.Fascinating situation. Thank you very much for joining us as ever.
:28:48. > :28:52.That is it that night. Don't forget to join me on Thursday. Until then,
:28:53. > :28:59.from everyone in the team, good night.