NI Executive – Page 9 – Slugger O'Toole

NI Executive’s £80m Social Investment Fund projected to cost extra £13.1m

Pete Baker on December 14, 2016, 4:44 pm

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Another day, another leaked Northern Ireland Executive memo… That’s quite a budget over-run, btw. And the Fund is to run for 4/5 years longer than anticipated. The leak was to BBC NI Spotlight. As the BBC report notes The Stormont executive’s controversial Social Investment Fund (SIF) requires an extra £13m of taxpayer money, according to a leaked document. A memo, in the name of the first and deputy first ministers, and sent to government departments last week, was passed to the BBC Spotlight …

Brexit requires a special deal for Ireland say the Lords, and the Executive cannot stay aloof. That means you, Arlene

Brian Walker on December 12, 2016, 3:51 pm

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In the first of six reports on Brexit the House of Lords committee on the EU recommend that the British and Irish governments should negotiate a new bilateral agreement to minimise the impact of Brexit on British-Irish and North-South relations. This will be welcomed as the first serious attempt by British legislators to cut through the thicket of thorny problems particular to both parts of Ireland. As the Guardian reports, the Lords EU Committee “touches lightly” on the Good Friday agreement. It …

“It is not just Stormont that has a Social Investment Fund.”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2016, 4:50 pm

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Newton Emerson in yesterday’s Irish News with some details on the other, less talked about, ‘social investment’ funds out there. From the Irish News IT is not just Stormont that has a Social Investment Fund. Belfast City Council runs the Belfast Investment Fund and associated Local Investment Fund, with a combined pot of £31 million over three years for ‘community projects’. Alliance has claimed the council funds “aren’t advertised properly in any meaningful way”, leaving “those in the know in prime position to …

Shame on the politicians for allowing the PSNI to become the victims of a tabloid firestorm over army prosecutions

Brian Walker on December 9, 2016, 12:20 pm

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A tabloid storm blown up by the Sun and the Mail with the Daily Telegraph in tow has been set off to save hundreds, perhaps thousands of “our boys” – the soldiers who served in the Troubles – from the “ witch hunt” of being singled out as a class for prosecution as a result of Army action in the Troubles. The surge probably owes more to the establishment campaign against prosecutions over Iraq – one case now being the …

The gap between politics and the law is further exposed. But ruling on the clash between the Scots and Irish nationalists with the UK government will be the more momentous decision for the Supreme Court.

Brian Walker on December 7, 2016, 5:24 pm

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Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London

NI Attorney General: “Article 50 trigger – will ‘amend not a comma or a full stop of the 1998 Act’.”

Pete Baker on December 6, 2016, 3:24 pm

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As with the Belfast High Court, so with the UK Supreme Court… NI Attorney General John Larkin has been repeating the argument. From the BBC text coverage from the Supreme Court Northern Ireland’s attorney general, John Larkin, is continuing to make his case that none of the legislative or constitutional arrangements underpinning devolution should stand in the way of the UK government triggering Article 50. The 1998 Northern Ireland Act, which set up the NI Assembly and NI executive, made …

“Return to your cumanns and prepare for Irish unification.”

Pete Baker on December 5, 2016, 3:49 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Eilis O’Hanlon comments on the recent flurry of “displacement activity” from Sinn Féin. From the Belfast Telegraph article So, what better way to distract the republican home crowd than with some conjurer’s cheap tricks? Don’t look at that hand, look at this one. Don’t mention my ineffectiveness on a range of issues that actually matter, look at all these things I’m saying and doing about something that doesn’t matter in the slightest. It’s not as if …

Sinn Fein are all over the place in the North. Time for an open debate on new leadership

Brian Walker on November 24, 2016, 1:32 pm

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We are accustomed to thinking of Sinn Fein as master strategists at best or cunning so and sos at worst. But current activity blurs the old image. It’s only to be expected that playing a half- effective role in government is inconsistent with the stance of a revolutionary movement or even as the default mouthpieces of the nationalist interest. Most of the time they straddle the two, but the strain is beginning to show. Why have Sinn Fein chosen this …

There is no threat to the Union. Irish bickering north and south over the reality of Brexit has to be replaced with practical cooperation, fast.

Brian Walker on November 17, 2016, 11:30 am

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Newton’s latest observations on the “curmudgeonly” Arlene can be counterpointed with an incredibly wise article in the Indo by Brendan Keenan, Belfast born and bred but long anchored in Dublin and with a strong sense of reality for the interests of both. Arlene’s dour comments can be contrasted unfavourably with the regal visionary style of Nicola Sturgeon. But Arlene doesn’t have the field of government to herself. In practice they are both pragmatic and when it suits them, even cooperative …

Another few words of sense about dealing with the past that the politicians refuse to face.

