:00:28. > :00:32.Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. There may be no more horse-trading
:00:32. > :00:38.at the old Lamas Fair but up here, the ancient art of deal-making is
:00:38. > :00:42.thriving. Ministers even have to crack the whip at times. I need to
:00:42. > :00:46.hold those to account in the service who are fooling me. If they
:00:47. > :00:56.fail, I fail, so people within the system rather performing to the
:00:57. > :01:02.
:01:02. > :01:10.best of their abilities step up to the market will move on. My guest
:01:10. > :01:15.is Jackie Redpath. Voluntary groups across Northern
:01:15. > :01:20.Ireland are facing austere times just like everyone else. One group
:01:20. > :01:22.came to Stormont today to campaign to have their funding continued.
:01:22. > :01:27.The The Integrated Services for Children and Young People claim
:01:27. > :01:33.that their funding is being cut by two-thirds. Jackie Redpath - is
:01:33. > :01:37.that the figure? You are losing two-thirds? The offer that is on
:01:37. > :01:42.the table would result in only one third of funding being available.
:01:42. > :01:46.What impact would that have on the services you provide? A dramatic
:01:46. > :01:51.impact on the work we do with families and children in west
:01:51. > :01:54.Belfast. If I could just say, it is a privilege for me to sit here
:01:55. > :01:59.representing West Belfast and Greater Shankill. I am proud that
:01:59. > :02:03.people were on the steps of Stormont today to protest together,
:02:03. > :02:10.communities and erstwhile enemies working together for the benefit of
:02:10. > :02:13.children and young people. Bat has a very strong message. It has
:02:13. > :02:17.brought these two communities together. It is vital that this
:02:18. > :02:24.continues because the only thing that will suffer will be the
:02:24. > :02:29.programme, and the thing that will result will be a significant number
:02:30. > :02:35.of job losses. The biggest damage that will be done here will be the
:02:36. > :02:39.damage done to families that we are working with. We are talking about
:02:40. > :02:46.something of a significant scale here for. We are working between
:02:46. > :02:52.children, a young people and their families, with 4066 people. What
:02:52. > :02:58.are you doing to help them? What would be lost? What happens in the
:02:58. > :03:01.family is the most important thing. We also know west Belfast and
:03:01. > :03:11.Greater Shankill is one of the waste -- most disadvantaged
:03:11. > :03:12.
:03:12. > :03:22.communities. The problems family space are sometimes beyond belief.
:03:22. > :03:27.
:03:27. > :03:31.Local people are trained to. We make sure that those problems are
:03:31. > :03:35.not exacerbated and go into something else. The second thing is
:03:35. > :03:44.that any intervention is intensive - that when the problems are there,
:03:44. > :03:48.we can go a n one at 24 -- on a 24/7 basis, not just to resolve
:03:48. > :03:54.problems but to open up opportunities for those families,
:03:54. > :03:57.children and young people. There are significant success stories.
:03:57. > :04:02.The Health Minister says he has told the senior management of the
:04:02. > :04:06.five health trusts that performance must be improved. Edwin Poots held
:04:06. > :04:12.an emergency meeting with the chief executives and chairs of the Trust
:04:12. > :04:16.this morning. Conditions in A&E were among the items discussed. Mr
:04:16. > :04:20.Poots says problems in the system need to get better quickly. We need
:04:20. > :04:27.the system to get better quickly to. I believe it is a management issue
:04:27. > :04:32.of. We do need to ensure that doctors are available, perhaps more
:04:32. > :04:36.often than is currently the case. How far are you prepared to go to
:04:36. > :04:40.hold your managers and chief executives to account? I made it
:04:40. > :04:46.quite clear to the trust chairman that they account to meet for the
:04:46. > :04:50.performance of the trust and the executive directors account to them,
:04:50. > :04:56.so if they do not hold the executive directors to account,
:04:56. > :05:00.then I will be holding them to account. The very clear challenge
:05:00. > :05:05.function that they have to exercise to ensure they do get quality and
:05:05. > :05:10.service delivery within the health system. Argued prepared to sack
:05:10. > :05:16.anybody? Let's work together to make things better. -- are you
:05:16. > :05:22.prepared. If the system does not improve, that is something we need
:05:22. > :05:25.to address. You have not ruled out sacking at chief executives?
