:00:29. > :00:32.Welcome to Stormont Today. While James Murdoch creates a buzz at the
:00:32. > :00:37.Leveson enquiry and Russell Brand talks drugs and addiction to MPs,
:00:37. > :00:41.here at Stormont it is more sedate, with fuel duty and further
:00:41. > :00:47.education dominating the day's business. Stephen Farry issued a
:00:47. > :00:53.warning about his doomed department. If we split it up there is a very
:00:53. > :01:01.bake danger that we plunged -- large danger that we plant are
:01:01. > :01:11.cutting edge at this difficult time. If I sound breathless it is because
:01:11. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :01:18.I am. Business has motored along What is going to happen to the
:01:18. > :01:25.Department of Employment and learning has been vexing those in
:01:25. > :01:29.the education sector since it was announced it was being scrapped. It
:01:29. > :01:33.featured probably today. Professor Tony Gallagher is pro-vice
:01:33. > :01:41.Chancellor at Queen's University. Where do you favour the Department
:01:41. > :01:47.going? Do you want it split up? two vice-chancellors sport to the
:01:47. > :01:53.implement committee very recently and they were very clear that it
:01:53. > :01:58.makes sense for higher and further education to going together. There
:01:58. > :02:07.is speculation it will not happen that way, there will be a division
:02:07. > :02:11.by Sinn Fein. The DUP will get one hat and Sinn Fein the other.
:02:11. > :02:14.primary interest is, we make a big contribution to the economy and we
:02:14. > :02:18.hope whatever decision is made is made in the best interests of
:02:18. > :02:24.Northern Ireland. You can see a logic for going either way. We
:02:24. > :02:28.think the balance of the argument is clearly in favour of one, but
:02:28. > :02:34.the decision should be made on good, solid economic ground rather than
:02:34. > :02:37.political ground. What are the down side steered it goes into
:02:37. > :02:42.education? The role higher education place in the economy
:02:42. > :02:48.could get lost. We would be worried about the research agenda and the
:02:48. > :02:51.link between academic research. There is a whole range of issues.
:02:51. > :02:58.We already engage with the economic strategy and we would be worried
:02:58. > :03:04.that would get lost if we lost it. Is there a concern because of the
:03:04. > :03:08.changes to fees and how we are likely to see students not going to
:03:08. > :03:12.England, is it a fear it is happening at the wrong time? There
:03:12. > :03:18.is no doubt this change we are going through does create a lot of
:03:18. > :03:23.turbulence in the systems. It makes life a bit more difficult. We have
:03:23. > :03:29.a major contribution to make, both universities play a huge role. It
:03:29. > :03:33.is important in these times that it is very tough and we must be given
:03:33. > :03:39.the capacity to make that contribution. Ever wonder what is
:03:39. > :03:44.going on during trade visits to foreign climes? Is it long lazy
:03:44. > :03:47.lunches? Peter Robinson gave us a brief insight into that world of
:03:47. > :03:51.high-level foreign travel during Question Time, but before that here
:03:51. > :03:58.is the junior minister on his department's expected statement on
:03:58. > :04:02.child poverty. We are eminently ready to produce the document and
:04:02. > :04:12.bring it forward to the Assembly, and of all things to do with child
:04:12. > :04:17.poverty, we are assessed against the United Kingdom medium.
:04:17. > :04:22.Considerations are taking place from that figure of those living
:04:22. > :04:32.within the 60% less falling in the Child poverty. If we take the
:04:32. > :04:36.
