:00:28. > :00:34.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. Euro 2012 moves to the semi-final
:00:34. > :00:39.stage. Wimbledon has started with the usual flurry of upsets. The
:00:39. > :00:43.Olympics are just around the corner and the sport of politics grinds on
:00:43. > :00:51.relentlessly. Tonight: An end-of- term bonus from the Education
:00:51. > :01:01.Minister. I am announcing an investment of �133 million for
:01:01. > :01:04.
:01:04. > :01:08.capital projects. This will be in the 2013 / 14 financial year.
:01:08. > :01:13.debate about crossing the road made one member very cross. When the
:01:13. > :01:17.minister is not consider whether the functioning crossings are
:01:17. > :01:22.functioning properly, will he consider whether ministerial
:01:22. > :01:27.appointments are functioning properly within his department?
:01:28. > :01:32.my guest this evening is a law lecturer Rosemary Craig.
:01:32. > :01:37.We are approaching the end of term here at Stormont so ever earned --
:01:37. > :01:42.over the next two weeks we will decide how some of our departments
:01:42. > :01:47.have fared. Tonight, we start with justice. Rosemary Craig is here
:01:47. > :01:52.with her analysis. How do you think we have done overall? I think we
:01:52. > :01:55.have to be positive. Have a lot of new appointments, new judges, we
:01:56. > :01:59.have a new Attorney-General, we have a new Director of Public
:02:00. > :02:04.Prosecutions, so I think we have to look at the positive side and
:02:04. > :02:09.Northern Ireland is moving forward and I think justice is moving
:02:10. > :02:14.slowly. But I think we have to be very positive in how we are moving
:02:14. > :02:17.forward in Northern Ireland in that particular area. What sort of
:02:17. > :02:23.problems do you still see happening? You mentioned things
:02:23. > :02:28.happening slowly, cases coming to court do seem to take a long time?
:02:28. > :02:33.Yes, I can understand that from the public perspective, but I think we
:02:33. > :02:37.have to look at the due process of law and how a case does come to
:02:37. > :02:42.court. I think if you remember that when a crime is committed, the
:02:42. > :02:51.police have got to investigate that crime. They have got to put
:02:51. > :02:52.together the file, the papers and that goes in a system to the public
:02:53. > :02:57.prosecution service. The Public Prosecutions Service have them got
:02:57. > :03:02.to look at the case when it comes in and make a decision based on
:03:02. > :03:05.tests whether or not to prosecute in the case. Another new thing in
:03:05. > :03:10.Northern Ireland is the public prosecution service. Although it
:03:10. > :03:13.has been in existence for over five years, it is relatively new. The
:03:13. > :03:18.Police Service of Northern Ireland is relatively new, the directive
:03:19. > :03:24.brand new, he was appointed six months ago, he is a new boy on the
:03:24. > :03:28.job. You have to look at all of that and take that into perspective
:03:28. > :03:32.and say you cannot rush just as. If something is rushed through and
:03:33. > :03:37.something is missed, you cannot really try something twice. By the
:03:37. > :03:41.same token, we have had some cases which have taken over ten years to
:03:41. > :03:47.come to court. Yes, there are special circumstances and I think
:03:47. > :03:52.that is a matter for not dwelling on specific circumstances. Delayed
:03:52. > :03:55.defeats equity. There is no doubt about that. Let's look at the
:03:55. > :04:02.positive outcome from that case. The outcome from that case was
:04:02. > :04:06.people were declared by a jury and the jury trial is sacrosanct and I
:04:06. > :04:11.really like to see a jury trial. The jury trial found those people
:04:11. > :04:14.innocent and that is a triumph for justice. OK, we will talk late in
:04:14. > :04:18.the programme. The Education Minister have
:04:19. > :04:23.announced a huge spending plan for school buildings, ending a two-year
