:00:24. > :00:28.Once again moral matters were was the major talking point
:00:29. > :00:30.in the chamber as Members discussed potential changes
:00:31. > :00:34.to abortion legislation here - and pardons for men found
:00:35. > :00:36.guilty of now abolished homosexual offences.
:00:37. > :00:42.The Health Minister says proposals recommended in a report on abortion
:00:43. > :00:44.in the cases of fatal foetal abnormality will be
:00:45. > :00:59.Now that the first and Deputy First Minister have seen the report, I
:01:00. > :01:01.will be bringing forward proposals in the New Year.
:01:02. > :01:06.And as gay pardons are debated, one MLA calls out the DUP.
:01:07. > :01:21.Where is he hiding? And it was who sat in pews yesterday in a church
:01:22. > :01:23.that still believes homosexuality is a sin.
:01:24. > :01:25.And joining me with his thoughts on today's developments
:01:26. > :01:31.Could one of the longest-running issues at Stormont be
:01:32. > :01:35.The Health Minister told MLAs that she will bring proposals
:01:36. > :01:39.to the Assembly in the New Year dealing with abortion here.
:01:40. > :01:43.The proposals will be based on the findings of the working group
:01:44. > :01:46.set up to look into the law around cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
:01:47. > :01:49.That report is now with the Health and Justice Ministers and Stormont
:01:50. > :01:52.sources have told the BBC that it recommends a change
:01:53. > :01:57.Michelle O'Neill revealed the likely timetable of events,
:01:58. > :02:00.but before that she was asked about hospital waiting lists,
:02:01. > :02:03.as she and the Ulster Unionist, Steve Aiken, engaged in a running
:02:04. > :02:17.In view of those awful figures we are hearing, could be minister,
:02:18. > :02:22.given the recent media reports on the lengthening of waiting list
:02:23. > :02:32.times, explain how massaging targets is beneficial to the near 250,000
:02:33. > :02:36.cases on our waiting list? I am not interesting in massaging anything. I
:02:37. > :02:41.am most interested in people being seen in the most timely manner. That
:02:42. > :02:47.is my priority in terms of being the Health Minister. We need a
:02:48. > :02:53.transformed health and social care. That is why we're trying to deliver
:02:54. > :02:58.21st-century health and social care with a 20th-century system. We have
:02:59. > :03:03.a rising demand, more people being seen, but people are also living
:03:04. > :03:06.longer with more complex conditions. We have short-term initiatives and
:03:07. > :03:10.long-term initiatives. Let's transformed health and social care
:03:11. > :03:14.and I want to deliver that because if we do not do that, we will be
:03:15. > :03:23.having this conversation for many years to come. This problem does not
:03:24. > :03:27.happen overnight. This has been a result of cuts year on year by the
:03:28. > :03:33.Tory government, and you can laugh all you want, but your friends, the
:03:34. > :03:43.Tories, cut year-on-year and made it really difficult. I would do
:03:44. > :03:46.absolutely everything I can. I will continue to do that because I want
:03:47. > :03:51.the public to get the message loud and clear, I am doing everything I
:03:52. > :03:56.can to bring waiting lists down and the public will thank us for that.