:05:25. > :05:29.need to operate in a way that encourages people to perform to
:05:29. > :05:33.their best and I want to ensure that is the case. We need to ensure
:05:33. > :05:38.we do not exclude any option on the table to ensure we get the best
:05:38. > :05:41.health service possible. We are told they deserve the salaries
:05:41. > :05:45.because they are UK-wide salaries but looking across the water,
:05:45. > :05:51.people do get sacked when they underperform. Bat is the case and
:05:51. > :05:56.we need to reflect on all of these issues. But number one, I have put
:05:56. > :06:00.it very clearly that they need to deliver. I have put it to them and
:06:00. > :06:04.they cannot get it any more clearly. Let's see how things pan out over
:06:05. > :06:10.the next few months. You have given them months to turn things around?
:06:10. > :06:15.I think we can see improvements. How many months? I think we can see
:06:15. > :06:21.improvement over two to three months. I will be asking them what
:06:21. > :06:26.they have done to make improvements in a three months' time, and I want
:06:26. > :06:30.to see that they are continuing to improve them move things forward.
:06:30. > :06:36.Doesn't the buck stops with you? Yes, and I need to hold those to
:06:36. > :06:39.account who are failing me. If they fail, I ultimately fail, so I need
:06:39. > :06:47.to ensure that people who are not performing to the best of their
:06:47. > :06:51.abilities step up to the mark. Jackie, you have laid out the
:06:51. > :06:56.services that you provide - what is the timescale for this funding cut?
:06:56. > :06:59.The timescale is that they have got until Friday to get this resolved.
:06:59. > :07:04.What we understand to be on the table at the moment, which we have
:07:04. > :07:09.only been told verbally, will make the programme totally untenable.
:07:09. > :07:14.That is why we had to come here today. I am delighted that this
:07:14. > :07:20.place works and that democracy is here, and I support it. I am just
:07:20. > :07:26.sand that in this case, until today, government has not worked. -- sad.
:07:26. > :07:30.I understand there are intensive talks. We had MLAs and ministers
:07:30. > :07:34.out, who spoke to us today, and I believe there are discussions going
:07:34. > :07:38.on in the background that would give me some hope that this matter
:07:38. > :07:42.may be resolved. Our request is that what is on the table for one
:07:42. > :07:47.year should be made pro rata for six months and that the money
:07:47. > :07:51.should be up to some degree. That should give us six months to try to
:07:51. > :07:56.resolve whatever problems these departments have about this.
:07:57. > :08:02.should you get the money? Everybody is facing cutbacks. What is it that
:08:02. > :08:06.you provide? Is there not a danger you duplicate some services? Quite
:08:06. > :08:13.the opposite. This is integrated services for children and young
:08:13. > :08:17.people. What we do is bring those services together to make them more
:08:18. > :08:20.effective. It is quite the opposite to duplicating services - we are
:08:20. > :08:25.co-ordinating those services to make them more effective for
:08:25. > :08:30.families, young people and children. We have had amazing success in
:08:30. > :08:36.relation to that. On the Shankill, we have worked with social services
:08:36. > :08:44.and we do on a daily basis. 27 children last year who were on the
:08:45. > :08:50.social services register, 23 of them have come of it this year.
:08:50. > :08:53.figures speak for themselves. The sun was shining appear on the
:08:53. > :08:57.hill but it did not stop assembly members reminding us about the
:08:57. > :09:01.winter chill during questions to the Regional Development Minister.
:09:01. > :09:05.But first, the Justice Minister had to face a few frosty questions.
