:00:28. > :00:33.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Here at Parliament Buildings, MLAs
:00:33. > :00:36.have never had it so good, but the bon homie among old enemies isn't
:00:36. > :00:40.being felt on the ground just streets away. MLAs were dismayed
:00:40. > :00:44.about the violence that erupted at the Short Strand interface. There
:00:44. > :00:49.is one community with two sections down there this morning, which is
:00:49. > :00:53.broken. In the frontline of that riot, in the buffer zone, were a
:00:53. > :00:59.row of pensioners cottages. David Ford, the Justice Minister, is
:00:59. > :01:03.fighting the lawyers, who will win this battle of wits? So, there's no
:01:03. > :01:06.compromise in terms of changing the rates. There is no way David Ford
:01:06. > :01:15.with the stroke of a pen could give solicitors an barrister what is
:01:15. > :01:19.they want. This time last night we were discussing the glory of Rory
:01:19. > :01:23.McIlroy's win at the US Open. That's now been overshadowed by the
:01:23. > :01:27.shame of violence in East Belfast. Extra police were drafted into the
:01:27. > :01:32.Short Strand area tonight and after the most serious rioting in years,
:01:32. > :01:35.which included shots being fired last night. The UVF has been blamed
:01:35. > :01:41.for orchestrating events. This morning, members were quick to
:01:41. > :01:45.condemn the rioting. For me the sight of homes wrecked, on both
:01:45. > :01:50.sides of the Newtownards Road in the Short Strand and people lying
:01:51. > :01:54.injured in hospital this morning, for me it's a sad reminder of how
:01:54. > :01:59.fragile the peace is in East Belfast. Could I say this morning
:01:59. > :02:02.we want to convey our thoughts and prayers to those people liing in
:02:02. > :02:07.hospital this morning. I was down there last night, after I had been
:02:07. > :02:14.in the Assembly until 9.30pm. I was late there last night. I went to
:02:14. > :02:19.some of those homes in Duke Street and Newtownards Road that had been
:02:19. > :02:21.attacked. I was down there this morning, in Strand Walk houses were
:02:22. > :02:30.attacked this morning. Both communities suffered. For me, I
:02:30. > :02:35.suppose, it reminds me of a proverb which talk abouts hope defered
:02:35. > :02:38.maketh the heart sick. I felt all our hopes for, let's get this peace
:02:38. > :02:43.embedded into the local communities, that our our hopes had been placed
:02:43. > :02:49.on hold in many ways. There is one community with two sections down
:02:49. > :02:54.there this morning which is broken, hurt and damaged. There is
:02:54. > :02:59.resentment. There is a silent cry for help. There is a belief that
:02:59. > :03:04.no-one cares. Or that no-one can do anything to change or prevent a
:03:04. > :03:10.course of events. It was a reminder of everything we have worked so
:03:10. > :03:17.hard to try and put behind us. We must accept it, as a collective
:03:17. > :03:22.failure. I do not think that it is good enough to try and reduce the
:03:22. > :03:28.issues at the heart of what is still happening in some communities
:03:28. > :03:32.to the responsibility of a few. It is the responsibility of us all.
:03:32. > :03:40.use this platform this morning to ask those involved, with the
:03:40. > :03:44.senseless violence we saw last night, to stop. It was organised
:03:44. > :03:48.and orchestrated violence we saw is unjustifiably. It's
:03:48. > :03:52.unrepresentative. It's destroying the cross community peace-building
:03:52. > :03:56.and community development work that has happened in the area. And, it's
:03:56. > :04:01.completely wrong that people in this area should be living in fear
:04:01. > :04:04.and terror at the hands of a small minority at the moment. I also
:04:04. > :04:08.caught up with Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey on the issue. He has been
:04:08. > :04:11.meeting police in recent weeks about his own concerns. Well, I
:04:11. > :04:15.think, it's been quite clear, throughout the day, that what
:04:15. > :04:18.happened last night was the UVF inspired attack on the Short Strand
:04:18. > :04:22.community. We have been given a variety of reasons for that.