:04:23. > :04:29.freeze. But as they say, you cannot please all of the people all of the
:04:30. > :04:39.time, particularly our MLAs. I am today announcing an investment of
:04:39. > :04:44.100 their �3 million in special projects. It will be in the
:04:44. > :04:49.financial -- the last quarter of the current financial year or the
:04:49. > :04:54.financial year of 2013 / 14. I want to ensure they have been future
:04:54. > :04:58.priest and remain a priority for an investment. I have instructed my
:04:58. > :05:03.officials to identify it suitable projects. This is a pragmatic
:05:03. > :05:07.approach to ensuring that issue news of the capital budget. I want
:05:07. > :05:11.to stress that today's announcement in no way implies that other
:05:12. > :05:17.projects will not be considered at a later stage. Some time ago there
:05:17. > :05:22.was a review carried out of the capital projects. That resulted in
:05:22. > :05:26.schools being designated compliant, partially compliant or non-
:05:26. > :05:30.compliant. Schools that were deemed compliant, if they look down the
:05:30. > :05:35.list they will see some of them that their names are missing. I
:05:35. > :05:40.particularly draw attention to Ballymoney High School and another
:05:40. > :05:47.school which was linked for a school project. Can the Minister
:05:47. > :05:51.explain why those schools have somehow mysteriously disappeared
:05:51. > :05:56.off his captain and best man? a major blow today to those who
:05:56. > :06:02.were expecting to be on the list, which are not on the list, such as
:06:02. > :06:07.part call which is a split site. It has already spent over a million on
:06:07. > :06:10.its design. There have been ten years waiting. Are we going to in
:06:10. > :06:14.the autumn see a list of the schools and a list for the future
:06:14. > :06:18.so that schools can plan and see into the future when they are going
:06:18. > :06:24.to be rebuilt, because it takes three or four years to redesign and
:06:24. > :06:28.it has been a major blow to the schools. We are in the midst of a
:06:28. > :06:32.recession and two things which would help us get out of a
:06:32. > :06:36.recession our education and innovation. My question really is,
:06:36. > :06:41.what consideration is the Minister giving to the refurbishment of
:06:41. > :06:46.science labs as part of the school refurbishment programme? Schools
:06:46. > :06:50.may be in a position where they have hoped for a rebuild and now
:06:50. > :06:58.think this schools enhancement programme is a way forward. Can the
:06:58. > :07:03.Minister give detail about whether this will in future be detrimental
:07:03. > :07:07.to any school's application for a new build?
:07:07. > :07:11.RB pelican crossings in Northern Ireland working? What are the
:07:11. > :07:15.differences between a pelican crossing and a Puffin crossing?
:07:15. > :07:20.Some of the highbrow questions posed to the Regional Development
:07:20. > :07:29.Minister but first, it was just this and there was a call for a
:07:29. > :07:33.review of the sentencing of PSNI officers. It while the review will
:07:33. > :07:38.consider arrangements of other jurisdictions such as England and
:07:38. > :07:42.Wales, my aim is not to replicate it GB model but find a way forward
:07:42. > :07:46.for Northern Ireland. My view will also reflect the Court of Appeal
:07:46. > :07:51.which has been asked by the Director of Public Prosecutions to
:07:51. > :07:54.review the tariffs. This will provide the opportunity for the
:07:55. > :07:57.Court of Appeal to review the sentencing guidelines for the
:07:57. > :08:01.determination of tariffs. The recommendations of the review will
:08:01. > :08:05.be published for consultation as soon as I have had time to consider
:08:05. > :08:09.the court's decision and take the view of the justice committee in
:08:09. > :08:15.the light of them. The minister was asked how much money had been
:08:15. > :08:25.recovered from people who had for Jilly claimed legal aid. The Legal
:08:25. > :08:27.