:09:05. > :09:10.He asked a question to which I did not hear an answer so I'll ask
:09:10. > :09:16.again. Where prison officers given advice that the outcomes of their
:09:16. > :09:21.gratuity payments would be... My understanding is that they were,
:09:21. > :09:25.but I ask him that they were given that advice. It is my understanding
:09:25. > :09:30.that information was conveyed at one stage to members of the justice
:09:30. > :09:34.committee that payments would be taxable, potentially, next year. I
:09:34. > :09:37.believe that was made in November last year and was directed at a
:09:37. > :09:41.meeting of the committee in February this year. I am not in a
:09:41. > :09:49.position to say what information may or may not have been supplied
:09:49. > :09:55.It is regrettable that that mistake was made last year but it was
:09:55. > :10:01.corrected. Is it credible that he will be able to deliver full body
:10:01. > :10:04.scanners? Are I think -- thank Mr McCartney for his question. I can
:10:04. > :10:07.only state what I said yesterday - that we are not sure what the
:10:07. > :10:11.timescale would people stop the timescale for some of the processes
:10:11. > :10:15.depends on licensing arrangements, which have to be considered at a UK
:10:15. > :10:22.level, but I will repeat my assurance that we will be working
:10:22. > :10:28.as fast as we can to move on the issue of fall body scanners, to get
:10:28. > :10:32.pilots under way as fast as possible. In the meantime, will the
:10:32. > :10:41.Minister help to recommence dialogue between prison officials
:10:41. > :10:46.and Republican bristles -- prisons, in order to bring this continuing
:10:46. > :10:53.dispute to an end? I certainly share his desire that we should
:10:53. > :10:58.bring the dispute to an end. As I understand it, the author of a
:10:58. > :11:03.prisoner forum has been made to those on that row three and a row
:11:03. > :11:07.four core but prisoners have been unwilling to engage in that form of
:11:07. > :11:12.discussion, which I believe would be the best way, given it is in
:11:12. > :11:17.line with the 20th August 10 agreement. The important issue for
:11:17. > :11:20.me is to ensure that we provide the best possible regime for all
:11:20. > :11:23.prisoners in our custody, commensurate with their human
:11:23. > :11:28.rights and the need to provide safety and security for staff and
:11:28. > :11:34.prisoners. It was then the turn of the Regional Development Minister
:11:34. > :11:40.to face questions about winter preparation. I think it is
:11:40. > :11:46.important that we look at all aspects of winter preparation. I
:11:46. > :11:56.can inform the House that on a yearly basis, after the winter
:11:56. > :11:56.
:11:56. > :12:00.period, my department does review how it has performed and if there
:12:00. > :12:05.are any outstanding issues to be addressed. The member has raised
:12:05. > :12:15.one and we will look at it and, at some stage, discuss it further with
:12:15. > :12:15.
:12:15. > :12:21.What intention does he have in increasing cross-border co-
:12:21. > :12:29.operation? I'm grateful to the member, it seems a long way from
:12:29. > :12:34.Lindhurs Hurst Gardens. I say that there are, I think, issues that
:12:34. > :12:39.where there is, where there is common cause we will, of course,
:12:39. > :12:42.co-operate. My understanding is that the system operated in the
:12:42. > :12:51.Republic of Ireland, I would be very grateful if the member would
:12:51. > :12:56.pay attention to the answer to the question he posed, that there are
:12:56. > :13:02.differences in emphasis and approach. That they may not be
:13:02. > :13:07.easily reconciled. Certainly, we will happy to look at instances
:13:07. > :13:12.where by co-operation in a meaningful way can be operated
:13:12. > :13:14.successfully. Financial matters are always hot topics during Question
:13:14. > :13:21.Time. Members of the Assembly Commission took their turn to
:13:21. > :13:25.answer questions. We should not sit in an ivory tower. In the
:13:25. > :13:28.circumstance in which there are cutbacks to the overall block grant
:13:28. > :13:34.in Northern Ireland, the Assembly from that point of view has to take
:13:34. > :13:38.its share of the pain. However, we've organised, the Commission's
:13:38. > :13:42.introduced a wide review of all business areas to ensure services
:13:42. > :13:45.are done in the most efficient manner. It's possible that the
:13:45. > :13:50.nature of the delivery of services will change in some areas as a
:13:50. > :13:53.result of these reviews. The programme for the reviews, nothing
:13:53. > :13:59.will happen without wide-ranging consultation with members as the
:13:59. > :14:03.Commission's key stake holders in that front front.. The member
:14:03. > :14:06.confirmed that the viability of video conferencing facilities.