:04:22. > :04:28.Whether it's disenchantment within that organisation or that
:04:28. > :04:33.particular bit of the community. Other attacks in the area in recent
:04:33. > :04:37.times, what is clear, there is no justification for what was a UVF-
:04:37. > :04:41.led attack in that community last night. I think people are very,
:04:41. > :04:46.very sorely disappointed that, despite the great work that has
:04:46. > :04:50.gone on there in the last couple of years, in the interface level, that
:04:50. > :04:55.we had a return to the bad old days. There was violence from a
:04:56. > :04:59.nationalist side. Who is behind that? We know clearly, the PSNI
:04:59. > :05:02.will confirm this and other organisations, people do
:05:02. > :05:05.acknowledge that the UVF inspired that attack last night. It was an
:05:05. > :05:11.attack on the community in the Short Strand last night. That went
:05:11. > :05:19.on for a number of hours. It resulted for the most part the
:05:19. > :05:23.loyalisted -- loyalists and the PSNI. You need to be clear that
:05:23. > :05:28.that violence was wrong and the defence of the area was a matter
:05:28. > :05:31.for the police? Well, what I'm saying is that nobody left the
:05:31. > :05:36.Short Strand last night to go out and attack a another district. That
:05:36. > :05:39.is very clear. You are condemning the violence from both side?
:05:39. > :05:43.condemning the violence that took place in that area last night. That
:05:43. > :05:48.is not a question of one side is as bad as another. There has been
:05:48. > :05:51.anti-social behaviour in that area. There has been sectarian
:05:51. > :05:54.squirmishing in that side much I condemn people from the loyalist
:05:54. > :06:00.and national and republican side who have been working together, it
:06:00. > :06:06.canly over the past two years, who reduced a serious interface area
:06:06. > :06:09.down to a periodic antisocial type rioting on a small scale. Albeit,
:06:09. > :06:12.that those incidents do affect homes on both sides of that
:06:12. > :06:15.community. All of which I condemn much my party, throughout the past
:06:15. > :06:21.year, has been given names of individuals from the Short Strand
:06:21. > :06:23.to the PSNI, people who have been attacking Protestant homes and who
:06:24. > :06:27.have been involved in persistent anti-social behaviour. We have been
:06:27. > :06:30.working with the PSNI with representatives of the loyalist
:06:30. > :06:34.community to bring that interface to a greater sense of normality to
:06:34. > :06:38.the residents on both sides. What happened last night was a UVF
:06:38. > :06:42.attack on that community. There can be no rational nor justification
:06:42. > :06:46.for that. What can be done about it? Is it a matter solely for the
:06:46. > :06:50.police, is Sinn Fein willing to engage in dialogue to ensure it
:06:50. > :06:54.doesn't happen again? We need to move from last night, obviously,
:06:54. > :06:57.from today onwards to make sure there is no repeat of this. Clearly,
:06:57. > :07:01.community relations in that area have been set back, I think,
:07:01. > :07:05.considerably. All stops now have to be - make sure - we need to make
:07:05. > :07:11.sure there is nothing left unturned there to make sure we don't have a
:07:11. > :07:15.repeat of last night. I think the Lord Mayor, who is a Short Strand
:07:15. > :07:18.representative, hosted a meeting in the city council today with all of
:07:18. > :07:21.the o other parties, senior officers of the council, they
:07:21. > :07:26.agreed on a certain course of action, which includes bringing
:07:26. > :07:31.together the people who work at interface level to refocus their
:07:31. > :07:36.minds and make sure community res can be repaired and make sure there
:07:36. > :07:44.is no repeat of this. We had meetings with the PSNI today. We
:07:44. > :07:48.met other parties within the last hour half. A lot of work has gone
:07:48. > :07:51.on today to make sure communities can be settled. That communities
:07:51. > :07:56.can be protected from this type of behaviour again. Do you think the
:07:56. > :08:01.absence of the PUP from Stormont, has that destabilised loyalism?