Brian Walker on November 14, 2016, 12:32 pm

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Chris Ryder, veteran reporter and specialist on police matters, is given space in the Irish Times to repeat the case for halting all pre- Troubles cases and leaving them to historians. Although he is known as a critical friend of the police, he makes a fair and balanced case which should be considered entirely on its merits. This was an approach I ran with to support Arkiv, a group of historians who wanted to take it on, initially encouraged by the …

Belfast International Airport MD: “Am absolutely spitting useless faceless EU bureaucrats…”

Pete Baker on November 4, 2016, 3:20 pm

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As ever, the significant part of the story behind United Airlines’ decision to end the Belfast-New York route – despite an “irregular” three year NI Executive £9 million rescue deal – lies, not in the headline, but in the details. The first point to make, given the positioning of some parties on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, is that the airline’s decision comes after the European Commission blocked the rescue package under state aid rules. AS the BBC report …

After a quiet day in Dublin, drama in the English High Court. But don’t get too excited…

Brian Walker on November 3, 2016, 11:33 am

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It would be as well not to get over excited about this morning’s rejection in the English High Court of the UK government’s case that it can trigger Article 50 without the consent of Parliament. The show isn’t over yet; the denouement was always likely to be played out at the top. The government will appeal to the Supreme Court which is also expected to deal with the equivalent Northern Ireland appeal at the same time, after the Belfast High Court …

The complexities of Brexit could overwhelm the British political system. For all Ireland, a bigger role needed for the GFA structures

Brian Walker on November 2, 2016, 11:02 am

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.As the “all island ” civic forum meets in Dublin bereft of unionists, a high powered think tank The UK in a changing Europe warns: “Brexit has the potential to test the UK’s constitutional settlement, legal framework, political process and bureaucratic capacities to their limits – and possibly beyond.. And they suggest the repatriation of decision-making in key policy areas including agriculture, the environment and higher education to Britain from Brussels could affect the balance of power between Westminster and the …

Battle lines re-drawn over new Casement Park stadium plan

Pete Baker on October 29, 2016, 5:23 pm

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The BBC reports that the Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association (MORA) has said it opposes the recently unveiled revised GAA plan for a new stadium at Casement Park. MORA campaigned successfully against the original proposal. From the BBC report In a statement, the residents group said it supported a “suitable-sized redevelopment” that was safe, did not host concerts and was “part of the natural fabric of the community”. “The revised proposals for the redevelopment of Casement Park do not meet those requirements,” it said. …

Arlene defends Brexit, trusts Theresa and appears to see no need for solidarity with the Republic.

Brian Walker on October 28, 2016, 8:51 pm

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First Minister Arlene Foster has burst into print in the Guardian to explain how Leave is compatible with Northern Ireland’s interests. If nothing else, it marks her out as the first person of any prominence to do so. If Martin McGuinness and Colum Eastwood are alarmist, she is almost complacent and takes a lot for granted. Yet read carefully she is still asking for special treatment for Northern Ireland and assumes she’ll get it. Her message is “stick with Theresa …

Tackling Paramilitary Activity: “government funding will not be released until the Executive agrees a more detailed action plan”

Pete Baker on October 25, 2016, 6:23 pm

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As I noted in a post in September In July, the NI First and deputy First Ministers and Justice Minister, Claire Sugden announced the publication of the NI Executive’s Action Plan for Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality and Organised Crime – 147kb pdf file here. Costing £50 million over 5 years, it’s jointly funded, £25 million each, by the NI Executive and the Brits the British Government. At the launch of that action plan The [Northern Ireland First Minister, Arlene Foster, deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness and Justice Minister, …

Has Theresa May assessed the risks of toughing it out with Nicola Sturgeon?

Brian Walker on October 25, 2016, 10:56 am

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So Flexit -a flexible Brexit or separate deals with the EU for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – are ruled out – for now at least. “We have been very clear that we should be working together to secure the best possible deal for the whole country,” the prime minister’s official spokeswoman said on Monday. “We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and to in no way undermine the UK’s position.” “The devolved administrations” …

At home the ” running commentary” defence is under pressure. But at the EU summit, Theresa is limited to pitching ” over coffee” tonight.

Brian Walker on October 20, 2016, 11:06 am

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With the leak of Brexit cabinet committee documents and the Chancellor’s admission of tensions within the committee itself, the UK government’s refusal to give “a running commentary” is under heavy pressure already. This morning in Commons questions, the Brexit Secretary still stalled on the details but insisted in general : Davis says the government will publish “much information” about its Brexit plans The SDLP were given a little outing… Mark Durkan, the SDLP MP, says employment law is a devolved …

Taoiseach Enda Kenny: “I need to know what it is that the Executive in Northern Ireland is actually seeking”

Pete Baker on October 19, 2016, 4:26 pm

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With the Northern Ireland First Minister over-praising a letter of acknowledgement from the UK Prime Minister, and the deputy First Minister sounding off [again? – Ed] about his lack of trust in “this British government”, it’s worth noting this exchange between Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams in the Dáil yesterday high-lighting the dysfunctional approach of the NI Executive to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. From the Dáil record 18 Oct. [The Taoiseach:] I want Deputy Adams to …

The Irish Times and the Guardian combine to ramp up pressure on May and in support of the “all-island Civic Dialogue”

Brian Walker on October 16, 2016, 11:21 pm

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“At this delicate moment, the Guardian and the Irish Times are collaborating on a week-long series exploring the predicament facing Ireland and the UK. Kenny told the Irish Times that he would summon all political players to an unprecedented All Island Civic Dialogue on 2 November. “ In support of the Guardian’s announcement the Irish Times has published a gloomy analysis of the effects of Brexit on both countries. The rough guide is that every 1 per cut in UK growth …