:03:57. > :04:00.It has been over six weeks since the working group on fatal fatal
:04:01. > :04:07.abnormality completed its work. One will the report be published? The
:04:08. > :04:11.Justice Minister and I received it on the 11th of October. The First
:04:12. > :04:15.Minister and Deputy First Minister have seen the report and they just
:04:16. > :04:18.minister and I will continue to work closely on the matter and we will
:04:19. > :04:26.bring proposals forward in the New Year. Many people are now calling up
:04:27. > :04:30.the establishment for what it was, a political whitewash the provided a
:04:31. > :04:35.convenient escape the DUP when they needed one. Will she restore some of
:04:36. > :04:39.the rapidly waning confidence in this report by giving us an
:04:40. > :04:47.anticipated timescale? How long will it take her and the Justice Minister
:04:48. > :04:52.and executive to form an opinion? I was very interested. It was a very
:04:53. > :04:57.important piece of work in so far as it sought the views of women and
:04:58. > :05:02.their families who are impacted, and I had to be a core element of the
:05:03. > :05:06.work group toad. I welcome the input which they provided and I want to
:05:07. > :05:11.thank them because I appreciate what they did. I also appreciate the
:05:12. > :05:14.upset that lies behind their own personal experiences because it is
:05:15. > :05:21.not easy to show your own personal story. I believe the work has been
:05:22. > :05:28.invaluable. Professionals including midwives, gynaecologists, GPs, and
:05:29. > :05:31.also took into account the views of interested parties who responded to
:05:32. > :05:37.the recent consultation on the matter. The time frame we will bring
:05:38. > :05:41.proposals forward early in the New Year. Early in the New Year. Now
:05:42. > :05:45.that the first and Deputy First Minister has seen the report, we
:05:46. > :05:47.will work on it, but I will be bringing forward proposals in the
:05:48. > :05:49.New Year. Michelle O'Neill -
:05:50. > :05:51.and as the Minister said there, the First and Deputy First Ministers
:05:52. > :05:54.have now seen the conclusions reached by the working group,
:05:55. > :05:56.and just last Friday our Political Editor, Mark Devenport,
:05:57. > :06:15.asked them both for their There are challenging situations,
:06:16. > :06:21.particularly the whole issue of fatal abnormality is whether there
:06:22. > :06:26.is no prospect of life. I have met with Sarah Ewart in particular, are
:06:27. > :06:31.very important case a much publicised in Northern Ireland,
:06:32. > :06:35.where she travelled to England in the most distressing circumstances
:06:36. > :06:39.possible. I do think it is an issue that our Assembly needs to deal with
:06:40. > :06:44.in the time ahead because quite clearly, we support the right of any
:06:45. > :06:49.family who have been told they have a fatal abnormality to have that
:06:50. > :06:56.child. But we also support the right of any family unable to do that to
:06:57. > :07:00.access the termination in our health service. But that is something that
:07:01. > :07:06.can only be resolved by the Assembly. We should make no after a
:07:07. > :07:10.consideration of all of the implications. I wanted to do that
:07:11. > :07:16.back in March of this year. I felt it was absolutely wrong to tackle
:07:17. > :07:22.onto a justice bill dealing with firearms a piece around abortions on
:07:23. > :07:26.the two fatal abnormality in sexual crimes as well. That was wrong. We
:07:27. > :07:30.asked them to come forward, they do it. They have reported to the
:07:31. > :07:34.Justice Minister and Health Minister and I look forward to having further
:07:35. > :07:41.discussions in relation to those issues. Had you seen that paper now?
:07:42. > :07:45.The paper has been shared with me recently. I have been able to read
:07:46. > :07:49.the paper but of course I want to engage with my own party in relation
:07:50. > :07:52.to those issues, I want to ask questions in relation to the
:07:53. > :07:58.conclusions reached. It is only right I did as well. I have already
:07:59. > :08:02.started that process in relation to engagement and have started the
:08:03. > :08:04.process of asking questions around the conclusions.
:08:05. > :08:06.Last Friday the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said
:08:07. > :08:08.the Assembly should not just deliberate on, but legislate
:08:09. > :08:16.And the abortion issue also opened proceedings in the chamber today.