:04:36. > :04:43.Northern Ireland figure, we have a success story to tell. It is a good
:04:43. > :04:49.story to tell. It is cold comfort for those of the 19% and we are
:04:49. > :04:53.determined to do all we can to eradicate child poverty. Onto the
:04:53. > :04:57.foreign travels, and the First Minister outlines the meeting he
:04:57. > :05:01.and the Deputy First Minister held in India and Dubai. The purpose of
:05:01. > :05:11.the visit was to promote export growth and sustained development in
:05:11. > :05:14.the Middle East and India. The visit provided an opportunity to
:05:14. > :05:18.build on our growing reputation as a provider of quality products and
:05:18. > :05:22.services. We used this opportunity not only to market Northern Ireland
:05:22. > :05:30.as a place to do business but to assist local companies in building
:05:30. > :05:34.an international wreck using an -- reputation. It also coincided with
:05:34. > :05:43.the launch of a tourism promotion campaign for Northern Ireland in
:05:43. > :05:46.India. All the meetings we participated in focused on building
:05:46. > :05:55.trade links and further establishing our presence in both
:05:55. > :05:59.regions. In Abu Dhabi, we met West the Crown Prince, and a higher
:05:59. > :06:09.range of business leaders. In Dubai, more political leaders and business
:06:09. > :06:13.
:06:13. > :06:18.executives, including local firms based in Dubai. One recently
:06:18. > :06:21.secured a major contract to supply carpets to a big hotel in Dubai.
:06:21. > :06:26.There was also a major trade mission made up of Northern Ireland
:06:26. > :06:29.businesses, it visited India. The aim was to assist these local
:06:29. > :06:33.businesses in developing an international presence and to grow
:06:33. > :06:37.their businesses through exports. As far as investment is concerned
:06:37. > :06:42.we spoke to a number of investors and we have high hopes that there
:06:42. > :06:47.will be jobs come from that. Also the very important aspect of the
:06:47. > :06:52.trade mission, local businesses here and in Northern Ireland were
:06:52. > :06:58.looking to supply the Indian market and indeed a number of them have
:06:58. > :07:02.very publicly indicated their support for the trade mission, and
:07:02. > :07:09.while modesty alone forbids me from reading the comments they have made,
:07:09. > :07:11.each one of them has indicated how helpful it was that the first and
:07:11. > :07:15.Deputy First Minister were there, because it gave them introductions
:07:15. > :07:21.at a much higher level than they could otherwise have had. We have
:07:21. > :07:26.seen from that that we are much -- much higher numbers that attended
:07:26. > :07:30.the resections. We have already seen instances upon which we would
:07:30. > :07:36.regard the trip as accessible, but we look for more tangible terms in
:07:36. > :07:40.the weeks and months ahead. Fellow international traveller Arlene
:07:40. > :07:46.Foster was up for questions, and the session was dominated by the
:07:46. > :07:49.questions of fuel, both legal and illegal. We know that fuel fraud
:07:49. > :07:52.costs the United Kingdom millions of pounds in lost revenue, and
:07:52. > :08:00.Northern Ireland alone as I understand from the Select
:08:00. > :08:03.Committee is estimated to have lost �70 million in 2009 to 2010. That
:08:04. > :08:08.is if you tonight of money and I believe there is a need to move
:08:08. > :08:12.forward in relation to this issue and I only hope that either the
:08:12. > :08:15.minister for justice has a look at this matter and perhaps the
:08:15. > :08:24.Committee for Justice could also look into this in more detail to
:08:24. > :08:29.see if there is something we can do, in Northern Ireland context.
