NI Executive – Page 23 – Slugger O'Toole

Independence only for the Scottish referendum – DailyTelegraph

Brian Walker on September 20, 2012, 12:36 pm

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The strongly pro Union Daily Telegraph boldly claims that Alex Salmond is about to concede that the referendum should be about the single question of independence when the details are finalised next month. This must be in part because of the difficulty in framing a clear second question about the extent to which devolution powers might be extended, whether “devo max” or “devo more”. If true, the SNP climbdown represents a tactical victory for Westminster which has been holding out …

“court orders prohibit the media from reporting either the identities or addresses of the defendants…”

Pete Baker on August 16, 2012, 8:01 pm

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In the News Letter Sam McBride has some extra detail to an interesting story, for a number of reasons, that was initially reported in the Irish News earlier in the week. From the News Letter report RARE reporting restrictions which bar the media from identifying five people charged with Provisional IRA membership have caused concern to an MLA. The charges, which have been brought against three men and two women, relate to membership of the Provisional IRA from dates in 1999 …

“As we stated at the election, however, any changes will require the agreement of parties in the Assembly.”

Pete Baker on August 14, 2012, 4:18 pm

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As UTV reports, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, has launched a public consultation on measures which “could improve the operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly.” Including how the institutions could “evolve over time into a more normal system that incorporates a government and opposition”. From the introduction to the consultation document [pdf file] This consultation therefore highlights four key areas about which there has been debate in recent years in Northern Ireland. The current Parliamentary Boundary Review is …

“or just the re-announcement of the £3.27 million of lottery funding”

Pete Baker on August 12, 2012, 4:58 pm

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As you might expect, the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s Carál Ní Chuilín, has been maximising the PR potential of the Olympic success of athletes from here. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is doing likewise. But eyebrows should have been raised by the NI Sports Minister’s “timely public announcement” of an over £3million investment programme for amateur boxing. As Newton Emerson noted in yesterday’s Irish News Sinn Féin culture minister Caral Ni Chuilin earned a full day of headlines by announcing …

Cameron: “it’s local politicians who have to deliver on that”.

Pete Baker on August 1, 2012, 9:37 pm

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Prime Minister David Cameron was in Northern Ireland today, as part of a UK-wide tour to promote the Olympics. But despite their recent complaints, neither the NI First and deputy First Ministers appear to have been able to schedule a meeting. According to Martina Purdy, The first and deputy first ministers were not on hand to meet the prime minister as both are on holiday. [Both!? At the same time? – Ed] Indeed. And, as I said in slightly different circumstances, that’s why you …

“they demonstrate clearly their disdain for the democratic process”

Pete Baker on July 19, 2012, 5:06 pm

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The semi-detached polit-bureau are at it again. Whatever ‘it’ is… [Headline-grabbing? – Ed] Possibly… There’s certainly a lack of detail. In the absence of a sitting Northern Ireland Assembly to question them, and with no NI Executive meeting for them to jointly chair until September, the NI First and deputy First Ministers issued a statement last night. [It’s a Queens’ Speech! – Ed] Indeed. From the OFMDFM statement Commenting, Ministers said: “We are pleased to be able to give some detail on …

Memo to the National Trust…

Pete Baker on July 10, 2012, 5:26 pm

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The “intellectual baboons” behind young-Earth creationism at the National Trust’s Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre are singing your praises in letters to the editor and op-eds in the News Letter ‘Caleb’ had engaged over many months with elected representatives and the National Trust on this. The step taken by the Trust is a small, but welcome, move towards greater inclusivity. [added emphasis] It is though, of itself, significant. For the first time a younger earth interpretation has now been included as part …

Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre: “This is, as far as we are aware, a first for the National Trust anywhere in the UK, and it sets a precedent for others to follow…”

Pete Baker on July 5, 2012, 2:27 pm

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John’s professed concern is misplaced. As the National Trust press release on the “new state-of-the-art visitor centre” at the Unesco World Heritage Site Giants’ Causeway noted New interactive displays and activities inside the visitor centre include an animation of the legend of Finn McCool and an innovative hand-held audio guide. Such distractions aside, and without access to the material at issue, the quotes in the UTV report from the National Trust raise serious questions. The trust said that the exhibit gives …

“If the party was serious about fairness and equality…”

Pete Baker on June 27, 2012, 6:23 pm

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In today’s Irish News Brian Feeney addresses the Fair Employment Tribunal’s finding that, as Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, MP, MLA, discriminated against a candidate for the post of chairman of NI Water on religious grounds. That he had appointed Sean Hogan to the post “because he was not from a Protestant background and because he was known to the Minister and his ministerial colleagues”. That he had added three factors to the job specification criteria …

WHC requests UK Government “to halt the proposed development of a golf resort at the World Heritage property ‘Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast'”

Pete Baker on June 26, 2012, 8:22 pm

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The BBC reports that the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of Unesco has agreed to request “the state party of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to halt the proposed development of a golf resort at the World Heritage property ‘Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast’ until its potential impact on the outstanding universal value of the World Heritage property has been assessed”. The WHC request comes after the National Trust’s decision to seek leave for a judicial review of the decision to grant …

“Those at the heart of the Sinn Fein machine know all of this to be true.”