:08:27. > :08:34.Services Commission collected �220,000. Costs recovered included
:08:34. > :08:42.debt, cost from the court and assisted person's legal aid. I
:08:42. > :08:50.propose to make more plans to recover costs where defendants are
:08:50. > :08:54.found to have the means to pay for their defence. Has the Minister any
:08:54. > :08:58.idea of the real outstanding monies in this and is there any estimates
:08:58. > :09:03.there for what likely could be recovered and secondly, why is
:09:03. > :09:09.there not as efficient mechanisms in place to actually stop this
:09:09. > :09:12.happening in the first place? answer to that second point is
:09:12. > :09:16.absolutely clear. There are sufficient mechanisms in place
:09:16. > :09:23.because under direct rule they were not given legislative competence
:09:23. > :09:30.and it is something we are seeking to catch up with -- there are not
:09:30. > :09:33.mechanisms in place. We have to consider what level of fraud there
:09:34. > :09:38.is, whether all payments are made properly and we also looking at
:09:38. > :09:41.taking powers to allow inspection of account books to ensure the kind
:09:41. > :09:46.of cheques which have been identified as being required are
:09:46. > :09:51.actually put in place because it is not a suitable system at the
:09:51. > :09:56.present time, the one we inherited. The Regional Development Minister
:09:56. > :10:01.was next or should that be the minister for birds. The my
:10:01. > :10:05.department's Road Service has advised that all 440 pelican
:10:05. > :10:09.crossings in operation across Northern Ireland are functioning
:10:09. > :10:15.properly. A crossing in Londonderry has been turned off temporarily as
:10:15. > :10:22.part of a temporary traffic management scheme to facilitate a
:10:22. > :10:25.Water sewer replacement scheme. Would the minister look at the time
:10:25. > :10:29.that members of the public have to cross and determine whether that
:10:29. > :10:34.could be extended to make it safer for elderly people, particularly in
:10:34. > :10:37.areas where there is a high volume of elderly residents nearby? I am
:10:37. > :10:44.grateful to the member for the supplementary question and indeed,
:10:44. > :10:48.I can confirm that pedestrian crossing timings are set in
:10:48. > :10:54.accordance with national guidelines and my department's officials are
:10:54. > :10:59.aware of the most recent research into pedestrian walking times and
:10:59. > :11:06.will be included in any future consultation on the proposed
:11:06. > :11:15.changes to current timings. I will say to further reflect on the
:11:15. > :11:20.concern that he has raised. called Jim Allister. Thank you, Mr
:11:20. > :11:24.Speaker. When the minister is not considering the weighty matter of
:11:25. > :11:28.whether the pelican crossings are functioning properly, has he had
:11:28. > :11:36.the opportunity to consider whether ministerial appointments are
:11:36. > :11:42.functioning properly in his department... Can I ask the member,
:11:42. > :11:45.clearly that is not relevant to the question. The minister did recently
:11:45. > :11:50.launched what was called a puffin crossing and I am delighted to say
:11:51. > :11:54.that the Minister's department has relented and will provide such a
:11:54. > :12:02.crossing to my village which will hopefully help the elderly people
:12:02. > :12:08.across. Is there any advantage in transferring pelican crossings to
:12:08. > :12:16.Puffin crossings so that elderly people can cross the road safely?
:12:16. > :12:23.There are issues of improving road safety that, and the strategic
:12:23. > :12:30.management of traffic on the road network and a Puffin crossings
:12:31. > :12:34.offer enhance safety and traffic flow Features. Since September 2011,
:12:34. > :12:40.the Roads Service has upgraded existing pelican crossings to
:12:40. > :12:48.Puffin crossings and installed 24 new puffins. The major differences
:12:48. > :12:56.between puffins and pelicans are that... This is not a black-and-
:12:56. > :13:00.white issue! Puffins have the red / green man on the push button, I
:13:01. > :13:04.hope you're listening because this is important, on the push-button
:13:04. > :13:08.unit beside the pedestrian. There is no flashing amber signal to
:13:08. > :13:11.drivers who are held on a red signal until pedestrians have
:13:11. > :13:16.completed their crossing and the time for pedestrians to cross the
:13:16. > :13:23.road can be extended by sensors which detect people still on the
:13:23. > :13:28.crossing. Drivers also derive benefit from puffins, for example,
:13:28. > :13:32.when a pedestrian pursues the push- button and then moves away, a
:13:32. > :13:39.demand for the Green man is cancelled so drivers do not
:13:39. > :13:43.Now you know. A charge of corporate manslaughter
:13:43. > :13:47.could apply to deaths of people in custody or detention here from
:13:47. > :13:51.September. The new law will apply to those held in court, detention
:13:51. > :13:54.cells, prisons, police cells and patients detained under the mental
:13:54. > :13:58.health orld. Here is the Justice Minister, David Ford.