:08:17. > :08:18.Last week the Green Party MLA, Clare Bailey, brought a petition
:08:19. > :08:20.to the Assembly calling for abortion law in Northern Ireland
:08:21. > :08:25.Today, the DUP's Jim Wells brought what he called 'the largest petition
:08:26. > :08:26.ever' to the Assembly, aiming to protect the rights
:08:27. > :08:35.Today, I am presenting you with what I believe to be the largest petition
:08:36. > :08:41.ever received by the Northern Ireland Assembly. 300,000
:08:42. > :08:47.signatures, not 35,000, calling for the protection of the unborn child
:08:48. > :08:51.in Northern Ireland. These have been signed by Northern Ireland residents
:08:52. > :08:55.who have given their address and can be verified. Therefore I believe
:08:56. > :09:02.this petition is authentic. In the time that it has taken to make this
:09:03. > :09:06.short speech and the present this petition to you, another child will
:09:07. > :09:10.have been aborted. One child is aborted every five minutes in the
:09:11. > :09:16.rest of the United Kingdom. That is an awful strain on the character of
:09:17. > :09:22.our nation. 98.9% of those children are totally well, fit and able, they
:09:23. > :09:25.have been aborted on many occasions because it was simply not convenient
:09:26. > :09:28.that they were born. Jim Wells very firmly
:09:29. > :09:30.making his point there. Alex, this issue of fatal foetal
:09:31. > :09:35.abnormality has been one of the most divisive matters to come
:09:36. > :09:36.before the Assembly. Are we inching towards
:09:37. > :09:47.a resolution perhaps? I think we are. It was interesting
:09:48. > :09:54.that body language there and also what Arlene Foster said and did not
:09:55. > :09:58.say. She said, I did not want it on the previous legislation, I have
:09:59. > :10:02.begun talks, we will have further discussions then reach a conclusion.
:10:03. > :10:06.I do not want to read too much into it but it sounded to me like she was
:10:07. > :10:08.prepared to have a debate that the DUP would not have done.
:10:09. > :10:12.Can you see the DUP backing a change to the law in cases of fatal
:10:13. > :10:13.foetal abnormality - or even allowing its
:10:14. > :10:27.My instinct is they will allow a free vote. I am not sure over the
:10:28. > :10:31.whole house have the vote will go but there is a clear distinction in
:10:32. > :10:39.Northern Ireland between people who oppose abortion and others who do
:10:40. > :10:45.oppose it but think there should be leeway when it comes to fatal faecal
:10:46. > :10:50.abdominal at it. I think the lifetime of this Assembly it will
:10:51. > :10:55.get through. So it is more likely to be a free vote rather than the party
:10:56. > :10:58.actually supporting the recommendations of this working
:10:59. > :11:04.group? A free vote makes sense. People have told me their concerns
:11:05. > :11:10.about abortions but have admitted they have no huge problem, moral
:11:11. > :11:15.problem, with a fatal faecal abnormality changes. If she gives a
:11:16. > :11:20.free vote, it will be interesting. She is a strong position at the
:11:21. > :11:26.moment. She has her own mandate now and as far away as the next election
:11:27. > :11:30.as you can possibly be. So if she is going to do something like this,
:11:31. > :11:35.arguably now is as good a time as any. There are two or three big,
:11:36. > :11:40.social moral issues. The DUP has to give leeway on at least one of them.
:11:41. > :11:42.All my instincts suggest that it will be on this issue.
:11:43. > :11:44.It was, of course, a DUP Health Minister -
:11:45. > :11:46.Simon Hamilton - who set up this working group.
