28/06/2011 Stormont Today

Hello and welcome to our final programme of Stormont Today before

the summer recess. We'll have a sprinkling of MLAs from the

Executive parties on the programme tonight, plus the Ulster Unionist

leader, Tom Elliott, having another go at Sinn Fein's Francie Molloy.

Mr Molloy is unfit to hold this position of Principal Deputy

Speaker. Mothers bring their demand for nursery places to Stormont.

Everyone knows a nursery close to home is noting to be sneezed at.

Why are you here today? We are here, primarily because... Do you want to

do that again? Sorry. At least baby -- the baby didn't yawn! Our

regular viewers will know our MLAs can talk for hours about the driest

of subjects. So, no surprise that most of the day was taken up

debating the possible reduction in corporation tax. It seems many

members are in the mood to gamble, view lower corporation tax, as a

safe bet. Also, today there were questions to the Culture and

Education Ministers. First, that tax discussion. By itself a

competitive rate of corporation tax will not be enough to rebalance the

local economy. It is one strand in a strategy which should include

investment in research and development, invasion, education

and skills. It should be accepted now however that a strong case

existss for the devolution of corporation tax powers. There is

much more detailed work to be done. Much will depend on the outcome of

ongoing negotiations with the Treasury in terms of how attractive

it will be in process. I believe it is important that this Assembly

sends a strong message to the British government. Of course, the

cynical amongst us will say that asking a business owner, do they

want to pay less tax, is not going to receive an entirely surprising

response. What we must remember is, the vast majority of small

businesses, if we choose to reduce corporation tax, will not benefit

directly from this. But even they support it because they know that

the secondary spend, that comes from jobs created through foreign

direct investment, will benefit small retailers also. I think, of

some of the people who started small in this country, and have

gone on to great things, I think of Alan McClay who started his

business in Portadown, as a one-man band, where it led. To I think of

Fred Wilson, Cad pillar. I don't think the corporation tax was a big

factor to them when they started those businesses. I was asked, as a

young insurance man, to insure NorBrook, the company I worked for

decided they didn't like the look of it and it wouldn't go anywhere.

The wrong decision would be to do nothing because the world is moving

on. The Minister for Finance will tell us all the models and

predictions are based on the assumption that other things being

equal. I know he can tell us that in English and also in the original

Latin. There is another Latin phrase that I think is appropriate

in English, it is, "buyer beware" as we consider taking the power to

set our own rate of corporation tax there are uncertanties to be

resolved. Will Europe support us? Will we end newspaper the European

Court of Justice? Although some of the trade unions and the MP for

North Down are opposed to lower corporation tax, I am particularly

concerned about one politician, that is our Finance Minister, Mr

Wilson, not only has he stated his scepticism on numerous occasions,

he made it clear that he does not share his party's enthusiasm for

lower corporation tax. It's hardly a surprise, but that motion went

through on the nod. Tonne Question Time and there was talk about the

Irish language. I'm clear of what the St Andrews Agreement means. It

is in the St Andrew's Agreement I can take strategies separately.

That is what I intend to do. I have had some discussions with the stake

holders, not all, they will increase over the summer. I met

some in Derry on Saturday who are affiliated to the app apprentice

Boys. It is within my gift to take forward separate strategies. That

is what I intend to do. No later than this morning, the Minister's

colleague regaled the house on the corporation tax debate with the

benefits of the English language as an attraction for inwand ward

investment. Why, therefore, does the Minister want to waste valuable

resources on promoting a language which will disadvantage young

people in seeking employment in these hard economic times, instead

of better quipping them through the even better profishent si in

English? I have no comment to make on what the Member alleges my

colleague said. That is his opinion. There is document agencies around

having more than one language helps people in terms of their economic

development and helps constituency and communities on their economic

development. I suspect the economic development and economic wellbeing

isn't what the Member is hinting out. I hope that answered whatever

sort of question he had. Next, Education Minister, who revealed

the tough questions he has phase facing him in the coming months.

am looking closely at how best the - I'm looking closely at how to

make best use of the capital funds to maximise educational benefits

for children and young people. This work will be a priority for me and

my officials. I wish to be in a position to make a statement in the

autumn to the Assembly on the way forward when I've considered the

options available to me. There will be - it will arise I will not be

able to bring forward all projects which are currently planned or in

the early stages of planning due to the budget. This is a very

difficult position for any Minister to be in, the reality is, the

capital funds available to me simply will not build the number of

schools that are, quiegt rightly, seeking new builds at this time.

it's time for reflection, the summer break is just days away,

MLAs are already packing their trunks and getting ready to head

off. What sort of year has it been? With me now recently elected UUP

MLA Robin Swann and DUP stalwart Jim Wells. Has Stormont lived up to

all your dreams? Certainly. Robert Kop Coulter did a great job during

his time here. It was big shoes to fill. He has been there to guide me.