:14:06. > :14:11.Given the austere times we are in at the moment, everyone is looking
:14:11. > :14:15.to try to initiate cost-saving measures, does this mean ministers
:14:15. > :14:20.will be able to avail of video conferences, for example, if they
:14:21. > :14:28.want to liaise with their counterparts in the Irish Republic?
:14:28. > :14:35.Are you keeping well yourself, Gregory? Could I just say, zepty
:14:35. > :14:43.speaker, that the same argument could be applied on an east west
:14:43. > :14:46.basis. There might be a churlishness in the question. The
:14:46. > :14:50.video conferences facilities are available to individual members.
:14:50. > :14:53.The Assembly Commission serves essentially members as opposed to
:14:53. > :14:57.the Executive. I'm sure if they seek use of this facility it would
:14:57. > :15:01.be granted to them. I've in doubt about that. Only four days to go
:15:01. > :15:04.and there will be a new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. They are
:15:04. > :15:07.going head-to-head in Londonderry tonight. It's behind closed doors.
:15:07. > :15:12.We put three quick fire questions to both contenders earlier to see
:15:12. > :15:16.how they compare. If you are elected leader what will the Ulster
:15:16. > :15:19.Unionist Party look like in five years' time? We will be more
:15:19. > :15:23.cohesive, in terms of our membership, more coherent to the
:15:23. > :15:27.public in terms of our policies. The two things we have to do very
:15:27. > :15:32.simply, one is politicalcle, one is organisational, better policies
:15:32. > :15:36.better communicated we need a better organisation better
:15:36. > :15:39.resourced. I hope wee of had an Assembly election. I would hope we
:15:39. > :15:42.would of done a period of opposition and fit and ready to
:15:42. > :15:46.return to government. What three things would you do to entice
:15:46. > :15:51.ordinary people in Northern Ireland to vote Ulster Unionist at the next
:15:51. > :15:56.election? Different groups we have to target. We have to target those
:15:56. > :16:00.that started voting four our political opponents. Target people
:16:00. > :16:05.who stopped voting altogether am have you to reconnect with people.
:16:05. > :16:10.Number one, you have to go out and find what's important to them.
:16:10. > :16:15.Secondly, in what is it meets the needs, is it jobs, is it health or
:16:15. > :16:19.education, is it a mix of all? Use that time in opposition to
:16:19. > :16:23.scrutinise and develop, meet trade unionists and business people. Meet
:16:23. > :16:26.people in community groups to hear what are the issues and what are
:16:26. > :16:32.the policies that make a difference to their lives and improving their
:16:32. > :16:36.lives. That is what we have to do to reconnect. On tackle stickly our
:16:36. > :16:40.young people, it's engaging with young people and seeing what is it
:16:40. > :16:44.that it important in their lives as well and making them understand
:16:44. > :16:48.that politics is local and that politics, whether it's funding for
:16:48. > :16:53.their local football club or rugby club or whatever the issue happens
:16:53. > :16:57.to be, running campaigns for safer driving, like we had my local
:16:57. > :17:00.constituency, issues like that are how we connect politics to young
:17:00. > :17:04.people and make it seem relevant in their lives. I think people are
:17:04. > :17:07.looking for common sense government and that is what I'm offering.
:17:07. > :17:11.Looking for people to be honest with them about what we can and
:17:11. > :17:15.cannot achieve. I think people are looking for hard work on the ground.