:13:58. > :14:03.It Will apply to deaths in the custody and detention of the Prison
:14:03. > :14:06.Service, in police custody, in court detention cells, and the
:14:06. > :14:09.juvenile justice centre. It will also apply in the health service to
:14:09. > :14:13.secure accommodation for young people and patients being
:14:13. > :14:17.detainened under the mental health order T will include custody in
:14:17. > :14:20.detention facilities of the armed forces and the customs and
:14:20. > :14:24.immigration wings of the UK Border Agency. My proposed commencement
:14:24. > :14:27.order will cover all such facilities in Northern Ireland. The
:14:27. > :14:30.new offence of corporate manslaughter has a number of
:14:30. > :14:33.important elements. It is committed when the way in which an
:14:34. > :14:37.organisation's activities are managed or organised causes a
:14:37. > :14:41.person's death, and amounts to a gross breach of duty of care, owed
:14:41. > :14:44.by the organisation to the person who has died. So the focus is
:14:44. > :14:48.largely on the managerial actions of the organisation's senior
:14:48. > :14:52.management as a whole, rather than on those of individuals,
:14:52. > :14:57.particularly those further down the organisation. As members will
:14:57. > :15:00.appreciate, the offence is complex. However, basically it is about
:15:00. > :15:05.failures of organisation and management, depending on a gross
:15:05. > :15:08.breach of duty of care. As it is the body itself that will be
:15:08. > :15:13.prosecuted, the main penalty available on conviction for such a
:15:13. > :15:16.serious offence is not imprisonment, but a fine.
:15:16. > :15:21.Rosemary, we have had high profile deaths in custody in our prisons
:15:21. > :15:24.over the last couple of years. Do you think this will in some way add
:15:24. > :15:29.to the pressure on the Prison Service to make sure they do
:15:29. > :15:34.everything right, to prevent people dying in custody? Well, I certainly
:15:34. > :15:38.think lessons have to be learned, Tara, from any death, anywhere. I
:15:38. > :15:42.am slightly concerned by what I heard the Minister saying there,
:15:42. > :15:50.because who's going to be held responsible? It's going to be the
:15:50. > :15:54.body, he said, and fines. Now, fines, we have had massive fines
:15:54. > :16:00.for things. Compensations paid in massive sums of money. That comes
:16:00. > :16:03.out of the public purse. That money could be used for new hips, a new
:16:04. > :16:06.hospital, for helping programmes, we need many, many programmes in
:16:06. > :16:11.our juvenile justice system. We need them in the young offenders
:16:11. > :16:16.centre. We need them in the women's prison. My concern is when people
:16:16. > :16:20.are fined, or bodies are fined, that the public purse pays the fine.
:16:20. > :16:27.What would be the alternative then, what puts pressure on the Prison
:16:27. > :16:32.Service to do things correctly? Well, again it's like Government by
:16:32. > :16:36.committee, because whenever the ombudsman for the Prison Service
:16:36. > :16:41.has looked into deaths in prison, her reports have been quite clear
:16:41. > :16:46.that there are a number of glitches in the system whereby people have
:16:46. > :16:50.been doing wrong or not doing their job properly. But it doesn't come
:16:50. > :16:55.out at one person. I am not looking for a head on a platter, but what I
:16:56. > :16:58.am saying is it's difficult to find one person responsible in an
:16:58. > :17:03.organisation for anything. If someone escapes from custody, for
:17:03. > :17:09.example, from the prison vans or whatever, there's a number of
:17:09. > :17:13.people. It's the organisation. Again, it's not... On one person.
:17:13. > :17:18.Thank you. The controversial gas extraction
:17:18. > :17:21.process known as frocking has seen angry exchanges in the chamber.
:17:21. > :17:26.Last Thursday members of the enterprise committee heard evidence
:17:26. > :17:31.on the topic and there was a lot of interest from one Fermanagh MLA.