:08:29. > :08:34.understand there has only been some 47 prosecutions between 2001 and
:08:34. > :08:37.2009 and millions of pounds are going into criminal gangs as a
:08:37. > :08:41.result of laundering fuel. Would the minister not except that this
:08:41. > :08:44.is something the Executive as a whole should be determining, which
:08:44. > :08:48.minister is appropriate to take something forward and address the
:08:48. > :08:52.issue so there is severe penalties for those dealing in this illegal
:08:52. > :08:56.deal? With respect to the member, it is not my job to tell other
:08:56. > :09:01.ministers had to do their job. If the member has an issue he wishes
:09:01. > :09:06.to raise with the minister of justice he should do so. What about
:09:06. > :09:10.security of supply? Whole northern Ireland fair if the tanker driver
:09:10. > :09:13.dispute escalates? I'm sure the minister will agree it is vital to
:09:13. > :09:17.have a positive relationship between government and industry,
:09:17. > :09:25.and in that context, have any negotiations taken place in
:09:25. > :09:28.Northern Ireland should something happen? As I indicated at that time,
:09:28. > :09:33.when our national government was having difficulties with petrol
:09:33. > :09:39.queues, the position in Northern Ireland is different from the rest
:09:39. > :09:43.of the UK. There should be if the position remains the same, no
:09:43. > :09:50.impact on fuel imports. There is no indications that fuel distribution
:09:50. > :09:56.will be affected. Just one of the companies whose driver voted for
:09:56. > :10:02.strike action is to beat in Northern Ireland, and the number of
:10:02. > :10:06.drivers involved is very small. The distribution in Northern Ireland is
:10:06. > :10:12.totally different from that which exists in Great Britain, and much
:10:12. > :10:16.more fragmented, there is in excess of 15 companies distributing
:10:16. > :10:21.product to filling stations and forecourts in Northern Ireland, and
:10:21. > :10:24.many of them are locally owned and not therefore members of unions,
:10:24. > :10:28.therefore I do not foresee that we will have any difficulties here in
:10:28. > :10:35.Northern Ireland. The Deputy First Minister has found himself caught
:10:35. > :10:38.up in controversy after reform right -- a former army intelligence
:10:38. > :10:43.officer told the Smithwick Tribunal Martin McGuinness was involved in
:10:43. > :10:48.the murders of two RUC men in 1989. They are investigating Garda
:10:48. > :10:52.collusion in the IRA killings of Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan. They
:10:52. > :10:56.were told Mr McGuinness was involved in authorising the attack,
:10:56. > :11:03.an allegation he denied. That the Mall was not enough to put off Jim
:11:03. > :11:06.Allister who attempted to raise the issue during Question Time.
:11:06. > :11:10.that First Minister had an opportunity yet today to reflect on
:11:10. > :11:16.the news from the Smithwick Tribunal that his deputy has been
:11:16. > :11:22.named as somebody who ordered the murder of two police officers?
:11:22. > :11:24.is not relevant. Move on. You may not offer how much longer at the
:11:24. > :11:29.Department For Education and learning will continue to exist,
:11:29. > :11:33.but despite this, Stephen Farry was focused on the future today as he
:11:33. > :11:39.unveiled a new strategy for higher education. Our institutions play a
:11:39. > :11:41.critical role in addressing the future Skill Needs and developing
:11:41. > :11:49.the knowledge economy through research and development and
:11:49. > :11:56.knowledge transfer. Accordingly, that strategy focuses on a lining
:11:56. > :12:00.that need with a greater emphasis on economic liberalism subject. By
:12:00. > :12:10.20th March 13, the universities will bring forward proposals for a
:12:10. > :12:13.
:12:13. > :12:18.rebalancing the profile. In support of my department's skills strategy,
:12:18. > :12:27.the strategy also headlines the need to increase the scale of this
:12:27. > :12:29.current and future work force. Indeed, a major focus is on
:12:29. > :12:33.insuring learners undertaking higher education course are
:12:34. > :12:39.provided with the opportunity to avail of a work-related placement
:12:39. > :12:44.while completing their studies. I want to ensure that our graduates
:12:44. > :12:50.possess the employability skills they need to succeed in the job
:12:50. > :12:54.market and to ultimately benefit our economy. Therefore by 2020, all
:12:54. > :13:02.higher education students will have the opportunity to a veil of a work
:13:02. > :13:05.placement. These additional skills will be accorded -- recorded by all
:13:05. > :13:10.higher education providers through the higher education achievement
:13:11. > :13:16.reporter. I will ensure access to higher education is maintained. I
:13:16. > :13:19.recognise the differing regimes across the UK make increase
:13:19. > :13:23.pressure upon local higher education places, sold by the level
:13:23. > :13:26.of applications from Northern Ireland students to local
:13:26. > :13:31.institutions has remained steady while it has dropped to
:13:31. > :13:36.institutions elsewhere. I have however secured the resources to
:13:36. > :13:41.facilitate an additional 700 places locally through to 2015. These will
:13:41. > :13:48.all be in stems subject. My department will also undertake a
:13:49. > :13:53.review of the current control and full-time undergraduate places.
