The Irish Times front page today carries the image of the First and deputy First Ministers wielding the gavel at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday as, to quote the Guardian’s Michael White, the “Chuckle Brothers head for White House”. However, the reality, as pointed out by the BBC’s Mark Devenport, is that it’s just a staged photo – the real opening and the real closing of the NYSE on Monday was carried out separately by two different guests.. both …
As noted here previously, Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers are off to the US this weekend. But before they get to shake the hand of President Bush, for all his help in The Process™, they have an image to project to Times Square, as this BBC report notes. [Leslie Morrison of Invest NI] says that while there’s still some “residual nervousness” about investing in Northern Ireland, the image of executive ministers working well together and interacting in a …
The BBC’s Mark Devenport points to the “layers of irony” in the “thinly veiled threats” from the NI Executive’s Finance Minister, DUP’s Peter Robinson’s statement in the Assembly last night. And there was an interesting joint appearance on Stormont Live, video below, of the leaders of what the NI Executive’s Deputy First Minister, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, is now calling the “problem parties” – the footage of that statement is worth watching for in today’s UTV Live news programme. Pete …
Northern Ireland’s oppositionally-inclined Minister for Health, the UUP’s Michael McGimpsey, is stepping up his campaign for public support in opposition to the Executive’s Draft Budget, telling the BBC’s Politics Show that a proposed new women and children’s hospital could be delayed due to a lack of available funds. Meanwhile his party colleague, Basil McCrea has been telling Mark Devenport that the party may have to do some “hard thinking” about its position in the Executive if the budgetary issues are …
Gonzo noted previously Ian Paisley Jnr’s statement that the failure to register a property at Seymour Sweeney’s Ballyallaght Farm Cottages development in his name was due to an “administrative hiccup at Land Registry.” In today’s Belfast Telegraph, David Gordon notes that in a written answer in the Assembly, the Finance Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson – whose department is responsible for Land Registers NI – stated “I can confirm that Land Registers NI is not responsible for any administrative irregularities …
With the Ulster Museum closed for its controversial renovation until, at least, June 2009, it makes sense for as many of its exhibits to be put on public display in the meantime – although this example is the only one I’ve seen reported. It’s a 200 million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil found near Larne in 1999 and it will be on display at the Larne Tourist Information Centre for the next two years – much more on ichthyosaurs here.. and here. That …
Facinating development in the battle within the NI Executive. In today’s Sunday Life the Health Minister, the UUP’s Michael McGimpsey, continues his unusual campaign for public support in opposition to the Executive’s Draft Budget, while the Finance Minister contradicted that argument in front of the Assembly’s Health Committee. Meanwhile the chair of that committee, and the DUP’s spokeswoman on health [not to mention wife of the Finance Minister – Ed], Iris Robinson, penned a scathing attack on the Health Minister …
Interesting editorial in the Irish Times today [subs req], picking up on a report within the paper itself on an extension of the Schengen agreement to the nine most recent EU states [subs req] – and those countries who have fully impemented that particular convention. The editorial proposes an alternative solution to the multiple dilemmas created by the Common Travel Area between the Irish and UK jurisdictions, in light of the planned e-border controls by the UK, rather than the …
In the supposedly Legislative Assembly today.. In an answer to a question from the Alliance Party leader David Ford, a member of the NI Executive told the Assembly that, in effect, it doesn’t matter what they resolve.. a Minister, any Minister, can do what they want – unless the Executive utilise their collective responsibility in advance of any decision, no doubt. In this particular case, it’s the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board. Recommended for abolition by the Review of …
UTV’s Ken Reid can’t have been too surprised at the insistence of Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Ian Paisley, that he intends to serve a full 4-year term – it’s the same declaration he got in April. As for not being “some miserable sod sitting up here in Stormont planning some way to bring disaster to the country”.. well, he would say that wouldn’t he? [It will not be an overnight transition, after all.. – Ed] Of more interest, however, is …
One interesting point to note in the case of two brothers, who own a hotel in Newry, and who have been given 4-year suspended jail terms for tax evasion and have been banned from directing any company for seven years – they also paid £3,399,042 for unpaid income tax and interest due, relating to fraudulent tax returns in a period from 1971 to 1992, as well as a combined fine of £2.2million – is contained in the video report linked …
In addition to the draft Programme for Government [Administration – Ed] and the continuation of that draft Investment Strategy, the NI Executive’s Finance minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson produced a draft Budget, or more accurately a draft of the proposed allocation of resources. You can delve into the detail here [pdf file], should you wish to.. but I’m more interested in the point that, being an administration rather than a government, all these draft proposals are to be subjected to …
So the 2008-2011 Draft Programme for Government [Adminstration? – Ed] has been published. The BBC have it here [pdf file]. There are reports on the BBC and on the RTÉ websites which pick out some of the highlights. The investment section [separate pdf file here] seems based on the previously announced Investment Strategy.. so I’ve picked out some of the other declarations of some interest – beyond ‘thinking of the children’, that is – below the fold. Adds As Mark …
The Review of Public Adminstration recommended that the Agricultural Wages Board should cease to exist and, in March 2006, the then-Secretary of State, Peter Hain, announced that it would, cease to exist that is – Lord Rooker did the deed in the Lords. The decision was described by Hain as “[delivering] on his promise to cut needless bureaucracy in Northern Ireland”. But two weeks later he reversed his decision, after some heavy lobbying from Trade Unions who described the reversal …
A BBC report today points to the failed bid for £25million for the Titanic Quarter Signature Project from the Lottery Living Landmarks fund and the Belfast Telegraph notes that, “An application to redevelop the North Foreshore in north Belfast as part of a £70m project also missed out on Lottery money.” Which would be the Giants Park part of this masterplan [pdf file]. The BBC report refers to Economy minister Nigel Dodds considering other sources of funding [A certain private …
One of the most fascinating developments in the early stages of the Stormont Assembly is the central role being played by Peter Robinson at the Ministry of Finance. Negotiations with each of the ‘spending ministries’ have (apparently) been comprehensive and thorough and have continued throughout the summer. David Gordon heard the Minister speaking to his former colleagues at Castlereagh Borough Council, where he outlined some of his ideas (they should be familiar to long term readers of Slugger): “We succeeded …
With the recommendations of the first report from the review of water and sewerage services apparently waiting for the application of some collective responsibility before any minister will comment on them, the BBC’s Mark Devenport points back to the Northern Ireland Executive parties’ manifesto commitments on water charges. Pete Baker
The first of two reports on the review of water and sewerage services is out, and the Regional Development minister is low-key in his response, and is taking the recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive – [for some collective responsibility? – Ed]. The BBC report indicates a couple of important points. Firstly, according to the report, the review estimated that we already pay £160 for water and sewerage services. Secondly when the new charges come in, in 2009, as well …
While commentators seem to agree that any rise in the budget allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive was small, they seem to disagree on the actual figure. ANYhoo.. In short, not much difference from what was already announced.. Twice. Interesting querying of the changes to taxation from the BBC’s Peter Robert Peston. But Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward isn’t complaining [And why would he? – Ed] he’s been able to give the go-ahead for the long-delayed integrated training college for …
The Republic of Ireland’s Foreign Affairs minister, Dermot Ahern, is currently in the US and he’s chosen to revisit an issue which, by all accounts, had been sidelined for the forseeable future – as this Irish Voice article puts it, “comprehensive immigration reform has been put on the backburner by Congress”. But Denis Staunton in the Irish Times [subs req] has some interesting comments from the minister which suggest that he believes the illiegal Irish immigrants in the US is …