:08:01. > :08:05.There is no question or doubt in my mind shall I said this repeatedly,
:08:05. > :08:08.if you look at working-class unionist and Protestant areas, a
:08:08. > :08:12.lot of those communities will complain of being abandoned by the
:08:12. > :08:16.mainstream political parties in those communities. And, I mean, I
:08:16. > :08:20.myself, have had a positive experience in areas where I've been
:08:20. > :08:23.able to work with communities in there, whether it be on housing and
:08:23. > :08:26.making representations on their behalf. I hear from those people
:08:26. > :08:31.they have felt abandoned by the mainstream parties. All that being
:08:31. > :08:35.said, it's not either a justification to go and attack the
:08:35. > :08:37.Catholic district in the social services because you feel alienated
:08:37. > :08:40.from the main traem stream political parties or government. I
:08:40. > :08:44.recognise there are people in unionist working-class communities
:08:44. > :08:49.who have been ill served by the political process for a long number
:08:49. > :08:54.of years. That has to stop. That one of the calls today, both in the
:08:54. > :08:59.Assembly here this morning and in our meetings with the OFM and DFM
:08:59. > :09:06.this afternoon much I want to see political unionism engaging with
:09:06. > :09:09.those people. To aidentify if they do have grievances, what they are
:09:09. > :09:13.those grievances. They need to be given support. I want to make it
:09:14. > :09:17.clear, Wyles all that has to be done, there is no justification for
:09:17. > :09:22.attacking the community because you are aggrieved at something else.
:09:22. > :09:26.David Ford was facing questions today and on a topic very close to
:09:26. > :09:30.some members' hearts, the ongoing dispute with lawyers over legal aid.
:09:30. > :09:33.During the session he made it clear the new fees were now in force and
:09:33. > :09:40.he was not for turning. In a moment, I will get reaction from the Head
:09:40. > :09:47.of the Bar Council, Adrian Colton. Here is Simon Hamilton on his feet.
:09:47. > :09:54.Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Can I thank the Minister for his spobs
:09:55. > :09:59.response. -- response. In trying to seek an alternative way forward,
:09:59. > :10:05.cot Minister tell us, has he considered the idea of maybe
:10:05. > :10:11.instigating something like a US- style public defenders office? If
:10:11. > :10:16.in examining that if he considered how easy that might be to do?
:10:16. > :10:20.I think Mr Hamilton for that question. The answer is, yes, I am
:10:20. > :10:25.at the moment considering all options to ensure defendants have
:10:25. > :10:29.access to justice. It is my hope, it has been my effort, to date, to
:10:29. > :10:33.ensure that defendants obtain solicitors and barristers under the
:10:33. > :10:37.usual arrangements prepared to work at the new legally enforced rates
:10:37. > :10:40.of remuneration. I could seek to invite solicitors and barristers
:10:40. > :10:44.from outside Northern Ireland to make themselves available to take
:10:44. > :10:47.on that crown court work on the same basis that applies. We have
:10:47. > :10:52.had interested indicated without seeking it from some firms of
:10:52. > :10:56.solicitors in England and Wales, who are keen to work here. Another
:10:56. > :11:01.option would be for the legal services commission to arrange for
:11:01. > :11:05.legal advice and representation to be provided directly to
:11:05. > :11:08.unrepresented defendants. Mr Hamilton referred to a US-style
:11:08. > :11:11.public defender system. That might create concerns about the quality
:11:12. > :11:17.of justice. It is something which already operates successfully in
:11:17. > :11:21.England and Wales, in part. The legislation is already in place,
:11:21. > :11:25.under the As access to Justice Northern Ireland Order for the
:11:25. > :11:30.legal services commission to directly engage, should they so
:11:30. > :11:35.wish to do it, and should that be necessary to ensure access for
:11:35. > :11:39.justicies for defendants. It's unhelpful for the Minister to adopt
:11:39. > :11:45.an uncompromising approach in relation to this problem. I think
:11:45. > :11:50.it is better that the Minister reopens discussions with both the
:11:50. > :11:57.Law Society, and, indeed, the Bar Council, to see if there is some
:11:57. > :12:02.basis of reaching a compromise, as Mr McNarry pointed out, on the
:12:02. > :12:09.basis of their proposals which were, in fact, verified - Question.
