23/06/2014 Stormont Today

The First Minister says a solution can be found to

the outstanding issues of flags, parades and the past.

Surely this party is serious about dealing with the outstanding issues

parades, flags and of course the past.

The Education Minister gives his budget a worrying diagnosis.

Our schools and boards are worrisome and we must identify ways to ensure

that education receives greater allocations.

And our Political Reporter, Stephen Walker, joins me to review

The First Minister told the Assembly today that he and

his party are serious about dealing with outstanding issues which were

not resolved during the marathon Haass talks last Christmas.

Peter Robinson said the problems over flags, parades

But before the impending intensive talks were mentioned at

Question Time, Mr Robinson had to once again answer questions

Would you add the net the issue of racial intimidation must be

addressed, must be acknowledged and addressed urgently? Of course, Mr

principal Deputy speaker, all incidences of racial tension must be

addressed are particularly where it involves intimidation or hate

claim, worse still when it involves attacks on members, those who can be

profile because of their race. It is a matter that has caused

considerable concern to the PSN in that we have reported an increased

number of racist incidents and racial cranes over the past year. I

trust that the work arising from this strategy, a strategy without

action point attached to it and funding for those action points will

not help. It is necessary that we take action from this. Would be

First Minister accept that it is the duty incumbent on all who hold high

office including his own office to condemn forthrightly and

unambiguously without ifs or buts any form of racism and I refer in

particular to the incident in east Belfast were a house was allocated

to the Nigerian and the First Minister in that situation tended to

defend or explain away the reasons for that obstruction by local

residents. I did no such thing. Indeed if one was to listen to the

interview in school I would say that 90% of it was condemning any tape of

racial intimidation. But if you have any difficulty with housing

allocations or with the allocation scheme the answer is to see the

Housing executive and elected representatives and deal with those

matters to them. The answer is not to stand outside someone's house,

allocated to them, because no matter what their background might be that

in my view will be seen as intimidation and certainly have

somebody from a different racial profile is involved it will

certainly be seen by them as being racially motivated. Could I ask the

Minister whether he can confirm that he and his party are up for serious

negotiations to implement the Haas proposals in the next few days? I am

sure that the member did not intend to indicate that his party were not

up for negotiation is on the outstanding issues but by saying it

was simply the implementation of the Haass proposals that is precisely

what he is saying. I can assure you that this party is serious about

dealing with the three outstanding issues of parades, flags and

identity and of course the past. Those are important issues which

whether readers of them this month, next in one year's came must be

resolved. But they will not be resolved on the basis of people

digging in their heels for one set of outcomes that suits them. It must

be a set of outcomes that suits all of the parties in this house

otherwise it is not simply going to happen.

And our Political Reporter, Stephen Walker, joins me now.

We'll come onto the talks in a moment,

but first this row about racism has so far refused to go away.

It is and no great surprise. It was inevitable that racism would be on

the agenda for Peter Robinson 's questions today. The sole questions

to the First Minister and Peter Robinson tried to explain away the

situation in Cincinnati did Barroso -- clear that he did no such thing.

It is clear these attacks are increasing. A few years ago this was

something you heard about once per week or every couple of weeks but

the perception has now we are feeling about racist attacks

everyday. Last week we have the want of the antiracism strategy so maybe

today's debate could not be more topical. As far as the toxin

concerned, any sign of a start date? Now. There are discussions going on

behind the scenes. We know that the parties have put forward the

delegations. We know that Sinn Fein have offered ten dates to the DUP

but as yet we have no start date. We might find out more information

tomorrow, tomorrow will be a meeting of the party leaders so it is

possible we might find out about that. We know that in the offices of

first and deputy first ministers staff have been set aside to deal

with the mechanics but in terms of concrete details and a start date,

we do not have that done. As far as the politicians are concerned the

detect any mood amongst them that there is an appetite for talking?