:11:47. > :11:48.Does that somehow make his party 'obliged' to accept
:11:49. > :11:59.That at least is the point that will be discussed internally. Simon
:12:00. > :12:06.himself has said he will be guided by the signs. Claire Sugden's
:12:07. > :12:13.personal opinion is there should be change. She is in a key position,
:12:14. > :12:14.she can say to the First Minister, I would like some leeway here, it
:12:15. > :12:16.would make it better. We saw Jim Wells presenting
:12:17. > :12:19.a petition to the Assembly there. It's very clear where
:12:20. > :12:21.his priorities lie. Could attempting to force this
:12:22. > :12:34.legislation through cause a major There is certainly an evangelical
:12:35. > :12:40.wing of the DUP, mostly outside the Assembly. People there would not
:12:41. > :12:46.have been there ten years ago who have softer views than some of those
:12:47. > :12:50.moral issues. I just think the mood is against Jim. I respect his
:12:51. > :12:55.opinions but the mood is against him. There is still a bigger broader
:12:56. > :12:57.audience out there. We will hear more from you later in the
:12:58. > :12:58.programme. The second moral issue
:12:59. > :13:01.to raise its head today was that of pardons for gay men for now
:13:02. > :13:03.abolished sexual offences. The matter was dealt with by way
:13:04. > :13:06.of a Legislative Consent Motion where the Assembly agrees to hand
:13:07. > :13:09.devolved powers back to Westminster. As the Justice Minister
:13:10. > :13:11.presented the motion, everyone present appeared
:13:12. > :13:25.to be in agreement, The fourth and final proposal within
:13:26. > :13:31.the motion concerns pardons for sexual offences. The UK Government
:13:32. > :13:36.has indicated its support to provide in England and Wales statutory
:13:37. > :13:42.pardon the gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offences
:13:43. > :13:49.but would not be offences today. The activity must've been consensual and
:13:50. > :13:55.involved a person aged 16 or over. Everyone today who is going to
:13:56. > :14:03.endorse by their silence or their vote this pardon is accepting that
:14:04. > :14:07.homosexuality, which many of their churches teach is a still, that
:14:08. > :14:15.buggery is still wrong, that is the teaching many of them have. That
:14:16. > :14:23.nonetheless is a normal sexual activity. These amendments are an
:14:24. > :14:32.existing provisions in England and Wales. Subsequent amendments tabled
:14:33. > :14:36.by Lord Laxton would make provision for Northern Ireland by introducing
:14:37. > :14:41.powers in the protection of freedoms act 2012 along with new provisions
:14:42. > :14:49.which provide statutory pardons. Those shot at dawn were pardoned 90
:14:50. > :14:56.years after. Don't the good pardons. Allen showing was pardoned in 2013.
:14:57. > :15:04.And the decriminalisation of homosexuality came into force 34
:15:05. > :15:10.years ago. I think what this does is it puts right the consequences of a
:15:11. > :15:16.bad law. This was a cruel and unjust homophobic law, a dinosaur in the. A
:15:17. > :15:22.lot of people have been harmed as a result of this law and no one should
:15:23. > :15:28.be discriminated against or be found guilty or have been a criminal for
:15:29. > :15:35.falling in love. We should take any opportunity to right wrongs. That is
:15:36. > :15:40.what this proposal does in terms of pardons for offences. And for that
:15:41. > :15:45.reason, we will oppose this amendment. It is pretty obvious that
:15:46. > :15:51.even in the way he says LGBT, he has got a bad taste in his mouth. It is
:15:52. > :15:57.disgraceful. The way he answered the question or refuse to answer
:15:58. > :16:04.questions from various members. Mr Alistair's problem is he does not
:16:05. > :16:11.like homosexuality, he finds it distasteful. He said so, so many
:16:12. > :16:14.times. It is on the record now. In cases of clear discrimination,
:16:15. > :16:22.whether it be against the LGBT community, whether it be the issue
:16:23. > :16:27.of slavery or even if we go back, the burning of so-called witches,
:16:28. > :16:32.there is shame in our past. I think we should recognise it as a state
:16:33. > :16:45.and as legislators and I think where possible we should Just a couple of
:16:46. > :16:50.years ago addressing schoolchildren, Mr Buchanan said, quoted in the
:16:51. > :16:59.local Ulster Herald, as saying homosexuality isn't right, it is an
:17:00. > :17:09.abomination. Which Mr Buchanan is here today? Where is he hiding?
:17:10. > :17:14.Where is Mr Storey hiding? And others who sat in queues yesterday
:17:15. > :17:16.in a church that still holds that homosexuality is a sin.
:17:17. > :17:18.Jim Allister, whose amendment was put to a vote, but,
:17:19. > :17:21.in a strange piece of Stormont choreography, because he was
:17:22. > :17:23.the only teller to come forward, the House could not divide.
:17:24. > :17:25.The unamended Legislative Consent Motion therefore
:17:26. > :17:30.Next tonight to speed limits outside primary schools and plans to reduce
:17:31. > :17:32.them - a subject for discussion during today's questions
:17:33. > :17:36.But, perhaps not surprisingly, the much-discussed York Street
:17:37. > :17:44.Interchange for Belfast took precedence.