:17:15. > :17:19.So, that's what I'm offering. I'm getting a response, even at this
:17:19. > :17:24.stage, from a lot of people kolg up and saying, I don't vote, but if
:17:24. > :17:31.you get the leadership, I will vote. I will vote for you. Some saying
:17:31. > :17:36.they will join up with your party and help you. What would make Mike
:17:36. > :17:40.Nesbitt a good leader? You do know he is running against me. I'd
:17:40. > :17:45.rather, at this stage I would say, do you want to ask what would make
:17:46. > :17:51.me a good leader? I'm Mike, I think he would be better as the leader
:17:51. > :17:55.maybe after me, would he not? would make John McCallister a good
:17:55. > :17:59.leader? Would you have to ask John McCallister. MLAs spent most of
:17:59. > :18:04.their time today debating the finer details of the Pensions Bill. This
:18:04. > :18:09.is about the timetable for increasing the state pension age to
:18:09. > :18:12.66 and harmonising the retirement age of men and women. Alex Maskey
:18:12. > :18:16.is the chair of the Social Development Committee which has
:18:16. > :18:19.been scrutinising the legislation. First, here's the social
:18:19. > :18:25.development minister, Nelson McCause lands. This is a clear
:18:25. > :18:33.breach. It would result in cost to the Northern Ireland block of
:18:33. > :18:36.around �270 million. Several members raised quetion regarding
:18:36. > :18:43.the extent of the cost to the Northern Ireland block grant and
:18:43. > :18:50.the figure is estimated to be �270 million. I know that some members
:18:50. > :18:53.seem to believe we can have a kind of pick and mix approach to parity.
:18:53. > :18:59.We can gobble up the goodies we like and spit out the things we
:18:59. > :19:02.don't. They seem to expect the Westminster government, or perhaps,
:19:02. > :19:06.more correctly, taxpayers across the UK to pick up the tab. Can we
:19:06. > :19:10.say to people in Britain that we'll happily take the �3 billion you
:19:10. > :19:15.give us every year to keep our social security system running, but
:19:15. > :19:23.don't expect us to work as long as you before we can access our
:19:23. > :19:26.pensions? There is an issue here of equality and parity across the
:19:26. > :19:30.United Kingdom. Nelson McCause lands has a point. Why should
:19:30. > :19:33.people retire sooner here than in the rest of the UK? People here pay
:19:33. > :19:38.taxing as well. The British government have been saying that
:19:38. > :19:42.the reason why they want to increase the age which people will
:19:42. > :19:46.be retire is that people are living longer. That is right. The
:19:46. > :19:49.difficulty is, a lot of people's health isn't good as they live long.
:19:49. > :19:54.Therefore, the figures we received here about the health profile of
:19:54. > :19:58.the population here in the North is that it does not compare with parts
:19:58. > :20:02.of Britain. We are not comparing like-for-like. What we have is, as
:20:02. > :20:06.an Assembly to do, is to try to make sure we make devolution work
:20:06. > :20:09.for people here that we represent. What we are trying to do within the
:20:09. > :20:12.Pensions Bill, those of us trying to oppose some of these measures,
:20:12. > :20:16.we are trying to resolve the problems that people here face,
:20:16. > :20:19.through no fault of their own. �270 million, if we were going to
:20:19. > :20:23.take the option that you recommend, where would you take that money
:20:23. > :20:27.from to pay for it? What services would you doubt pay that money?
:20:27. > :20:32.don't see it necessarily as black- and-white as that. Obviously, there
:20:32. > :20:35.were amendments tabled from the SDLP which would of resulted in
:20:35. > :20:41.that possible expenditure. Our difficulty is that the department
:20:41. > :20:45.here is not properly, in our view, exploring that the flexibility that
:20:45. > :20:48.the British government tell us we can get around these measures,
:20:48. > :20:53.around welfare reform, Pensions Bill. We want the department here,
:20:53. > :20:56.and the minister, to robustly challenge this notion of parity. We
:20:56. > :21:01.understand that parity is a big issue much we understand the level
:21:01. > :21:04.of benefits affect a lot of people not only here but in Britain as
:21:04. > :21:07.well. There has to be a robust challenge of what this actually
:21:07. > :21:12.means for the people that we represent here. Is now the time to
:21:12. > :21:18.do it? You could wait until the next mandate and talk about parity
:21:18. > :21:21.then. We are in austerity times there isn't the money around to
:21:21. > :21:27.start tweaking with the system? There isn't the money around. We
:21:27. > :21:30.know that. We are trying to make sure with the so-called welfare
:21:30. > :21:34.reform agenda we don't make people's plight worse. We are
:21:34. > :21:38.trying to make their plight easier. They are trying to spread the money
:21:38. > :21:41.thinly, but to spread the money around to make sure those more
:21:41. > :21:45.vulnerable will get a better outcome. We are trying to do that
:21:46. > :21:50.in the here and now. I have been chairing this committee since last
:21:50. > :21:53.year. I have saw precious little evidence of the flexibility that
:21:54. > :21:57.people like Owen Patterson tell us we can get. I want the minister and
:21:57. > :22:00.his department to challenge that and engage firmly to see what
:22:00. > :22:04.flexibility we can actually secure for people that we represent here.