:17:31. > :17:35.the evidence just isn't there why are we rushing into this in that
:17:35. > :17:41.gas has been there for thousands of years. It's not going anywhere.
:17:41. > :17:46.are not rushing. An application put in 15 months, that's rushing.
:17:46. > :17:50.will be considered in context of the existing sites. Surely these
:17:50. > :17:56.issues should have been considered before a licence was given? It's
:17:56. > :18:00.not a licence for fracking. It's a licence to explore. All we are
:18:00. > :18:06.doing is having a look to see what's down there. If you are
:18:06. > :18:09.having a look to see what's down there, how come they've published
:18:09. > :18:13.figures telling us exactly what's down there. How many jobs it will
:18:13. > :18:15.create, thoug will give us security of supply for F we don't know
:18:16. > :18:19.what's down there how can they publish figures and you haven't
:18:19. > :18:23.said those figures aren't correct? That's the whole point of
:18:23. > :18:28.exploration. They've made estimates based on geological knowledge that
:18:28. > :18:31.we have, which is limited to a few bore holes and data. That's the
:18:31. > :18:34.point of the exploration, the first phase of the programme for them to
:18:34. > :18:39.to collect the information. If that information is not correct, why
:18:39. > :18:48.bother put it out? That's a decision for the company. I think
:18:49. > :18:53.you and I would understand why... We would understand that there are
:18:53. > :18:55.commercial reasons why they're suggesting that. They're coming to
:18:55. > :18:59.give evidence next week and obviously an opportunity to talk to
:18:59. > :19:02.the company there. But we reckon there is limited knowledge, there
:19:02. > :19:07.is some knowledge about what is there. There is limited knowledge,
:19:07. > :19:12.that's why this licence has been granted to do this exploratory work
:19:12. > :19:17.to find out much more definitively what is there, how much is there,
:19:17. > :19:19.whether it can be extracted. Then those sort of of figures and
:19:19. > :19:22.they're guess estimates at the present minute from the company
:19:22. > :19:26.would start to get firmed up. But they're at this stage, and they can
:19:26. > :19:30.only be at this stage guess estimates because the work has not
:19:30. > :19:35.been done. Well, sorry, and I did tell you I
:19:35. > :19:38.was finished, but if we were relying on... That was four
:19:38. > :19:41.questions ago! If we are relying on them giving guess estimates as to
:19:41. > :19:45.what's there to attract investors how can we be sure the information
:19:45. > :19:49.they're giving us on the environmental impact of this, on
:19:49. > :19:57.the fact they've said they they won't use chemicals. How can you
:19:57. > :20:01.trust them on that? That's really rather here nor there. The issue
:20:01. > :20:05.will be what the plan - if the planning authorities decide f the
:20:05. > :20:08.planning permission is given on a basis they don't use khaerpls --
:20:08. > :20:12.chemicals, then they won't use chemicals. Can it be done without
:20:12. > :20:16.chemicals? Well, Derek will have more information about this. But I
:20:16. > :20:21.understand that because we are talking about shallow of depth, the
:20:21. > :20:26.pressures are much lower, chemicals are needed where fracking is done
:20:26. > :20:31.at great depth and chemicals are required to facilitate the process.
:20:31. > :20:36.First of all, Wye like to say that we are all local people. We are
:20:36. > :20:39.concerned citizens we are all professionals in our own right, but
:20:39. > :20:42.not professional oil and gas industry people so we have had to
:20:42. > :20:47.do a lot of research because the research we needed didn't come to
:20:47. > :20:51.us. There is a huge sense in County Fermanagh people are being kept in
:20:51. > :20:56.the dark. The whole issue of community engagement, there was one
:20:56. > :21:02.single meeting held in County Fermanagh by the company and that
:21:02. > :21:05.was held in Enniskillen, which is outside the licence area. Along
:21:05. > :21:09.with lots of Government agencies, if you want to engage rural
:21:09. > :21:15.communities you have to meet, not just in the local County town, but
:21:15. > :21:19.try and get down local. The big issues are health and water,
:21:19. > :21:22.economics, farming, tourism, it's a nationwide issue this, it's going
:21:22. > :21:27.to affect everybody in Northern Ireland. There is the reputation
:21:27. > :21:31.and perception of our country. So we need to be very much aware it's
:21:31. > :21:34.not just one part of a small piece of Northern Ireland.