:17:45. > :17:50.Does the Minister believe there is any prospect of the ?250 million
:17:51. > :17:53.announced in the Chancellor 's statement for infrastructure being
:17:54. > :18:01.used to ensure that this vital project is commenced? I thank the
:18:02. > :18:06.member. It will be for the executive to come to the decision on how the
:18:07. > :18:11.children ?50 million is divvied out, of course the children ?50 million
:18:12. > :18:16.the member alludes to is for capital projects. Some of that I have no
:18:17. > :18:20.doubt the problems will be able to deliver but I presume the money will
:18:21. > :18:24.also be used for schools, for hospitals and new homes, too. I have
:18:25. > :18:30.established an alternative financing unit within the Department to look
:18:31. > :18:34.at all available funding not just for this project but for all
:18:35. > :18:38.projects going forward. I currently have somewhere in the region of ?5
:18:39. > :18:42.billion worth of projects on my desk that you could proceed with however
:18:43. > :18:47.I will only have in the region of one or 1.5 billion in the next five
:18:48. > :18:52.years. A more recent innovation has been the development of part-time 20
:18:53. > :18:56.miles per hour 's speed limits near schools. The speed limit at the
:18:57. > :19:02.skills is reduced to 20 mph at school opening and closing times at
:19:03. > :19:05.term time. The schools are frequently an unlit roads which
:19:06. > :19:10.further adds to the hazards that school children are exposed to in
:19:11. > :19:14.dark winter days. Many schools in urban areas are located within
:19:15. > :19:18.traffic camera zones where traffic speeds are reduced to 12 and 20 mils
:19:19. > :19:25.per hour due to the self of forcing effects of road humps and crossing
:19:26. > :19:30.facilities. The area is a high priority, those on hundred 57 on
:19:31. > :19:35.roads, especially rural roads, where the National speed limit applies.
:19:36. > :19:39.Can I ask the Minister to comment on figures he provided to me that shows
:19:40. > :19:44.the peak number of movements in the Yorkshire exchanges 111,000 car as
:19:45. > :19:48.well as the A5 96 peaks at 20 and 26000 and ask him does he believe
:19:49. > :19:51.that the Yorkshire entertained is utterly essential to not just the
:19:52. > :19:56.economy of Belfast but all of Northern Ireland? There are other
:19:57. > :20:02.statistics and we can bring those other statistics in and I have
:20:03. > :20:05.alluded to this already. Had you asked for fatality statistics at the
:20:06. > :20:10.York Street interchange and compare them to the A5 eight sex, you would
:20:11. > :20:17.have an entirely different set of statistics. I maybe wrong on this
:20:18. > :20:23.but I am not aware of any fatalities at the York Street interchange. I am
:20:24. > :20:27.aware of nearly 50 fatalities on the A5 so as I have said strategically
:20:28. > :20:30.for me the number of criteria we can base this on certainly one of the
:20:31. > :20:35.most important I think for someone in my position is to make our roads
:20:36. > :20:39.as safe as possible. I would not have stood in this house recently
:20:40. > :20:43.and made the decision to proceed with the Yorkshire interchange if I
:20:44. > :20:46.did not accept the arguments that this was a strategic beat of
:20:47. > :20:50.infrastructure for not just the city of Belfast but that the economy of
:20:51. > :20:55.all requires. I accept that. I do not have the financial ability right
:20:56. > :20:58.now at my disposal to build everything we absolutely wants all I
:20:59. > :21:05.need to prioritise. When we look at the economy we continue to talk in
:21:06. > :21:10.this house and public airwaves about moving cars. We need to talk about
:21:11. > :21:14.moving people. Living people is good for business in Belfast, moving cars
:21:15. > :21:19.is not. What are we to do after your street? Builders have of great
:21:20. > :21:26.Victoria Street because we need to wins? Belfast -- demolished Belfast
:21:27. > :21:28.City Hall? We need to talk about moving people, not moving cars.