:22:04. > :22:09.Bear in mind, we represent people. We don't represent people here. We
:22:09. > :22:14.represent those here who elect us. We have a duty to do our best for
:22:14. > :22:17.those people. You mentioned welfare reform. The minister met Iain
:22:17. > :22:21.Duncan Smith last week, to try to get some moves on the flexibility.
:22:21. > :22:27.It does feel, in some ways, now that the Bill is law in England,
:22:27. > :22:29.that we have lost that argument. We may be able to tweak at the edges
:22:29. > :22:34.but significant differences in the levels of benefits people will get
:22:34. > :22:38.here, that is gone. They will have to accept cuts? I don't expect
:22:38. > :22:41.there will be a major difference. There may not be no differences in
:22:41. > :22:46.terms of levels levels of benefit. That may be the outcome of this.
:22:46. > :22:51.There are parties here, for example, I am not making a political point,
:22:51. > :22:57.there are parties who stood up in the chamber to say, I'm a unionist
:22:57. > :23:00.I accept the principle of parity. I said that is fine. We have to do is
:23:00. > :23:04.to make the best deal for the people here we represent. Is it
:23:04. > :23:08.just talk? What can you actually achieve? I don't think it's talk.
:23:08. > :23:12.The British government say, Owen Patterson has said on-the-record
:23:12. > :23:17.that we can secure flexibility as to how we deliver this system of
:23:17. > :23:21.the benefits. A lot of the benefits, even if we don't change the figures,
:23:21. > :23:25.we may be able to change the level of sanctions or how the system is
:23:25. > :23:30.administered. We saw the problem around the personal independence
:23:30. > :23:33.payments, we saw the mess around that where the tribunals are
:23:33. > :23:37.overturning decision that is resulted in people being put off
:23:37. > :23:40.these payments. Thank you. Plenty more to talk on that on the weeks
:23:40. > :23:46.and months to come. Sinn Fein has failed to get the Assembly to back
:23:46. > :23:49.a review of the 2005 Serious Crime and Police Act. This deals with the
:23:49. > :23:52.so-called super grass trials they wanted the Justice Minister and the
:23:52. > :23:57.Attorney-General to use their powers to look again at the
:23:57. > :24:01.operation of the legislation. are told that the new legislation
:24:02. > :24:05.is different. We are told it's different is that we are told now
:24:05. > :24:09.that the deal, which the accomplice gets, were in the past that was
:24:09. > :24:12.kept a secret. If people are telling me that is some sort of
:24:12. > :24:17.difference we will wake up and discover, you know, we will know
:24:17. > :24:22.the deal now, we didn't know it in the past. That will make us feel
:24:22. > :24:26.that the scales of justice are removed from all our eyes. I don't
:24:26. > :24:32.see it. Whenever members propose this issue as some sort of catch
:24:32. > :24:37.all about super grass, it seems to me to deny the vast majority of the
:24:37. > :24:43.public the basic support and help they should expect under the law,
:24:43. > :24:47.where you have serious, organised criminals, use sophisticated
:24:47. > :24:50.techniques to avoid detection and prosecution, surely, if you can get
:24:50. > :24:56.evidence from one of their own, from an accomplice, that that
:24:56. > :25:00.evidence should be used to them behind bar fs at all possible.