:21:34. > :21:39.The inquiry into historical institutional abuse will take three
:21:39. > :21:42.years to complete members were told today. The bill to set up the
:21:42. > :21:45.inquiry was debated in the chamber this afternoon. Here is the DUP
:21:45. > :21:50.Junior Minister Jonathan Bell outlining how the inquiry will deal
:21:50. > :21:55.with witnesses. The inquiry will wish to call
:21:55. > :22:02.witnesses to answer questions about the events of the time, or to hand
:22:02. > :22:11.over evidence and it is anticipated that they will do so. However, some
:22:11. > :22:14.may be unwilling to. Others may feel unable to because of
:22:14. > :22:21.confidentiality issues. Clause 9 therefore enables the presiding
:22:21. > :22:26.member to issue notices compelling witnesses to come before the
:22:26. > :22:32.inquiry or compelling evidence to be given to it. Often when we talk
:22:32. > :22:35.of victims and survivors we talk of the benefits and the advantages of
:22:35. > :22:39.story-telling. There is no doubt that an individual can take great
:22:39. > :22:44.comfort from being able in a safe and secure environment, perhaps for
:22:44. > :22:51.the first time in ten, 20, 30 or 40 years, to have the facility to tell
:22:51. > :22:56.their story. To get it off their chest. Wye put it to you, that
:22:56. > :23:02.that's not really the full benefit. Story-telling is only of real
:23:02. > :23:08.advantage to a victim or a survivor if there is somebody listening.
:23:08. > :23:15.It's my personal opinion that the costs of this investigation should
:23:15. > :23:21.at least in part be met by the Catholic Church. Because it is
:23:21. > :23:25.clergy and lay people within the Catholic Church on this one who are
:23:25. > :23:28.responsible, at least in part, and the leadership of the Church
:23:29. > :23:34.culpable in terms of dealing with it and those costs should be met
:23:34. > :23:39.therefore appropriately. I think the legislation that will pass this
:23:39. > :23:45.House must include measures to control costs and minimise costs to
:23:45. > :23:49.the taxpayer, but at the same time ensure that the investigation and
:23:49. > :23:56.the report that will come from the investigation are clearly robust
:23:56. > :24:00.and will provide that surety to people who are victims.
:24:00. > :24:03.Martin McGuinness spoke today about his planned meeting with the Queen.
:24:03. > :24:07.He was asked if there is a role for the monarchy in any possible united
:24:07. > :24:12.Ireland. I think all of these things are
:24:12. > :24:17.obviously up there for discussion. I want to see a reunited Ireland
:24:17. > :24:21.and I am very determined, through my involvement in politics, to try
:24:21. > :24:28.and bring that about. I think we have made massive strides forward
:24:28. > :24:31.through the peace process in recent times. Power-sharing rules, all-
:24:31. > :24:35.Ireland institutions, east-west institutions rule, so we have to
:24:35. > :24:40.continue to move forward. The unthinkable in the past has come to
:24:40. > :24:47.pass. So, other things that may be unthinkable now I believe will come
:24:47. > :24:51.to pass in the future. But the next phase of this has to be a phase of
:24:51. > :24:57.reconciliation and I think that debate has commenced and I think it
:24:57. > :25:02.will gather speed over the course of coming times and I would like to
:25:02. > :25:05.think that what will happen on Wednesday morning will be a further
:25:05. > :25:08.impetus, a further spur on the road to national reconciliation in
:25:08. > :25:12.Ireland. Should Ireland, for example, consider joining the
:25:12. > :25:15.Commonwealth as part of this new phase? Well, I wouldn't be in
:25:15. > :25:20.favour of that and I don't think it's really necessary even to get
:25:20. > :25:25.into that at this stage. I do believe that as we evolve and as
:25:25. > :25:29.time moves forward we will become involved in very important dialogue
:25:29. > :25:35.and discussions about how everybody can feel safe and secure and
:25:35. > :25:41.comfortable on the island of Ireland. I want to be involved in
:25:41. > :25:46.showing a spirit of generosity to the unionist people and to ask in a
:25:46. > :25:51.sizable percentage, if not all, of the unionist community to recognise
:25:51. > :25:55.that in terms of economic prosperity, in terms of social
:25:55. > :26:00.stapblt, -- stability, in terms of political stability, in terms of
:26:00. > :26:05.the affinity that we all need to have with each other, we are much
:26:05. > :26:08.better working on the basis that we can collectively take take
:26:08. > :26:11.decisions that make this island a far better place for all of to us
:26:11. > :26:15.live in. Well, the grounds of Stormont have
:26:15. > :26:17.been a hive of activity today. Gareth Gordon filled me in on the
:26:17. > :26:21.preparations for this week's Jubilee party.