Pete Baker on June 25, 2012, 3:12 pm

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Where Mick treads softly [always stepping on someone’s dreams! – Ed], Alex Kane rips the PR plaster off. [Mixed metaphors much? – Ed] ANYhoo… from the News Letter article Let’s be blunt about this: Martin McGuinness didn’t join the IRA and become the de facto commander-in-chief of the army council just to end up at a function in which he will be ‘presented’ to Her Majesty during a tour of her United Kingdom! But the meeting between McGuinness and the Queen …

“the tribunal finds the minister’s evidence is implausible and lacks credibility” [Updated]

Pete Baker on June 20, 2012, 7:40 pm

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If you thought the controversy around NI Water and the then NI Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy, MP, MLA, had gone away, think again. The BBC reports that an industrial tribunal has found that Alan Lennon, a Protestant overlooked for the post of chairman of NI Water in March 2011, was discriminated against on religious grounds. From the BBC report In March 2011, Mr Murphy appointed a Catholic as chairman, Sean Hogan, ahead of four others shortlisted after interview, all …

“Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands that does not have National Parks”

Pete Baker on June 19, 2012, 9:52 pm

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The Northern Ireland Environment Minister, the SDLP’s Alex Attwood, may have a shortlist of potential National Parks – the Mournes, the Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens, and the Fermanagh Lakelands – but he doesn’t have the required legislation in place. As the BBC report notes The minister said he hopes to designate two of the three as National Parks. “Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands that does not have National Parks,” he said. “It is time to grasp …

“the trust’s over-riding focus is the protection of the environment and landscape within the distinctive setting of Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site”

Pete Baker on June 13, 2012, 10:59 pm

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The BBC report on the news that the National Trust are seeking leave for a judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission for a 18-hole golf course, hotel and golf lodges complex at Runkerry, close to the Unesco World Heritage Centre Giants’ Causeway and Causeway Coast, begins thus Stormont ministers have reacted angrily to a legal challenge by the National Trust over the decision to grant planning permission for a £100m golf resort on Northern Ireland’s north coast. That’s according to an …

“For much of the time, the Stormont Assembly looks more like a talking-shop.”

Pete Baker on May 29, 2012, 1:58 pm

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With the announcement on Girdwood [and any other business? – Ed] as a stark example of the semi-detached polit-bureau back in action, Ed Curran looks ahead The mark of the Stormont Executive has been its ability to take longer than could be imagined to arrive at decisions on many important issues. No agreed legislation means little, or nothing, to debate in the Assembly chamber. MLAs have been hard-pressed to stretch out debates in plenary sessions in recent months. For much of the …

Independent’s editor backs grammar schools

Brian Walker on May 26, 2012, 9:18 am

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Behind the turmoil of the current news agenda, something is stirring at the Independent. The editor Chris Blackhurst, by background a mainly financial journalist, has come out in favour of grammar schools – but without the 11 plus. Mary Anne Sieghart’s column was not a one-off. This is interesting because the Independent positions itself as a freethinking paper outside the party political box. More often it tilts centre leftwards than centre right. Its closest bedfellow among the UK parties is of course …

“Sinn Féin in my opinion has been slowly sedated…”

Pete Baker on May 24, 2012, 2:49 pm

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In light of Mick’s post, and now Brian’s follow-up, it’s worth noting an Irish News report today of Ballymoney Councillor Anita Cavlan’s resignation from Sinn Féin “over concerns it is failing prisoners”. From the Irish News report The Ballymoney councillor said she believed Sinn Féin had “lost direction” and “should be doing more to represent the prisoners”. “Sinn Féin in my opinion has been slowly sedated and now has been rendered unconscious by the intoxication of an illusionary power to govern,” she said. According …

Masterplan for Girdwood: “back to the sectarian drawing board…”

Pete Baker on May 23, 2012, 2:44 pm

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The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Minsters recently announced the second round of funding, £1.5million, available from the Executive and Atlantic Philanthropies’ ‘Contested Spaces’ Programme, although I’m still not entirely clear where the other £2.5million went… The announcement, in the absence of a “Cohesion, Sharing and Integration” strategy, rebranded, and “watered down” to the “lowest commmon denominator“, or otherwise, coincides with the reveal of a new contested space the masterplan for the regeneration of the Girdwood Park former military base. [And the Crumlin …

“I don’t think this generation is any different than the last…”

Pete Baker on May 14, 2012, 4:33 pm

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The Guardian’s Henry McDonald reports from anarchic Londonderry on the continuing activities of vigilante group, Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD). Watch the accompanying video report here. From the Guardian report Some RAAD members are ex-Provisionals who back the peace process but still take up the gun against members of their own communities accused of antisocial activities. Others connected to RAAD have joined organisations such as the Real IRA, which is also running a campaign of terror attacks against police officers, security …

NI Attorney General: “Citizens are entitled to have confidence in the administration of justice”

Pete Baker on April 25, 2012, 4:22 pm

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Conveniently, neither the Northern Ireland First or deputy First Ministers, nor either of their juniors, were available to the NI Assembly on Monday to answer Jim Allister’s pointed question on their continued confidence, or otherwise, in the “statutorily independent” NI Attorney General, John Larkin. [As open and transparent as possible! – Ed] There’s been no such reticence from others. The NI Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, has criticised the cost of the Attorney General’s contempt of court proceedings against the former Secretary of …