:13:53. > :13:58.This review will be published in 2016, and will feed into the
:13:58. > :14:00.creation of a revised funding model that will support a flexible
:14:00. > :14:09.lifelong learning environment including how we facilitate
:14:09. > :14:11.expected increase in part-time MLAs were all very complimentary
:14:11. > :14:15.about the strategy. No-one mentioned the elephant in the room,
:14:15. > :14:18.the fact that we don't know what department will take on
:14:18. > :14:23.responsibility for higher education until the curious member for north
:14:23. > :14:26.Antrim asked this: Given that a lot of the higher education strategy
:14:26. > :14:29.focuses around the needs of the economy, is this a very clear
:14:29. > :14:38.indication perhaps the first indication from the minister, of
:14:38. > :14:43.where he sees the functions of his department lie following the
:14:43. > :14:46.dissolution? I pay tribute to his creativity. I want to say number of
:14:46. > :14:52.things. First, I have already been clear on the record where I think
:14:52. > :14:57.this debate needs to go and that there is a single overarching
:14:57. > :15:01.narrative in my department, based around the importance of skills to
:15:01. > :15:05.the economy. Whether it's higher education, further edge kaiction, -
:15:05. > :15:09.- education, what we do with business or the employment service,
:15:09. > :15:13.all those levers are directed towards the upskilling and
:15:13. > :15:17.reskilling of the workforce in a competitive interNational situation.
:15:17. > :15:21.Whether it's through a single department of learning or through
:15:21. > :15:24.the department of the economy, what's critical is that we keep
:15:24. > :15:28.that economic driver together and coherent. If we split it up,
:15:28. > :15:33.there's a very real danger that we blunt our cutting edge at a time
:15:33. > :15:39.where the future of the economy is most critical. However, I would
:15:39. > :15:45.urge members to stop seeing any plots or subplots in anything we're
:15:45. > :15:50.sending out today. This has been a deep, long-standing piece of work
:15:50. > :15:54.within my department. What we have today before us is based on tierly
:15:54. > :15:58.on the merits of the case and our best analysis of the future
:15:58. > :16:02.direction of the sector. And obviously, as is the case in many
:16:02. > :16:05.other societies, there needs to be a stronger economic focus within
:16:05. > :16:11.the sector. It's not that that doesn't exist at present. We're
:16:11. > :16:15.building and reinforcing it further. MLA's were complimentary about the
:16:15. > :16:18.strategy, what do you think of it? We welcome it as well. This is the
:16:18. > :16:21.first formal higher education strategy in Northern Ireland. The
:16:21. > :16:25.minister has to be commended for bringing this forward. It fits with
:16:25. > :16:28.the direction of travel in many ways around the importance of the
:16:28. > :16:32.stem agenda, the role of higher education in raelaigs to the
:16:32. > :16:38.economy, the need to address issues around the employability of our
:16:38. > :16:41.graduates. They need to engage bet wer school to give young people
:16:41. > :16:46.better education. There's a lot of this we've been working on for
:16:47. > :16:50.quite a while. We're pleased to see it formalised. Is it innovative
:16:50. > :16:53.enough, you mention stem subjects, science and technology, the things
:16:53. > :16:57.that employers coming from foreign countries are saying that's what
:16:57. > :17:01.they're looking for. Has there been enough planning, or should we
:17:01. > :17:05.introduce things like lower fees for students carrying out those
:17:05. > :17:11.subjects? There are other options to deal with at this point. If we
:17:11. > :17:15.lowered fees in some areas it raises the question of cost some --
:17:15. > :17:19.from somewhere else. There's a big push for direct investigation.
:17:19. > :17:22.We're attracting a lot of finance companies. There are shortages in
:17:22. > :17:26.the graduates for software engineering and programming. We've
:17:26. > :17:30.been working with employers to identify those gaps to plug the
:17:30. > :17:34.gaps as quickly as possible. In the digital economy, the labour market
:17:34. > :17:38.changes very, very fast. The universities are trying to respond
:17:38. > :17:41.as best we can. It's also important that schools become aware of this.