:12:09. > :12:14.being within budget. The Deputy Speaker, I fear he hasn't
:12:14. > :12:20.appreciated the point which I tried to make. The new regulations are in
:12:20. > :12:23.force. This Assembly Assembly has accepted the new rates of
:12:23. > :12:27.remuneration. To suggest I'm uncompromising is completely out
:12:28. > :12:31.with the mark. The simple position is, proposals were put forward by
:12:31. > :12:36.the Department, accepted by the Committee, not rejected by the
:12:36. > :12:41.Assembly, therefore, have the force of law. There is no compromise that
:12:41. > :12:44.can be made about those rates. The compromise is, that I have offered
:12:44. > :12:49.an early review, when we see how the current arrangements work, when
:12:49. > :12:54.we see if there are particular anomalies, I have engaged with the
:12:54. > :12:58.Law Society and the Bar Council, I have offered them that. I asked my
:12:58. > :13:02.officials to engage in detail with them. That is the compromise. The
:13:02. > :13:06.compromise is not somehow to suggest that I should accept a
:13:06. > :13:09.proposal which game from the two professional bodies which was
:13:10. > :13:13.uncosted, could not be costed, and would have significantly exceeded
:13:13. > :13:18.the budget available for legal aid, with the result there would have
:13:18. > :13:21.been costs pressures being met by other aspects of the public
:13:21. > :13:26.expenditure in Northern Ireland, which I believe deserve equal
:13:26. > :13:30.priority. I suspect there are a few members of this House who would
:13:30. > :13:33.wish to see us shifting funds from the budget from health and social
:13:33. > :13:37.services into the funding of legal aid when Northern Ireland will
:13:37. > :13:40.still have the most generous system in western Europe. Well, the
:13:40. > :13:44.Justice Minister show nos sign of backing down over legal aid
:13:44. > :13:50.payments to barristers and solicitors. While eight local firms
:13:50. > :13:53.are willing to work the new fees, the majority in the professor are
:13:53. > :13:57.refusing cases. Leaving more than 250 defendants without
:13:57. > :14:01.representation. Adrian Colton, Chairman of the bar council is with
:14:01. > :14:03.me to defend his stance. What is the problem here? You heard the
:14:03. > :14:07.Minister say, the most generous system in western Europe? I don't
:14:07. > :14:12.accept. That we asked him to produce the figures from which that
:14:12. > :14:16.assertion is based. The answer is a references to per Capita depargs
:14:16. > :14:19.with England and Wales. We asked for, what would be more relevant
:14:19. > :14:22.comparison would be with the north- east of England or some of the
:14:22. > :14:26.regions in England which would be comparable with Northern Ireland.
:14:26. > :14:29.The real problem is this, we do not want to end up with a system in the
:14:29. > :14:31.crown court that we have in England and Wales. That is what this
:14:31. > :14:35.dispute is about. It's about whether we can create a system of
:14:35. > :14:39.justice in which the public will have confidence? Does the Minister
:14:39. > :14:42.know what is happening in England and Wales? First and second year
:14:42. > :14:51.barristers are being sent out, on the morning of serious criminal
:14:51. > :14:55.trials to represent people much we Your council's own comparisons show
:14:55. > :14:57.that Northern Ireland are sometimes cheaper than England and Wales but
:14:57. > :15:04.sometimes your figures are disingenuous. A don't accept that.
:15:04. > :15:09.The reason we picked her up -- but that Fagin in the public domain was
:15:09. > :15:19.to show... Critics it say she wanted more for every case and your
:15:19. > :15:19.
:15:19. > :15:22.proposal for example theft under �30,000,... It is your own proposal.
:15:22. > :15:26.While I am looking for more money? We want a system that will come
:15:26. > :15:29.within budget and it must be remembered that we have never ever
:15:29. > :15:32.challenged the Budget that is available. What we are asked to do
:15:32. > :15:37.was to come up with proposals that would come within that budget.
