Author: Mark Wallace

SUCCESS ON HALLS COMPENSATION SCHEME – ROBINSON

The Democratic Unionist Party has achieved a major victory on the content of the new Criminal Damages Order which related to compensation arrangements for community halls. In the original order, put out for consultation, there was a sunset clause which would see the new arrangements time-limited for three years. This will not now be included in the legislation which is presented before Parliament. The DUP has been lobbying at the very highest level of government to ensure the clause was dropped. Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MP said:
“The Loyal Orders form a major part of the culture and identity of our community. In the past, when halls were attacked it was extremely difficult for them to access compensation for the damages that they had suffered. The new compensation arrangements contained in the Criminal Damages Order will end the disgraceful situation whereby Orange Institution found it hard to acquire compensation and increasingly difficult to obtain satisfactory insurance cover.
The DUP has worked very closely with the Orange Institution to get to the point where we have achieved the necessary changes to the Criminal Damages Order. These changes will also make acquiring insurance for Orange Halls much easier. I am pleased that we have removed the one flaw that was in the legislation as originally published – the so-called sunset clause. We believed that this clause was unnecessary and would have inhibited the scheme achieving its full positive outcome of helping Orange Halls around the country, which is what we all want to see.
The DUP believes in the value and worth of the loyal orders and the important role which they play in our community. Orange Halls provide a network of community centres throughout Northern Ireland and it is only right and proper that their role should be recognised by government. In devolution, the DUP has made support for culture and heritage a key priority.”

Monitoring round shows advantages of Devolution

North Down DUP Assembly Member, Peter Weir MLA has welcomed the contents of the December Monitoring Round. As part of the Monitoring Round, the DUP Finance Minister, Nigel Dodds today announced a range of measures including:
£20million to the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme £4.0million for Schools Maintenance £2.5million for Roads Structural Maintenance £1.8million for Public Transport Capital Works £15million for tackling Fuel Poverty £1.6million for Children’s Funds £2.6million for Youth Workers £1.5million for DARD for Animal Health schemes
Mr. Weir said:
“Anyone who doubted the value of devolution should examine closely the recommendations of the December Monitoring Round. The fact that a locally accountable minister was in post at Stormont making these decisions means that they can be responsive to the needs of the community in a way that some fly-by-night direct ruler, with their own English, Scottish or Welsh constituency never could.
The contents of the Monitoring Round represent an investment in the people of Northern Ireland. We have a government at Stormont and people are looking to that government to deliver for them and help in these very trying times. Today’s range of packages unveiled by the Finance Minister, Nigel Dodds show what’s best about devolution – tailoring governmental processes and initiatives to local needs, in order that they can bring maximum benefits to the people of Northern Ireland.
What is clear is that Northern Ireland is benefiting from having devolution at Stormont. A return to direct rule would be a retrograde step to inactive government which cannot and does not respond to the needs of the people. I believe that all those who will be benefiting from today’s announcements ranging from the farmers, through to the pensioners and the young people who will see the positive impact of these developments on the ground in their communities will reject the siren voices calling for a return to direct rule. Devolution is clearly good for Northern Ireland in a way direct rule could never be.”

DUP rejects NIHRC Bill of Rights report

The Democratic Unionist Party has rejected the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission report on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. In a hard-hitting statement, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that the Commission had “taken the foolish Bill of Rights Forum recommendations and made them worse”. Mr. Donaldson also noted that there was no democratic legitimacy attached to the Commission recommendations. Jeffrey Donaldson said:

“At every stage in this process the DUP has made it very clear that the litmus test for any Bill of Rights will be the degree of confidence which it can command across the entire community in Northern Ireland. When the Bill of Rights Forum presented its report to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Chief Commissioner, Monica McWilliams some time ago, we made it clear that the contents of that report were entirely unacceptable to the pro-Union community.

The DUP and UUP members of the Bill of Rights Forum dissented from huge tracts of the report, as indeed did members of the Alliance Party. The Northern Ireland Assembly called upon the Commission to ensure that their report was capable of attracting cross-community support – they have demonstrably failed to heed that call.

It is truly bizarre to see that Monica McWilliams has actually taken the foolish Bill of Rights Forum recommendations and made them worse. Again, individuals with a Unionist community background, this time represented on the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, have withheld their consent from the document presented by Professor McWilliams today. These proposals have not one scintilla of democratic legitimacy and cannot command the support of the entire community in Northern Ireland.

Examining the report presented by the NIHRC it is clear that they have failed to adhere to the remit which was given to them. The Bill of Rights was supposed to have a special focus on rights provision which reflects the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland. The dog’s breakfast produced by the NIHRC does not do this and instead reads more like a 1970s left-wing domestic policy wish-list. It is for politicians with a mandate from the people to make policy decisions – not unelected quango members or the courts.

At the time that the Bill of Rights Forum reported, the DUP rejected the use of a Bill of Rights as a Trojan Horse for the political prejudices of some of the forum members. It is clear that not only have those biases made it into the NIHRC report, but they have been expanded by the former Women’s Coalition leader and some of her colleagues.

The DUP wants a Bill of Rights that can command the support of everyone. This document is not it and therefore must be confined to the waste-paper basket where it belongs.”

DUA Success in SRC Elections

We would like to congratulate DUA member Stephen McIlveen LL.B on his election as Speaker of the Students’ Representative Council.

We are confident that he will carry out his important duties with impartiality and fairness at all times. He will also become the only unionist to sit on the Students’ Union Executive Management Committee.