:17:41. > :17:44.A lot of careers teachers in schools maybe aren't aware of the
:17:44. > :17:48.sort of changes that are taking place in the labour market and the
:17:48. > :17:53.sort of high quality, high value jobs that are now available in some
:17:53. > :17:57.of the new industrial sectors to move away from the traditional
:17:57. > :18:04.subjects we go for. We have the highest petrol prices in the UK and
:18:04. > :18:08.they're about to rise again. Sinn Fein want the executives to start
:18:08. > :18:13.negotiation was the Treasury to devolve powers. Such a move was a
:18:13. > :18:19.step too far for members today. They backed a DUP proposal for a
:18:19. > :18:23.rural duty relief scheme. We'll hear from Sinn Fein in a moment.
:18:23. > :18:27.First what the other parties have to say? If I sound breathless, it's
:18:27. > :18:31.because I am. Business in this House seems to have motored along
:18:31. > :18:35.quicker than any of us thought today. I'm assuming we are taking
:18:35. > :18:41.this power on the argument, we want to take the power to reduce the
:18:41. > :18:46.levels of fuel duty. We're not talking about keeping it where it
:18:46. > :18:51.is. Reducing it comes at a cost. And the estimated cost, because we
:18:51. > :18:55.take it in a round �1 billion in fuel duty in Northern Ireland,
:18:55. > :18:59.that's the contribution to the �27.5 billion that the Treasury
:18:59. > :19:03.raises in the UK. Our contribution is �1 billion, it's one of the few
:19:03. > :19:07.taxes where we pay more than our population share within the UK,
:19:07. > :19:12.which is probably a reason why even in discussing it with the Treasury
:19:12. > :19:15.they wouldn't want to give it up. We should set up a commission to
:19:15. > :19:19.discuss the possible levers available to us and to examine them
:19:19. > :19:24.on a cost benefit basis. That's exactly what I've said. I don't
:19:24. > :19:29.think that is suggesting that one lever rather than another is a
:19:29. > :19:37.panacea. I confirm that my party will be opposing the motion and I
:19:37. > :19:40.acknowledge his belief that a 5p reduction could be sufficient,
:19:40. > :19:46.sufficiently beneficial as to make the measures cost effective. I
:19:46. > :19:51.don't accept that that's the casement Mr Hamilton mentioned that
:19:51. > :19:55.the test of something like that could cost close to �100 million.
:19:55. > :19:59.That's not feasible to do that. Those areas where there has been a
:19:59. > :20:04.consensus of devolving here, there's been an economic business
:20:04. > :20:08.case thought out. The passenger duty for long-haul flights, because
:20:08. > :20:12.of the economic benefit that can flow from that and indeed, the
:20:12. > :20:17.potential of revitalising our private sector economy through
:20:17. > :20:21.corporation tax. Now, were we to get to the stage of that being
:20:21. > :20:27.formally offered, there will be a cost involved in it. At this stage,
:20:27. > :20:31.to take anything more on board could actually rule out that. So we
:20:31. > :20:37.cannot overload ourselves. Let's face the fact that we will have a
:20:37. > :20:43.cost to pay to deal with that and enable our economy to take off.
:20:43. > :20:47.Let's not bring in uncosted, unplanned, uneconomic additional
:20:47. > :20:53.ideas that have been thought up on the back of a fag packet. Joining
:20:53. > :20:57.us now Sinn Fein. Are you disappointed with how things panned
:20:57. > :21:00.out today? Yes, very disappointed. We were hoping that the particular
:21:00. > :21:02.circumstances for families in the north of Ireland and for businesses,
:21:02. > :21:08.particularly small businesses, in the north of Ireland, would have
:21:09. > :21:13.been taken into consideration. What we were asking for was that the
:21:13. > :21:17.fuel duty would be transferred so that the executive could set the
:21:17. > :21:23.fuel duty. We see the powers, those economic powers not just in terms
:21:23. > :21:27.of tax raising, but we also see them as levers for, to actually
:21:27. > :21:30.promote economic growth. If you were going to take the power to
:21:30. > :21:34.decrease fuel duty, wow have to find the money somewhere else. That
:21:34. > :21:36.was the question that was asked time and time again today. As I
:21:36. > :21:41.said, there's particular circumstances for families in the
:21:41. > :21:45.north of Ireland. We live, first of all, in the mostly rural set.