I have enjoyed every minute I have been here. I look forward to the

challenges. You were upset by what the Culture Minister said about an

Irish language strategy, what is your problem? St Andrew's set

forward a minority language strategy, the implications of that.

The Minister said today - Andrew's promised an Irish Language

Act? Minority languages. An act of Parliament? Yes, to cover all

languages, not just Irish language. That is our problem, is she is

minded now to take forward solely and Irish language strategy. One

that doesn't include Ulster Scots, Chinese, by her taking this forward

an Irish language strategy. She admitted to the committee that she

know it is won't through the House. She is wasting the House's time and

resources. We don't have the noun fund fancyful, political agendas

that the Minister is solely pursuing through the committee.

Your party returned from the election riding high. Your party

leaders wants to attract more Catholics into the DUP. Would you

be minded to allow an Irish language strategy? I think it has

absolutely no hope. It will be vetoed on the Executive and on the

floor of the Assembly through a petition of concern. A language

which has little relevance to the vast majority of people in Northern

Ireland. It's a waste of money. It's a dead issue and will go

nowhere. I agree with Robin entirely. You are the Health

Minister in waiting. How is that waiting around for this big job?

feel like Prince Charles. It's an unusual situation. I hope Edwin

Poots doesn't have to passe way could go on for a long time. It's

unusual to be publicly announced as being the Minister-in-waiting. You

get two years to get into the portfolio and read into the

extremely complex department. There are advantages and disadvantages.

The disadvantages, if I complain about anything, backbenchers will

say, you will fix it in two years time, we wait with interest.

current minister has been accused of switching positions. Everything

was black-and-white before the election, now things are greyer. Do

you expect him to make all the hard decisions and you come in later and

get the rewards? Chance would be the fine thing. Ed has difficult

decisions to make. He has experience on the Executive. He has

shown he is prepared to dig big into the issues and take difficult

decisions. There are inefirbtent cyst that have to be dealt with.

Whether it's Edwin or myself we can't escape the issues. People

have admired the openness he has adopted really. Do you feel the DUP

have been honest and open with the public about health? Definitely not.

The way they atracked the Ulster Unionist party for being open and

honest. The changes in mind set and position that the DUP have taken

forward. This - the position we took before the election, with

budgets, the finite resources we were lambasted for challenging

making difficult decisions. The DUP are finding what it's like to be in

that position. They also control the budget as well. They are using

health to atact the Ulster Unionist as a political football rather than

actually... Your party is done to one and lots of people writing off

the Ulster Unionist that this is a party in decline? Definitely not.

When you look through across our current Assembly team, we have six

new members with new ideas, fresh talent and new ideas coming forward.

We will bring them forward in September. And hopefully make a

difference to this place and Northern Ireland. The reason we are

down to one minister because of the hunt and configuration of numbers.

That could be debatable. How will you spend the restful weeks before

the autumn term begins, will you get a break? 123450 I don't think

so. There is a vast amount of paperwork that accumulated after

the election. A busy few weeks. I will have to spend several weeks in

a dark room getting ready of it. Vast quantities of e-mails at 100 a

day, difficult to keep up with. It sounds exhausting. Robin I hope you

get a break before the autumn returns. Francie Molloy you saw him

last night storing things up at a committee meeting and being brought

I don't care what he said... That was a rather exercise Tom Eliot

struggling to control the meeting. He is not over the experience and

was in no mood to celebrate when Molloy was executed -- elected as

the new principal deputy Speaker. Are you aware of Mr Molloy's

conducts in the committee last week? He towed to lead his record -

- disregarded and ignored the ruling of the chair. That is why I

believe Mr Molloy is not fit to hold this position of principle

Deputy Speaker. Therefore I look forward to establishing and

witnessing how Mr Molloy will carry out that role, because I am sure it

will go through with a cross- community vote by the two main

parties supporting each other, but I will wait some judging his

performance in days to come. But clearly in the perspective of

holding that office, I think, Mr Speaker, you would not have allowed

people to stray off the mark and the position that has been

discussed in such a weight as Mr Molloy has shown he is capable of

doing and has done in the committee last week, and therefore we will

oppose this. Our politicians are sometimes

accused of arguing like children - unfair, I know, to be children!