:15:37. > :15:41.Tweeted that. We demonstrated that we could do that but despite that,
:15:41. > :15:47.the Minister is insisting on making further cuts and that is what...
:15:47. > :15:53.That is the kernel of the dispute. The issue is whether the public has
:15:53. > :15:58.confidence. Ferrar those working to work the system. One solicitor who
:15:58. > :16:04.was willing to accept the fees has since decided not to. His pressure
:16:04. > :16:10.being applied? His solicitor would not be a colleague of mine. But
:16:10. > :16:16.this is interesting because what I feared would come to pass has come
:16:16. > :16:19.to pass. The very first case that was dealt with under the new
:16:19. > :16:24.proposals was... The lawyer in question had not even read the
:16:24. > :16:34.quotas. There you have it. They you have the proof of what I want could
:16:34. > :16:34.
:16:34. > :16:39.happen if this system has left us they it its. The Minister is not
:16:39. > :16:44.depriving anyone of a fair trial, he is simply depriving the legal
:16:44. > :16:48.profession of faith of more money. The money is not there to enrich
:16:48. > :16:52.lawyers. The money that has provided to legal aid is for the
:16:52. > :16:55.benefit of members of the public and for victims. The greatest
:16:55. > :16:59.service become paid to victims of crime is to ensure we have a
:16:59. > :17:04.properly resourced Criminal Justice System, the prosecution a properly
:17:04. > :17:11.resourced and the defences properly resourced.
:17:11. > :17:18.Is there a budding Patrick Kavanagh as dormant? He is a member who was
:17:19. > :17:23.more tours of than Churchill,... Maybe not quite so talented but
:17:23. > :17:33.some members did enter the competition and I caught up with
:17:33. > :17:35.
:17:35. > :17:43.the winners in the long gallery. poem is entitled... It is a
:17:43. > :17:47.reference to where I am from and I've made the journey from their
:17:47. > :17:55.two here, in front of the Stormont parliament buildings. It was a
:17:55. > :18:00.phrase that was used in a newspaper I'll -- article because it told a
:18:00. > :18:04.bit about my journey. Are you are delighted because he won a prize?
:18:04. > :18:13.I've not had that confirmed yet. There is a rumour going about but I
:18:13. > :18:23.have not had it confirmed. I hope I have. I noticed you managed in your
:18:23. > :18:25.
:18:25. > :18:35.poem to include a certain word. poem includes certain phrases.
:18:35. > :18:44.
:18:44. > :18:47.There are many rural references. I love all of the rural places in
:18:47. > :18:53.County Tyrone and I have given expression to them in a poem.
:18:53. > :18:56.you consider giving up your assembly job and pursue poetry
:18:56. > :19:00.full-time? Why couldn't I do the two things? They could be a
:19:00. > :19:07.wonderful synchronisation of politics and poetry through my good
:19:07. > :19:14.self. Thank you very much. Years ago, one of the first art
:19:14. > :19:19.exhibitions I came to one-eyed come home was by Basil Blackshaw. He had
:19:20. > :19:26.edged it out with a paint brush, broad colour. A thought I would
:19:26. > :19:31.have a go myself. This was just an effort and my children said, I
:19:31. > :19:41.could do better than that. People always say that about greyed out.
:19:41. > :19:43.
:19:43. > :19:46.wish. What were you do with a painting? I will hang it on my wall
:19:46. > :19:49.upstairs. It was great fun trying to see if I could do it because
:19:49. > :19:53.I've never painted. Most of my family are involved in the art
:19:53. > :19:59.world. It is good to do. It's a very cheerful painting. But I love
:19:59. > :20:09.colour, I'll have fun. By run an art gallery as well. I've always
:20:09. > :20:12.
:20:12. > :20:17.looked for, in that as well. A of course I should say the poet one...
:20:17. > :20:22.Adrian, any opinion on this? Should they stick to their day-job? I am
:20:22. > :20:27.not surprised that there were no one, it was a beautiful painting.