:21:29. > :21:31.Chris Hazzard on the challenge of keeping things moving in Belfast.
:21:32. > :21:34.A second Legislative Consent Motion brought to the House today extended
:21:35. > :21:36.provisions of the Higher Education and Research Bill.
:21:37. > :21:38.The Economy Minister said it would ensure that Northern Ireland
:21:39. > :21:40.will continue to be a part of how higher education
:21:41. > :21:43.is co-ordinated throughout the UK, but there will be no link
:21:44. > :21:52.here between the Teaching Excellence Framework and tuition fees.
:21:53. > :21:57.Published differential results of universities will be of interest to
:21:58. > :22:00.potential students and our institutions have a genuine and well
:22:01. > :22:04.founded concern that they will suffer adversely if they do not
:22:05. > :22:08.appear on a UK wide list of quality in relation to teaching excellence.
:22:09. > :22:11.Hearing that they are allowed to take part will provide the
:22:12. > :22:14.institutions with an assurance that they are on a level playing field
:22:15. > :22:22.across the UK. The argument from some scenes mistakenly that should
:22:23. > :22:24.universities use the TEF then they can use the increased fees when
:22:25. > :22:31.interest they have already risen with inflation year on year. I noted
:22:32. > :22:37.that it is sufficiently different and to some extent you need context,
:22:38. > :22:45.meaning that the role of choice is diminished. The institutions here
:22:46. > :22:50.that the Minister has at this issue in his opening remarks. They also
:22:51. > :22:55.asked that the committee sought a guarantee that outcomes will not be
:22:56. > :23:00.links to view it was in again something that has been addressed.
:23:01. > :23:04.Strong and compelling arguments have been made to highlight the
:23:05. > :23:07.likelihood of universities pretend -- potentially using this framework
:23:08. > :23:14.to create what could become elitist institutions. While it may be used
:23:15. > :23:18.in terms of higher-level fees in terms of what happened in England
:23:19. > :23:23.that is not a rich we are forced to go down in Northern Ireland. That is
:23:24. > :23:26.a matter that is purely something that is entirely within our own
:23:27. > :23:31.discretion. I think assessments should be done in an open and
:23:32. > :23:35.democratic way where students should be allowed to come together and
:23:36. > :23:40.collectively discuss and assessed courses and teaching to the
:23:41. > :23:45.clustered system and through student unions. England want to link
:23:46. > :23:47.inflationary fee increases to the TEF when is the fee increases in
:23:48. > :23:48.both and Ireland are automatic. The British tradition must be
:23:49. > :23:52.accommodated in a United Ireland, according to the Deputy First
:23:53. > :23:53.Minister, Martin McGuinness. He was speaking at the launch
:23:54. > :23:56.of a Sinn Fein discussion document entitled,
:23:57. > :23:58."Towards a United Ireland". It examines how unification
:23:59. > :23:59.would affect key areas including the economy,
:24:00. > :24:12.tourism, transport, policing, A new Ireland built on the
:24:13. > :24:16.principles of equality and inclusion. We believe that this
:24:17. > :24:22.would require a new constitution and a bill of rights. It would require a
:24:23. > :24:25.discussion on symbols and emblems, to reflect and includes a violent
:24:26. > :24:33.including the safeguarding of British citizenship and the
:24:34. > :24:37.recognition of the union's identity. We in Sinn Fein recognise that there
:24:38. > :24:42.are many Unionists who are against Irish unity, and there is therefore
:24:43. > :24:48.an onus on those of us who want unity to persuade unionists and
:24:49. > :24:54.others of the merits and efficacy of this position. We in Sinn Fein are
:24:55. > :24:58.up for this challenge. The imposition of Brexit, despite the
:24:59. > :25:03.vote of the people in the north to remain, underlies the undemocratic
:25:04. > :25:08.nature of participation at the unequal relationship between London
:25:09. > :25:12.and Belfast. Now is the time to look to the future and talk about the
:25:13. > :25:18.plan and to deliver a new and lighted Ireland. The future and
:25:19. > :25:26.cottages proposition lies in the hands of the people of the North and
:25:27. > :25:32.the South. The Good Friday agreement which makes the Irish Embassy
:25:33. > :25:35.achievement legislator unity is the choice of the people of North and
:25:36. > :25:39.south. The B unification is about more than adding the North to the
:25:40. > :25:44.south, it is about building on what is best in both two distractions.