There is an appetite for solution. People desperately want a solution

but when you talk to politicians in the corridors here at Stormont there

is enormous frustration. People feel time is running out. We are coming

to recess and we have some crucial parades and particularly when it

comes to the issue of parading their is the uncertainty that if there was

some agreement or talking vendor could take some heat out of the

situation. The Alliance party see if there is not a date then the two

governments should put a date for work. In the scenes there is an

enormous amount of frustration that we don't have a date for the toxin

again. Briefly, Richard Haass, the man who chaired the worst talk

session, gave a speech tonight. Yes he did, he got an award for his work

towards Northern Ireland and has warned against complacency and says

that people in Northern Ireland want their reader to compromise, he says

people want the leaders to come up with a deal and he is worried that

one incident in Northern Ireland could spark violence but he is

urging people at this crucial time even at this last minute to make a

deal. The Minister of Education was also

up at the despatch box today He had some worrying words

about the state of the education purse, but first he

was asked about home schooling. I understand that in light of legal

advice received following litigation in which an issue turning on

education arose that the education board will review the arrangements

to ensure that the meat of children and young people who are dedicated

Ahmed with a suitable in full-time education. Proposing massive changes

based on an interpretation of the law which is not shared with the

education authorities in England and Wales or Scotland. This is

potentially damaging and can confirm to the house is he sought legal

advice on this? We have our own legislation in relation to education

including medication and there is currently a consultation going on. I

will keep an open mind in terms of the legislation of the consultation

and the guidance that will be issued. I have a concern that the

vast majority of people have spoken on this issue have spoken on the

needs of the adult and not on the needs of the child. And everyone in

this chamber reassure themselves, how do you reassure yourself that

the tales being medicated is being properly home educated? How do you

the issue yourself of that? It appears to me that everyone who has

spoken in this manner thus far has completely reassured, we have no

hesitation whatsoever in endorsing the current games and say that

children are being properly home educated. However, in the initial

answer to the member we have seen that this is not the case. We have

legal duties to ensure we are doing it properly and a moral duty. May I

ask the minister if people tell me an allusion to his budget allocation

that has not been spent what will be returned to the DFP any month in

rent? You'll I am not in the position to hand back money that has

been spent. I am happy to say that I have one of the few departments that

has not returned significant amount of money to the DFP. This -- neither

in this monitoring rent or previous monitoring rounds. The education

budget is far from healthy. Our schools and boards are all working

under budget. We need to continue to identify ways of ensuring that

education does receive greater allocations before the end of this

CSR are in the next round of budget negotiations. To ask the minister if

he has any plans to the carriage programmes in schools to make

children think about the differences between them and those around them?

We have programmes in schools to do exactly that. Part of the policy is

to ensure young children start interacting and engaging with others

from different communities and backgrounds whether they be racial,

social or otherwise. Many of us are already participating in programmes

such as that. We obviously have the shared education programme moving

forward and I hope to be in the position in a number of weeks to

announce funding for continued share education programmes. Schools have

the access to courses, and they are carrying out such work but be wanted

promoted and increased as well. The recent discovery of the remains

of almost 800 children in a mass grave at a Galway care home

was a story heard across the world. Today it was debated in the Assembly

as a motion called for the Dublin government to fully investigate what

happened at the Bon Secours Sisters' In a moment we'll talk to

Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff, who brought the motion,

but first of all, here's a flavour This is not just the film Philomena

this is real life and it has happened in the recent past, the

first lady, I referred to, admission date to marry and veal was January

1980. January 1980 when a young woman from my constituency gave

birth to a baby boy and that baby boy was taken from her. It was a

place where mothers and babies were incarcerated and treated like

centres or social outcasts. A place where the mortality rate among

children was fun of the expected average when compared to the

mortality rate among children born with and manage. It is fair to say

that the treatment of mothers and children in homes and institutions

throughout Ireland north and south has been nothing short of

disgraceful. And it is almost medieval in its cruelty. I think

that stories of children and families affected have gone to the

very core and touched a nerve of the entire society. Many people look to

the Irish proclamation for inspiration. It is on every, in most

government buildings in Dublin. It talks about cherishing all of the

children of our nation equally. I think we have a field massively --

we have failed massively in that standard. And I think a lot of the

revelations that have come out in the last number of years about how

communities and the suggestions and organisations of the state or

otherwise treated young people, greeted children is one that we

must, we have a lot of making up to do.

The motion passed and its proposer, Barry McElduff, is with me now.