:20:27. > :20:33.As for Barry's poetry, I don't think other poets have anything to
:20:33. > :20:40.fear. I am told that there has been a bid for the poor trade. Danny
:20:40. > :20:44.Kennedy was also fielding questions. He was asked by Sinn Fein about
:20:44. > :20:47.though rail link between Belfast and Londonderry. The original plan
:20:47. > :20:51.for the Colraine it to Londonderry track relay project would have
:20:51. > :20:56.resulted in the completion of their budget by 2013. This was to
:20:56. > :21:00.coincide with the introduction to service of all 20 new trains. The
:21:00. > :21:05.budget, however, approved by the assembly and executive makes
:21:05. > :21:09.provision for the commencement of the track relay in 2014. This
:21:09. > :21:14.reflects the capital budget available. That is, �20 million in
:21:14. > :21:20.year for the budget period. It is not possible to start work earlier
:21:20. > :21:23.than 2014 on the main relay for this reason. The project was
:21:23. > :21:27.originally envisaged to take a couple of years, two years to
:21:28. > :21:35.complete. On this basis, I had the project will be completed in the
:21:35. > :21:40.financial year twenties 17. Given that Derry City is to be City of
:21:40. > :21:44.Culture in 2013, would the minister seriously make a case to the
:21:44. > :21:48.executive and find the funding because personally, I find it an
:21:48. > :21:53.absolute disgrace at an InterCity service is now going to have speed
:21:53. > :21:58.limits on it, when the public have doubled the numbers. I would appeal
:21:58. > :22:04.to the minister and are attached no blame to him for the neglect of the
:22:04. > :22:12.past. I am grateful and gratified to the member for the no blame
:22:12. > :22:16.attachment there. I do have ongoing concern but in the current
:22:16. > :22:22.financial climate that we find ourselves in, particularly within
:22:22. > :22:29.my departmental budget, I have to be honest to the house and say the
:22:29. > :22:38.earliest I am able to indicate his, as I have said, 2014. I welcome the
:22:39. > :22:46.fact that the minister... It is the only place in Northern Ireland
:22:46. > :22:53.where Orange feet walk without the requirement of... Will the Minister
:22:53. > :22:57.end of the visiting the island ensure that there is progress made?
:22:57. > :23:06.I have been concerned for some considerable period of time were
:23:06. > :23:09.the model... His department needs to show a greater commitment to
:23:09. > :23:14.delivering on specific issues which have been raised through the
:23:14. > :23:20.process to date. Well, I am grateful for the supplementary and
:23:20. > :23:30.have no intention of off -- forming a concerned residents' groups for
:23:30. > :23:30.
:23:30. > :23:34.the puffins, who understand pretty much fly off. That might be
:23:34. > :23:38.something that all of us can to consider. On a more serious note,
:23:38. > :23:42.the final debate here today featured a campaign for Colin
:23:42. > :23:47.Wharton, he is the former UDR soldier was then 30 months in jail
:23:47. > :23:52.in the 1980s, charged with involvement in the murder of Adrian
:23:52. > :23:55.Carroll. The case against him was thrown out when the trial judge
:23:55. > :24:02.deemed that admits isn't -- and admitted he made to please was
:24:02. > :24:07.inadmissible. Complex and traumatic story for the family in the 1970s.
:24:07. > :24:11.Colin's brother Kenneth was one of the limit -- victims of the Kings
:24:11. > :24:16.Mills massacre and the report was officially released today blaming
:24:16. > :24:19.the IRA for the massacre. In the 80s, Colin went on to join the
:24:19. > :24:23.Ulster Defence Regiment and he was arrested for his alleged
:24:23. > :24:28.involvement in the murder of Adrian Carroll in Armagh. He spent about
:24:28. > :24:33.13 months in custody on remand but the case against him was thrown out
:24:33. > :24:35.by the trial judge to deemed an admission that he made to the
:24:35. > :24:40.police was inadmissible. He might have thought that he would have
:24:40. > :24:43.been happy with that but in fact, what he has seen as some double
:24:43. > :24:47.convicted of that which was subsequently released on appeal has
:24:47. > :24:52.gone composition. He's not been able to get compensation. He
:24:52. > :24:57.believes there is a slur against him. He was quite happy though that
:24:57. > :25:02.in this debate, at Stormont today, he did receive support that he felt
:25:02. > :25:12.has moved his campaign for it on. We have the minister for justice
:25:12. > :25:16.