:25:45. > :25:47.Success of British secretaries of State have said, and this was
:25:48. > :25:51.supported by Unionist leaders, that there is no barometer which suggests
:25:52. > :25:58.that there would be a change in attitude. I have a very simple
:25:59. > :26:03.question, if they believe that they would win the day in such a
:26:04. > :26:07.referendum, then the sensible thing for them to do from the perspective
:26:08. > :26:10.is not to make that argument but to have the referendum and put it to
:26:11. > :26:11.the test of public opinion. Martin McGuinness,
:26:12. > :26:13.and Alex has joined me Why is Sinn Fein launching this
:26:14. > :26:22.discussion now, do you think? They have been doing this for some
:26:23. > :26:25.time, I could go back to Unionist outrage in the cover more
:26:26. > :26:28.conversations in the reconciliation last week, it is partly because the
:26:29. > :26:32.uncomfortable conversation they need is with their own people. Across the
:26:33. > :26:36.stock instrument they are stuck with the DUP and in Northern Ireland,
:26:37. > :26:41.they also have an deck any talking about United after Brexit. They have
:26:42. > :26:41.to try and find some kind of relevance for themselves.
:26:42. > :26:45.Meantime there's a head of steam building around the idea
:26:46. > :26:50.that the Pope might visit Northern Ireland in 2018?
:26:51. > :26:56.As an atheist I couldn't care one way or the other but I think the
:26:57. > :27:02.response from the DUP is interesting, they set out a bland
:27:03. > :27:05.statement and then changed it to say that Arlene Foster would meet him.
:27:06. > :27:10.They would find a form of words to say that he is there, if Arsenal
:27:11. > :27:13.visit but also as head of the Vatican State. But some church
:27:14. > :27:18.leaders have welcomed it. A huge change from 20 years ago when there
:27:19. > :27:22.would have been uproar. It seems to be is different now to what it was
:27:23. > :27:26.several decades ago. But there are still do romantic twist and turns as
:27:27. > :27:31.far less is is concerned. It is interesting when you look at Arlene
:27:32. > :27:34.Foster's statement that she says she would meet him in his capacity as
:27:35. > :27:38.head of state. The speculation was that he was coming on a pastoral
:27:39. > :27:43.visit and not as head of state but you see don't read too much into
:27:44. > :27:46.that. Had read too much into it. We had Martin McGuinness meeting the
:27:47. > :27:50.Queen in essence as head of state, it would look at radius from the
:27:51. > :27:55.national 's point of violent was to find a way to say I will not meet
:27:56. > :28:00.him unless the condition is met. They will knew of the form of words
:28:01. > :28:04.to say they see him in one capacity but he's also visiting Northern
:28:05. > :28:07.Ireland as his capacity as head of state of the Vatican. She has to
:28:08. > :28:11.meet him, she's going to meet him, no matter what happens in the
:28:12. > :28:18.meantime she will shake his hand. There will be some Unionists, a
:28:19. > :28:20.small minority, there will be uncomfortable about this and who
:28:21. > :28:29.will not presumably choose to be quiet about it. There is an
:28:30. > :28:32.evangelical section of the DUP, and in one sense the time is gone, they
:28:33. > :28:37.are no longer running unionism. They're certainly no longer running
:28:38. > :28:41.the DUP. She knows she has to do it, the party will accept it and that is
:28:42. > :28:48.all that matters. We live in interesting times. Happily, yes.
:28:49. > :28:51.That's over now. We back tomorrow night. Until then, goodbye. Thank
:28:52. > :29:32.you. I was asking myself,
:29:33. > :29:37."What would I do?"