:21:45. > :21:49.People are dependent on their cars. Public transport is underdeveloped.
:21:49. > :21:56.That isn't an option for a lot of people. Also the disposable income
:21:56. > :21:59.of families here is the lowest on average right across Europe, if you
:21:59. > :22:03.look at Britain and across the islands. How would you pay for
:22:03. > :22:06.helping those families, that you want to help, they would have to
:22:07. > :22:11.lose something somewhere else surely? Those families at the
:22:11. > :22:15.moment are paying the highest cost across Europe for diesel. They're
:22:15. > :22:18.paying the highest cost across the two islands for petrol. It's
:22:19. > :22:23.already having a really difficult financial impact on those families.
:22:23. > :22:27.Now what we're saying is that people will go across the border to
:22:27. > :22:34.the south of Ireland and they will actually get their fuel there. So,
:22:34. > :22:38.the in the longer term, having that higher duty on fuel will actually,
:22:38. > :22:41.will actually stunt,if you like, our economic growth. But the
:22:41. > :22:45.problem is... People won't spend. appreciate all those points, unless
:22:45. > :22:50.you answer the question of where the money's coming from. That's the
:22:50. > :22:55.point of MLAs and why they voted goodness it today. You're robbing
:22:55. > :22:59.Peter to pay Paul effectively. say the same about corporation tax.
:22:59. > :23:02.This is about starting with a debate around the transfer of
:23:02. > :23:07.economic powers to this executive. Because we need to have economic
:23:07. > :23:12.powers. It was said today there again, we're like a big Council. We
:23:13. > :23:18.don't have the economic powers in order to create, first of all, set
:23:18. > :23:22.taxation and set that. But also, to have the incentives in terms of
:23:22. > :23:27.setting those taxation powers as well. And I also, I mean, I pointed
:23:27. > :23:32.it out today, in 2008, we had the huge increase in the energy prices,
:23:32. > :23:36.electricity and gas. We had like what was called a windfall tax of
:23:36. > :23:40.�40 million, just on the increases over a short peer yofd time. That
:23:40. > :23:46.all went back into the British Treasury. None of it came here to
:23:46. > :23:49.be distributed for services in the north. So, we're very, very clearly
:23:49. > :23:54.saying, there's particular circumstances here, families are
:23:54. > :23:58.really feeling the financial difficulties of the high, really,
:23:58. > :24:03.really high cost of fuel and cost of petrol and diesel. Therefore,
:24:03. > :24:07.we're saying it has to be, the economic powers have to lie with
:24:07. > :24:10.the executive. I wondered about your reaction to the allegations
:24:10. > :24:16.today that Martin goodness Guinness was involved in the murders of two
:24:17. > :24:26.RUC men? There's been a statement put out by our party this evening.
:24:26. > :24:31.Basically, again, this man Martin Ingram, his credibility has been
:24:31. > :24:34.already put into question. H -- he has openly admitted he was a member
:24:34. > :24:38.of the British Security Service, who were involved in collusion and
:24:38. > :24:46.murder of Irish citizens. I believe that the statement tonight covers
:24:47. > :24:50.what you're asking me. I believe that this man is totally
:24:50. > :24:54.discredited. I also, Martin has denied this. Thanks very much
:24:54. > :24:58.indeed for joining us. There have been a lot of comments
:24:58. > :25:02.lately about a lack of business at the Assembly. It seems MLAs
:25:02. > :25:07.themselves have finally cottoned on. Martina explained to me earlier.
:25:07. > :25:10.The business committee met today. They did agree the order paper from
:25:10. > :25:14.the 8th, there has been discussion about the lack of business and how
:25:14. > :25:18.thin that paper is. So the junior minister Jonathan Bell has been
:25:18. > :25:21.asked by the Speaker's office and the business committee to find out
:25:22. > :25:26.what's going on and report back about why there isn't more
:25:26. > :25:31.executive business. Now, I asked for a comment from the speerblg's -
:25:31. > :25:35.- Speaker office. The Assembly press office said they didn't
:25:35. > :25:38.comment on internal matters. I put it to a senior member of government,
:25:39. > :25:43.who told me there would be a lot of business coming down the line.