:25:16. > :25:19.coming out and saying that I was innocent. I question is why do I
:25:20. > :25:24.have to make a statement? We have backing for him from the Unionists,
:25:24. > :25:28.we had backing from the SDLP and the alliance. David Ford spoke
:25:28. > :25:31.sympathetically about his case. Sinn Fein were notable by their
:25:31. > :25:35.absence during the course of the debates and afterwards Mr Wharton
:25:35. > :25:38.was pretty scathing about Sinn Fein. Police said he met them and lobbied
:25:39. > :25:42.them in person but never heard back from them. This case is a sharp
:25:42. > :25:46.reminder that the past is never far from the present at Stormont.
:25:46. > :25:52.Absolutely. We have of course the King's Mills report of the end of
:25:52. > :25:57.the week. There will be no doubt more controversy into the UDF
:25:57. > :26:00.massacre at a pub in the 1990s. Some might also say that the home
:26:00. > :26:04.activities of the historical inquiries team in relation to the
:26:04. > :26:08.UVF might have been one of the pressure points which contributed
:26:08. > :26:11.to solve that east Belfast trouble that we have seen. This is
:26:11. > :26:18.certainly a case that the past still retains the potential to come
:26:18. > :26:21.back and haunt us in the present. As for Peter Robinson, he once
:26:21. > :26:24.joked that if negotiating was an Olympic event, Northern Ireland
:26:24. > :26:27.could win gold. Sadly, there are no medals to be one in this category
:26:27. > :26:31.but there was an some excitement today when the Sports Minister
:26:31. > :26:35.welcomed the torch from the Games. The torch came to the north. Thus
:26:35. > :26:39.the first time that it came from London. We are trying to use this
:26:39. > :26:43.event and other events happening today to bring some awareness to
:26:43. > :26:48.the fact that there is a deadline for 29th June for people to become
:26:48. > :26:54.Torch bearers. We need at least 600 people, north. Ordinary people who
:26:54. > :27:03.do extraordinary things, nominate someone, 150 words about bearing
:27:03. > :27:13.the church for the UN pigs. Is this is the actual tort? It is the
:27:13. > :27:14.
:27:14. > :27:20.actual tort. The it has come here... I saw the SDLP posing with it, I
:27:20. > :27:27.posed -- I saw you posing with it. This is going to be the start of a
:27:27. > :27:31.series of events. Political parties, communities, people representing
:27:31. > :27:37.communities are going to come together to raise the profile of
:27:37. > :27:40.the northern part of the island. Hopefully they will use whatever
:27:40. > :27:50.influence and connections they have to nominate could become torch-
:27:50. > :27:51.
:27:51. > :27:56.bearer us. what about yourself, Adrian?
:27:56. > :28:01.Peter Robinson says politicians here occurred enter an Olympic
:28:01. > :28:04.event for negotiations. What about this issue of legal aid? When I
:28:04. > :28:09.heard and was reminded about Peter Robinson's remarks, it struck me
:28:09. > :28:12.that perhaps during the discussions we had, some and LA's could have
:28:12. > :28:15.been beneficial in that process and we wouldn't have ended up in the
:28:15. > :28:19.crisis we have. Seriously, there has to be compromise. We have a
:28:19. > :28:25.crisis, it has to be resolved. minister says he has compromised.
:28:25. > :28:31.The money is not there, ministers are agreed that it is the lawyers.
:28:31. > :28:34.The money is there and what we need a proper robust scrutiny of the men
:28:34. > :28:38.-- of the issue. That is all from Stormont. We are