You said in the chamber today that babies continued to be taken from

Do you have any concerns that the practices that appear to have

I have been particularly struck by the experiences of a number of women

whom I know, or whom I have come to know. I number of Dan in County

Tyrone have contacted me as well as other counties. They have brought to

my attention in their story. A couple of examples that I cited

today, the first one was a lady who was admitted at 17, decaying 18

during her time. She gave birth to a baby boy and he was taken away after

his birth. She was not reunited with him for about 20 years. I speak to

that lady often and she has left a huge impression on me. I have spoken

also to adult ease. One particular lady in my constituency was adopted

and was taken from her mother. Speaking to these mothers and

children who have been adopted has really made an impression on me. I

wanted to go to The Dail when it was debated to make sure that the

Assembly in the North debated the same type of motion. It is

island-wide. The homes are in the north and the South. All parts of

the islands of Ireland. Do you believe it was equally widespread

across the island of Ireland? The figures that you are eye watering.

Was it as extensive in the North? That is yes to be found out. I met

this morning with an archaeologist who gave me some testimony as to the

work she is carrying out close to the cemetery to identify how many

babies were buried there. Questions remain unanswered. That is what this

is about. It is about bringing down to the four so their voices can be

heard. The voices of the mothers, the voices of those who were adopted

and taken from their mothers. Those voices need to be harried and I

think in time we will get to the full truth. It will require all

government departments and agencies, north and south, to cooperate with

investigations. Were you pleased with the way this

matter was handled today? I was very pleased. I proposed the

motion and I was joined by two other representatives. I was pleased with

the tone coming from Danny Kennedy and Trevor Lunn, those members in

particular. Ulster Unionists and an member.

DUP did not speak and they can explain why they didn't take that

opportunity to participate in the debate. I did notice that they

verbalise their support for the motion when the Speaker has it to

the Assembly. Everyone spoke with one voice. I was pleased that -- at

the tone and the commitment of Assembly members to do what they

can. We need to provide a listening ear at Stormont for others and for

victims and survivors. We want, for example, a historical institutional

abuse enquiry in the North to be expanded. It should cover a mother

and baby homes, etc. It should look out all kinds of institutions,

whether state or otherwise, or perhaps women were incarcerated.

Thank you. MLAs approved the introduction

of new regulations for the The Justice Minister said

the changes are designed to further protect the public against

the danger of sexual offending. The draft regulations before the

House today will remove a number of differences between our law and

arrangements in the rest of the UK, it I believe is important to enhance

the overall effectiveness of risk management processes. The draft

regulations will require any sex offender with no fixed abode is to

make a notification to the police every week, to confirm a place for

he can be found. This will vastly improve the current requirement were

such an offender only have to check in on an annual basis. The

regulations will require an offender to notify the police if he is

resided -- has resided or stayed for 12 hours or more weather is a child

under 18. This information will help ensure that there is a focus on

child protection. This also requires notification of travel outside of

the UK for more than three days. Under the new requirements,

offenders will have to notify of all travel arrangements outside the UK

except for cross-border movement which will remain as it is

currently, notification of movement for three days or more. This is to

allow for people who travel across the border regularly, for example,

to visit a relative. In England, we will be more aware of

Sarah's law. The public has a right to know where a sex offender lives

in their community. There are inherent risks for the sex offender

by way of their own protection. We believe that the right of the

community at the right of parents and families to know that their

children are being protected, and that they know the whereabouts of

the sex offenders residing in Northern Ireland, is the paramount,

critical tests that should be met. Great

the new draft additional amendments are to ensure that this focus

continues to be achieved as effectively as possible. Public

protection must be at the heart of society. These requirements will

form an excellent tool to the authorities and will enhance the

management of members. This statutory rule will enhance

what we already have. In terms of public protection, insofar as new

information will be required to be given by sex offenders to the

police. I think it is important that if we are to manage the risk posed

by sex offenders, that in fact we do strengthen these arrangements.

Zero hours contracts - some people might not know what they are,

but approximately 28,000 workers in Northern Ireland are on them.