:26:21. > :26:23.Well, in case anyone is confused, politics is still the main business
:26:24. > :26:27.here at Stormont, even if the grounds have been turned into
:26:27. > :26:30.something like the days before Glastonbury or something. Something
:26:30. > :26:33.going on here that you couldn't help but notice it. Lots of crash
:26:33. > :26:37.barriers, they're appearing because the population of Northern Ireland
:26:37. > :26:42.have suddenly become interested in what MLAs are doing. Rather it's
:26:42. > :26:46.all to do with the visit on Wednesday by the Queen. And not
:26:46. > :26:51.inconsiderable crowd of 22,000 people here to see her. You cannot
:26:51. > :26:57.bring as many people as that on to the grounds of the estate without
:26:57. > :27:01.some facilities in place, we have a marquee going up behind, we have
:27:01. > :27:05.portaloos, two stages as well and rumours of some pretty big name
:27:05. > :27:08.acts to play on those stages. But of course they'll not steal the top
:27:08. > :27:11.billing from the Queen. This is one of only two places in Northern
:27:11. > :27:17.Ireland during her two-day visit where she will be doing a walkabout.
:27:17. > :27:20.But remember this, it will be a very short time. The organisers are
:27:20. > :27:24.aware you cannot bring a big crowd without giving them something else
:27:24. > :27:27.to do while waiting for the Queen, hence this activity. A non-
:27:27. > :27:34.appearance of a portrait of the Queen has roughlied a few feathers.
:27:34. > :27:42.This is a portrait of the Queen painted by the late artist Lydia
:27:42. > :27:52.deBerg who happens to have been an aunt of an unionist MLA. It's on
:27:52. > :27:55.loan to Hillsborough Castle. He's used colourful language to
:27:55. > :27:59.express his annoyance of the fact it hasn't been brought here. He
:27:59. > :28:04.says Stormont is an almost a venue for constant exhibition - he
:28:04. > :28:08.singles out the current one for crit criticism, he says it's a
:28:08. > :28:14.bizarre set of fish skins, technically I think he is right.
:28:15. > :28:20.This is an exhibition by an artist, The Screaming Silence of the Wind
:28:20. > :28:26.and uses fish leather. Jim Allister has a point about fish skins. He is
:28:26. > :28:30.unimpressed saying authorities are quite happy to bedeck Stormont like
:28:30. > :28:34.a Middle Eastern bazarr but cannot find room for a portrait of the
:28:34. > :28:36.Queen. Something that's been debated recent shreu whether or not
:28:36. > :28:42.to allow television cameras into court, are you for or against?
:28:42. > :28:46.think there is an argument for and against. It depends on what aspect
:28:46. > :28:50.they're going to televise. Sometimes there's a pilot running
:28:51. > :28:55.where they're televising the junk giving -- judge giving out the
:28:55. > :29:00.verdict, that type of thing, or sentencing. But I spent time last
:29:00. > :29:05.summer in America where the Casey Anthony trial, a child that was
:29:05. > :29:09.murdered, went on and it was really horrendous, it was a circus. It
:29:09. > :29:11.really was. The prosecution and the defence were just acting and Wye