:25:43. > :25:46.Assembly it seems is talking about closer cooperation with the United
:25:46. > :25:50.States? Yes, according to the minutes it was agreed they should
:25:50. > :25:53.set up an all-party Working Group on relations with the United States.
:25:53. > :25:56.They feel this is an exceptional relationship and there's a number
:25:56. > :25:59.of initiatives including one with Boston college. On an eight-month
:25:59. > :26:03.trial basis they're going to look at this relationship, but of course,
:26:03. > :26:07.it could become costly. They will review costs to see how much money
:26:07. > :26:11.would be put into this. According to the minutes also Sinn Fein
:26:11. > :26:14.suggested they should also look at the potential to develop
:26:14. > :26:18.relationships between Brazil, Russia, India and China. It could
:26:18. > :26:25.get very expensive. Justice has been in the spotlight, but there's
:26:25. > :26:29.a new problem they're investigating, a rather unfortunate one. Yes the
:26:29. > :26:33.maintenance men have been seen going into castle buildings for
:26:33. > :26:39.some time. There's evidence of minimal vermin activity on a floor
:26:39. > :26:42.in castle buildings. Steps are being taken to deal with the
:26:42. > :26:47.situation. Lots of jokes about rats being left over from the Northern
:26:47. > :26:50.Ireland office days. They have to be rehabilitated and not freed into
:26:50. > :26:54.the community. I spoke it a member of the Justice Committee and he was
:26:54. > :26:59.concerned about it. Some people might say it's an interesting tale,
:26:59. > :27:03.on a serious note, I'm sure it's of great concern to staff that there
:27:03. > :27:06.could be rats running through the building. Especially at a health
:27:06. > :27:09.and safety level. Rats are notorious vermin and to have that
:27:09. > :27:12.running through your place of work and all the damage and dirt that
:27:13. > :27:15.brings with it, isn't very pleasant at all. It's something that the
:27:15. > :27:18.department would want to get to grips with quickly. Helping people
:27:18. > :27:22.with learning difficulties stand up for their rights was the subject of
:27:22. > :27:26.an event here today. A shadow council has been set up by the CAN
:27:26. > :27:28.group in Ballymoney, which helps people reach their full potential.
:27:28. > :27:32.The visitors told their own personal stories, including one
:27:32. > :27:35.young woman from Coleraine, who is a new mother of twins. She
:27:35. > :27:39.explained how the authorities had tried to take the children away,
:27:39. > :27:48.but with help from the CAN group, she's now the proud mother of a
:27:48. > :27:53.seven-month-old son and daughter. Why is it important to be on the
:27:53. > :27:59.Shadow Council? Because it let's you speak of your rights. People
:27:59. > :28:03.will listen to you. Do you think it's important if you have a
:28:03. > :28:09.learning difficulty that people do listen? No, they don't listen.
:28:09. > :28:14.that how you feel? Uh-huh. In what way? You feel like you're not, you
:28:14. > :28:17.feel like you can't, you're not as strong as what they are. Because
:28:17. > :28:24.other people think they're better than others that they know what's
:28:24. > :28:27.best. I'm from Coleraine. I work in recycling. I go to the base in
:28:27. > :28:31.Coleraine. Why do you think it's important to be on the Council?
:28:31. > :28:35.gives you confidence to speak up. Tony, one of the aspects that came
:28:35. > :28:41.out of the strategy today was a more flexible pattern for stuepts.
:28:41. > :28:48.How's that going to work? That's an interesting idea. They're talking
:28:48. > :28:52.about allowing students to take degrees at their own speed and in
:28:53. > :28:56.different places. You can no longer use the numbers as a cap on who's
:28:56. > :28:59.going into university because it is so flexible. Have you to have a
:28:59. > :29:03.different funding model. They say they need to look at both things.
:29:03. > :29:05.It will be difficult. Thanks for joining us tonight. That's it from