Ministerial mind to turn?
An interesting, and short, snippet from the end of Stormont Live today. According to the BBC’s political editor Mark Devenport “all the buzz”, as the Assembly’s Environment Committee waits on Section 44 being imposed by the Speaker, is that the Environment minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, will use a ministerial statement tomorrow to “row back” on her previous position of being “of a mind to approve” Seymour Sweeney’s private development of the Causeway Visitor’s Centre and instead approve a publicly funded project [Or "be of a mind to approve".. - Ed]. We’ll find out tomorrow whether it’s claimed that was the intention all along.. but such a u-turn could, as the previous statement did, have implications for the Tourism minister.. let’s hope they’ve budgeted for that eventuality.. and any other alternative views..
PB, I mentioned this on the “a duty to ‘assert, protect and keep open’ public rights of way..” thread. AFAIK there is no alternative plan on the table as yet. Perhaps she’ll be ask for one but you might then ask if officials are facilitating or hindering the National Trust plan. Dodds had previously withheld financial support from the DETI sponsored public initiative.
It might also be worth reminding readers of the Ministerial Code, in particular, that section which indicates that a project involving two ministries goes through the executive – something that AFAIK Foster and Dodds ignored.
As i wrote for a local Paper: -
The party that sought power ought to accept its responsibility and act as fiduciaries. The Sweeny Affair does not bode well for the DUP Junior Minister of the OFMDFM as it would amount to dismissal elsewhere, nor does it look good as the burden of apparent bias is placed on his ministerial colleague’s ‘minded’ decision as an inference of constructive knowledge could be construed between DUP MLAs. This may not be the UUP’s proudest moment but indirectly we have much to be proud about and while the DUP Minister can carve up the budget pie to serve their own political ends the UUP will still exist to represent those who want an alternative to deep Orange and Green politics.
Nice one Davenport for coming up with the goods on this one.