The DUA were also successful in getting members elected to the Academic Council, Students’ Union Management Committee and Academic Board. Congratulations also to the many DUA Councillors elected to various SRC Committees.

DUP is the only Party to safeguard academic selection says Storey

North Antrim DUP MLA Mervyn Storey has rejected criticism of the DUP position on academic selection and reminded critics that it is only as a result of the actions of the DUP that academic selection will continue to be available. The DUP’s Education Spokesman said,

“Those who are constant critics of the DUP should cease from their scaremongering. It is sad that rather than back the DUP’s strong stance on academic selection, they prefer to attack the DUP and give relief to the enemies of our excellent education system.

The DUP worked extremely hard to secure academic selection at St Andrews. While others would advocate Direct Rule, thereby guaranteeing the abolition of all forms of academic selection, the dismantling of the Craigavon based Dickson Plan and destruction of our education, we would not countenance anything that would weaken that legal reality in any way.

Our position is clear. On the principle of academic selection at 11, the legal reality is that the Education Minister cannot abolish academic selection without political agreement. She will not get that political agreement. Indeed, at this stage agreement is unlikely over the whole issue of post primary transfer.

On the question of what age transfer would take place, the DUP’s position is very clear. Currently pupils transfer at age 11. The DUP is engaged in discussions on the basis that this will continue to be the case. It is for others to produce papers and ideas to convince us of the contrary. There is not the slightest indication of that happening.

The DUP has been willing to listen to the arguments put forward for 14 but remain unconvinced. The idea of transfer at 14 would present huge difficulties, educationally, financially and practically.

Dozens of schools intend to implement a new transfer test but currently that would be unregulated. We wish to see this test brought under the Department’s umbrella.

An unregulated system is not our desired outcome. Colleagues and I have been having discussions with stakeholders and other parties about how this issue can be resolved in the context of the legal reality that academic selection will continue.

We are only too well aware of the confusion felt by parents and pupils at this time as a result of the Minister’s behaviour and we are determined to secure the best outcome for everyone in Northern Ireland.

In any discussions we have had, we are working on the basis that the entitlement the DUP secured for schools to have the freedom to select at 11 is our baseline position. We are open to listen to any further improvement that can incorporate this and build on it which other parties can offer.

We have always supported local solutions for local areas and we realise that those in the Craigavon area are very complimentary of their Dickson Plan system. If other areas of the Province sought to adopt such a system and there was clear public support for it that is something we would all have to consider. However we are absolutely convinced that the right of 11-18 grammars to select on the basis of academic ability at 11 must always be safeguarded.”

DUP has saved Academic Selection says Poots

Edwin Poots, DUP Assembly Member for Lagan Valley has re-affirmed the DUP’s commitment to the concept of academic selection. The DUP MLA said that any future educational arrangements must contain academic selection at their centre and called on those scare-mongering around the issue to recognise the political and legal reality that selection is enshrined in law and will remain in place.Speaking today Edwin Poots said:

“The DUP believes in academic selection. As a party we are committed to the concept fully. Indeed we placed such a high priority on saving our grammar schools that we made the retention of academic selection a key demand in the St. Andrews negotiations.

People need to remember what the education system would look like had we not got a devolved assembly at Stormont. We would not be having a discussion about the future of post-primary education because the issue would have been settled by the direct rule regime long ago. Academic selection would have been outlawed. Northern Ireland would be operating under the failed comprehensive model right now. Our grammar schools would have been abolished or forced to turn into fee-paying private schools where those with the most money got access to them. The DUP stopped that disastrous prospect from coming about. Even our harshest critics, including those who are attempting to whip up public concerns over this issue acknowledged at the time of the St. Andrews talks that the DUP saved academic selection.

The DUP is working to find a way forward on this issue – one that creates a truly holistic education system in which all of our children can achieve their full potential and which retains academic selection at the centre.”

MLA HAILS EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCEMENT ON DEVOLVING JUSTICE POWERS

North Belfast DUP MLA Nelson McCausland has hailed the announcement regarding the devolution of justice powers as a good deal for Unionism. The DUP MLA lambasted Jim Allister’s scaremongering by pointing out that that all sensible unionists will welcome the announcement. Mr McCausland outlined the concerns which unionists had about the devolution of justice powers to Stormont and underscored how they had been resolved. Mr McCausland said,
“It is sad that on a day when a good deal has been announced for unionists Jim Allister has his focus on doing the work of republicans by scaremongering that the deal is a success for republicans. Such foolish speak simply reinforces the argument that there are some people in society who wouldn’t know a good deal if it hit them.
The key concerns for unionists around the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont were outlined in our policy papers and in our 2007 Manifesto – which Jim Allister helped write. The 2007 Manifesto outlined very clearly that the Party was in favour of devolving policing and justice in the right circumstances.
Our concerns about devolving these sensitive powers have been satisfactorily dealt with;
All sensible unionists will welcome that politicians will have no role in the appointment of judges thus protecting the independence of the judiciary.
All sensible unionists will welcome that there will be no Sinn Fein Minister of Justice as the cross-community vote gives the DUP a veto on who the Minister would be.
Finally, all sensible unionists will welcome that the DUP’s Triple-Lock, on when the powers would be devolved, is still in place.
Contrary to Jim Allister’s scaremongering, this process represents a good way forward, one which can see the devolution of Justice in a way which can command the support of unionists in Northern Ireland.”