The contracts allowing employers to hire people with no guarantee of

Today, the Employment and Learning Minister, Stephen Farry, announced

As members will know, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK

to which implement law has devolved. Given that concerns have been

raised, my commitments to ensuring that employment is fair, I have

decided to review the use of these types of contracts, initially

through a public consultation. The information gathering indicated that

zero hours contracts can be useful for employers and individuals in

specific circumstances, arriving flexibility for both parties. Some

regard zero are as contract as vital and in response to the labour

market. Had implement levels been higher, they might have been

expected during the recent downturn. There are 19,600 zero hours

contracts currently use within the Northern Ireland health service.

In relation to the health service, we do know that zero hours contracts

will be used within different aspects of the public sector in

Northern Ireland 's. Any comment at this stage would be largely

speculative, but I will be seeking to have conversations with other

ministerial colleagues around all this. One of the things we are

mindful of is the unintended consequences. There clearly is

concern around the use of these contracts, but equally they may

provide benefits to a number of different sectors, whether private

or public. With you accept that zero contract

hours creates a hierarchy of workers within which you have secure and

insecure contracts, and workers with rights and entitlements and those

that don't? It is worth stressing that people on

zero hours contracts do benefit from a large number of employment rights.

In that sense, there is no hierarchy in terms of the protection

available, there is a difference in terms of the nature of the

relationship. There are a number of consequences that flow from that

that I have highlighted already, in terms of ability to plan, security

of earnings and the invocations that has over access to credit. There is

a whole host of possible consequences, particularly those in

low learning situations. It is worth stressing that why we do associate

zero hours contracts with people on lower incomes, they are used in a

whole range of different walks of life and can be for people on quite

high earnings. Representatives of the local print

press appeared before the While those attending were

commercial executives with their papers,

the MLAs were nonetheless keen to I would always argue, a bit like

your own professional role, to be effective in what we do. I think

there are lines in that and something that annoyed me at the

time, and maybe I -- was when Arlene Foster's father dives. It was in the

front page of the Belfast Telegraph, with a picture of Arlene Foster

crying out farther's funeral. I am quite pleased that Northern Ireland

hasn't gone down that route of personal publication.

Why did you decide that that was in the public interest?

I am solely responsible for commercial aspect of the paper.

There is a strong line between commercial and editorial so I have

absolutely no input into the editorial aspects of the paper. A

predator is sitting behind me. That would be appropriate, if there

are issues of concern. I think our readers want to see the

humans behind governments. I don't think our reputation as local

newspapers here in Northern Ireland, we act with integrity at all times.

How do you go about reporting on the Northern Ireland Assembly and

Executive and how significant you think it is that you do that in a

positive manner? We don't see much of it, to be frank.

There is a perception that we only report on bad news but a lot of what

happens here is reported in a very factual manner. We are not going out

of our way to distort. It doesn't sell newspapers and it wouldn't

encourage people to pick up the Irish News. That is just being

truthful. People do want to be informed and know what is going on

truthful. People do want to be informed and and I think we give a

responsible amount of coverage. Dominic Fitzpatrick from the

Irish News. Stephen, the Queen and the Duke

of Edinburgh are here and they have The royal couple are staying at

Hillsborough Castle. They match the First Minister Peter Robinson and

Martin McGuinness. The Queen was here back in 2012, so they know each

other, very familiar faces. It would have been a mixture of formal and

informal. Interesting that that meeting with

Martin McGuinness is the third, and each time they need the news value

goes down. That's true. They first met back in

2012. There was a meeting at Windsor Castle. Tonight is the third event.

As you say, every time they meet, the news value goes down. He said

tonight's event was about reaching out and he was representing an

entire community. They have a busy few days ahead?

A very busy schedule with a tour of the Crumlin Road Gaol which has

become a tourist attraction in else. They will visit the TV set of Game

of Thrones. We don't know if the Queen and Prince Philip are fans,

perhaps we will find out. Then there is an event at the British Legion

and a lunch at Belfast City Hall. I'm back with more

at the same time tomorrow night - Until then, from everyone

in the team - bye bye. BBC Northern Ireland's biggest

classical music party of the year. Free tickets are available

by random draw. For terms and conditions

and how to apply, before 5pm

on Monday, 14th July.