Today the junior members of society came to Stormont with their parents,

frustrated over failure to get nursery places close to home. A

mother-of-three from the Antrim Road in Belfast, Sinead Steele, was

among those visiting the Long Gallery. All parents of children

from three downwards who applied in January passed for a place at pre-

school, IMI's offer pride for several nurseries in the local area

and was refused all. My personal circumstances are I have a three-

year-old are now travelling to Glencore way to go to pre-school, a

two-year-old who I am applying for nursery come January, and then I

have a youngest. The issues that I have far there are two statutory

criteria which mitigate against my eyes off and my husband, primarily

against our children access to nursery education. All nursery

education in our local area. They are the July and August criteria

and that children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds take

precedence over all other children. When we are looking at this issue

it is not a them and us scenario, it is primarily social inclusion

and a diversity and equity for children entering into the

education system. How did you manage to get your eldest end to a

nursery, and how are you getting him to and from the nursery?

applied and there was one place left, fortunately he met the

criteria for that particular place. That said, that was out of 32

places. My sister has moved to work in that area, that is the only

reason she can access nursery at this time. How close to your home

is the nursery? -- is the nearest nursery? Less than 100 metres. The

system seems very fragmented. There are parents here today, one of whom

has twins, one child got in and the other did not. Another mother is

due in September at, she has a child going to primary school

beside her home, she has no car and she has another child going three

miles away to the only available place. Children are being

shoehorned into places where, realistically, it is impractical

for them, not with an area, they will not be going on to school with

the children they are going to nursery with, the system is not

ideal. It should be very child focused as opposed to focusing on

what the parents do or don't do. That was my colleague Judith

Cummings asking the questions. Just six weeks into the new term

and it is time for a break. Politicians are battle-weary after

Assembly and council elections and will rest their voices before

debate resume in the autumn, where the workload will be piled high. I

am joined by two members, from Sinn Fein Paul Maskey, and Dolores Kelly

of the SDLP. Paul Maskey, you might be more tired than the rest of us,

you had an extra Westminster by- election to win, west Belfast. How

will you juggle your role as an MLA and committee chairmen with the

challenge of rebuilding the economy of West Belfast? It works hand in

hand. I was in Westminster last Thursday, I left the house at 5am

and was home at midnight. We might need your prayers to rebuild the

economy, lots of jobs to be created. I used the opportunity in

Westminster to lobby and to explain to the Labour and Conservative

politicians that they need to support to the north of Ireland. I

work very hard for my constituents in West Belfast. Do you think that

some point there will be legislation and you will have to

choose and become a full-time MP? Yes, that is coming in 2015, we

have supported that you can I do the double job. A big day tomorrow,

you are chairing the Public Accounts Committee, you have

summoned the head of the Civil Service to talk about the Paul

Priestley situation. He was demoted us a permanent secretary when he

was found to have drafted a letter of complaint to your committee at

the time it was investigating the handling of Northern Ireland 4-.

There are many questions being asked, there are 11 committee

members. Some of the questions we will meet again prior to that. It

is very important that when a permanent secretary or anybody else

messes about with anything, we have to hold people to account. If we

want people to respect and have faith in the mechanisms and the

Assembly, we need to step up to the mark can do that, which is why the

head of the civil service is coming. We need to hold people to account

and make sure people have so -- have faith and trust. Will it be an

open or closed session? Open. Dolores Kelly, your party had a

bruising election, you made it back, but there was a post-election row

over a ministerial post and a lot of speculation the leader could

change. Will we see a leadership contest in the autumn? Margaret

Ritchie has made it clear she wishes to remain as leader, and as

yet I have not heard of anyone else throwing that hat into the ring.

The SDLP is very democratic. All positions are voted on by the

people attending the conference. There is certainly no vacancy, I

have not heard of any competition. What is the SDLP hoped to achieve

in its term, and will it stay in the role we see or will it move

towards opposition? We will have to see how things evolve. We were very

disappointed today that Sinn Fein and the DUP were not more vexed

about the creation of the principal deputy Speaker post rather than

bringing forward a programme for government for this term. We're the

only devolved institution and probably the only government in a

Western democracy without a programme for government, even

though the budget was approved by Sinn Fein, the DUP and the Alliance

Party yesterday. I am sure that constituents and West Belfast are

Becks they have no jobs, but we have a new job, the principal Paul

Maskey, when will we see the programme? That was a half-hour

debate. To our dismay think she has been smart by saying about people

having extra jobs. -- Dolores Kelly may think she is being smart. All

of our members give most of the money back to the party, and she

knows that. There is no additional money. Is there not a new office

already kitted out? Is it not the case that there are eight special

advisers in the office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister,

more than in the British cabinet or the day oil? The special adviser

for junior ministers was created. Your party created the junior

ministers and the special advisers. It is OK for her to come on and try

to play silly games. Her party in the last term had a negative

campaign which cost them in the election. The DUP run the same type

of campaign commanded cost them. People want to see positivity, the

parties working together, that is what people wanted to see. Without

that, that delivery is stymied. Let us work together going forward, it

is too serious an issue to be negative on. I don't think we are

messing about... I am afraid time is up and I did not get the chance

to ask you about your holidays, I assume you are not going to the

same place. With two Executive ministers and an

increased share of the bud it has been a good year for the Alliance

Party, but there is a question of the David Ford's future as Justice

Minister. I asked him how secure he felt his post was. I am fully aware

that as soon as the Assembly comes back in September a motion could be

put down to dismiss me as justice minister, that is the reality.