:25:00. > :25:04.director in his evidence to the justice committee pointed to a
:25:04. > :25:08.procedural query on which he was taking advice. I'm writing to him
:25:08. > :25:12.to the PSNI and the police ombudsman office to see if they
:25:12. > :25:16.have identified any significant issues about the general terms of
:25:16. > :25:19.the legislation. I would also take account of what has been said in
:25:19. > :25:23.the debates. What remains to be said in the debate today. I cannot
:25:23. > :25:28.work on the presumption there is something wrong based on a single
:25:28. > :25:32.case, I will continue to listen to the views of members and the
:25:32. > :25:38.agencies I have highlighted. I will review the Hansard of this debate.
:25:38. > :25:42.On the basis of my comments, Deputy Speaker, whilst I accept the
:25:42. > :25:46.generalality of much what has been said I oppose the wording of the
:25:46. > :25:50.original motion. There is much with which I agree. Including the system
:25:50. > :25:53.operating a transparent and open manner, respecting rights and
:25:53. > :26:00.maximising public confidence. My objection is waus because the
:26:00. > :26:03.operation of the legislation is not a matter within my powers.
:26:03. > :26:07.DUP's George Robinson defended his poor attendance at committee
:26:07. > :26:11.meetings he was at fewer than any of miss his colleagues much he said
:26:11. > :26:17.he had the shingles last year and had to take several months off.
:26:17. > :26:27.Martina Purdy has a run down of how the other parties shaped up. The
:26:27. > :26:30.
:26:30. > :26:33.Ulster Unionist Michael McJimp si - - gimp si missed some and Pat Shane.
:26:33. > :26:37.The Culture Committee meets on a Thursday. He is doing the Policing
:26:37. > :26:47.Board business and he is on some other committees on the Policing
:26:47. > :26:47.
:26:47. > :26:54.Board. It is taking up more time. Alastair McDonald missed 44% of
:26:54. > :27:03.meetings. The enterprise committee he is a busy man, the SDLP leader
:27:03. > :27:08.and an MP. The Alliance Party? Judith missed six out of the 26,
:27:08. > :27:12.compared to the others not too bad. Staying with Alliance, Kieran
:27:12. > :27:17.McCarthy has been talking about comments Edwin Poots made in the
:27:17. > :27:22.chamber yesterday? That is right. Edwin Poots, the Health Minister,
:27:22. > :27:29.suggested that Kieran McCarthy was behaving like a village idiot not
:27:29. > :27:34.making enough rational points. The SDLP's representative complained.
:27:34. > :27:39.He said they were outrageous remarks and should be withdrawn.
:27:39. > :27:43.Here is what he had to say. honestly didn't hear the comment at
:27:43. > :27:47.the time. I was engrossed in the subject we were discussing, which
:27:47. > :27:51.was so important. I do think, when someone resorts to that type of
:27:51. > :27:55.language, it seems to me that they are losing the argument. In fact
:27:55. > :28:00.the argument was lost on that occasion yesterday. I did speak to
:28:00. > :28:04.the Health Minister earlier. He shows no sign of apologising. He
:28:04. > :28:08.suggestion his remarks were all part of Assembly debate. Time is of
:28:08. > :28:13.the essence for you. He you need a decision sooner rather than later.
:28:13. > :28:17.People will be out of a job come Monday? Three days left here before
:28:17. > :28:23.we go into meltdown. We shouldn't need come here today. We did. We
:28:23. > :28:26.were saved. Ministers listened to us. MLA's supported us. I would be
:28:26. > :28:31.optimistic that discussions are going on and we will get a result.
:28:31. > :28:35.They need to do. It families will suffer here, children and young
:28:35. > :28:43.people in West Belfast and greater Shankill if we don't get more money
:28:43. > :28:46.on the table. Does it surprise tu's a cross community scheme and not
:28:46. > :28:49.getting funded? It's the fourth time we have been in crisis. I
:28:49. > :28:53.didn't think we would be here again. Thank you very much for being our