Unlike every other minister I am elected by the minister, -- by the

Assembly, which is a strength but a potential weakness. I hope there

will be discussions in the autumn time about the new structures from

a 2012 onwards. In my first year I said I wanted to do the best job

possible to get the reforms started. I said for the second year the

essential thing is to carry forward and start to see delivery. If

people like the current system and me as minister after that, I will

stay in post, if they want somebody else, they can have that. You are

demob happy, you will not have much piece this summer if you do not

have the Legal Aid resort? The deed -- the legal-aid dispute is being

dealt with, I am hoping that we will find a compromise that will

see the lawyers going back to work under the rates which are now in

statute with the offer we have given them of a review. If they are

not prepared for that, I am determined that by the autumn we

will see what other ways they it -- they are at providing justice,

because my key aim is to see those on charges getting access to

justice and proper representation, and victims C in court case is

going ahead. Will you be able to take time this summer to relax

after a pretty challenging few months? I think there will be a few

challenging weeks, unfortunately, but I am looking forward to a bit

of relaxation. While some members are preparing to

fly to exotic destinations, because the then Deputy Prime Minister was

at Stormont today. Slobodan Petrovic led a delegation of 15

Albanian and Serbian mayors keen to learn from the peace process. They

met the SDLP minister responsible for local government, Alex Atwood.

I spoke to Mr Petrovic about his impressions of Northern Ireland.

TRANSLATION: Obviously both countries have had a terrible past,

Kosovo and Northern Ireland have decades of the turbulent past and

violence on the streets and everywhere else. What I am very

impressed to see is that Belfast house left the past behind and is

living a normal life at this stage. It is difficult to deal with the

past, your country is coming out of conflict, Wotton at -- lessons do

you think Northern Ireland can teach you? TRANSLATION: All the

people I have spoken to have the same will and energy to deal with

the problem, they are not just passively sitting listening about

the problem, they are dealing with it and making the best possible

solution for the country. The issue at Short Strand, the violence in

Belfast just last week, is that something you were aware of and

what impression did it leave? TRANSLATION: I am very well aware

of the violence that was happening on the streets of Belfast in the

past week for three days. I have to say that I am very happy to see

that the problems as such are non- existent at the moment and

everything looks so peaceful. I am happy to see that the country was

back to normal in such a short period of time and that for the

untrained eye its people would not be able to see that such violence

even was taking place in Belfast. The debating chamber may have

closed for the summer, but cafe recess is still open. I caught up

with my colleague Gareth Gordon, who has assessed the mood which, to

be from, his demob -- demob-happy. Today was the last full sitting of

the Assembly before the summer recess. It has been a very short

term, just six weeks since the Assembly, lots of but time spent

getting the new Assembly win, debating private members' notions,

not much business of substance. But there has been some business. Today

they finally passed the Budget and their elected Francie Molloy to the

new post of principal deputy Speaker. It does not mean MLAs can

get the deck chairs out yet? Some can, but the Executive will

continue to meet at least until the end of July. There are some

potentially interesting committee meetings before the end of the week.

The Public Accounts Committee will tomorrow hear a briefing from the

head of the civil service, who may well face a more awkward questions

on a story I know you have covered. That is the demotion of the former

permanent secretary Paul Priestley, which happened because he was found

to have helped draft a letter to the committee looking at the

running of his department. There may be some interesting questions

and perhaps some interesting answers. There could still be fun

at the other committee? I don't know if everyone would agree it was

found last week, sparks flew at last Wednesday's meeting when the

chairman of the Ulster Unionists Tom Eliot suspended the meeting

after failing to shut up Francie Molloy. He had made allegations

about a well-known Irish League manager. Afterwards, a letter of

complaint was written to the Speaker. From C Molloy was elected

to the post today. -- from Sue Molloy. We will have to see if

there any more after his, I don't think that is it. But that will be

it until September when we are all back to do it again.

Maybe the time out will do everyone some good after months and the

basement at Stormont, I am heading for the Sun.