:Achieving a shared future

Friday, July 9th, 2010
With elections looming next year, new Social Development Minister Alex Attwood does not know how long he will have to put his stamp on the department. He spoke to Meadhbh Monahan about the need to encourage integration and maximise the benefits of devolution. “We only have 10 years to get North/South right” otherwise Ireland will be “by-passed” by the rest of the world. That’s according to reports given to Social Development Minister Alex Attwood, who sees all-island working as central to his remit. Four weeks into the new position, the former Policing Board member is aware...[full story]

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:Outside the system

Friday, July 9th, 2010
MLAs are being given a cold shoulder as they try to help constituents with immigration problems. Ryan Jennings reports. Nearly 150 immigration cases have been taken up by elected MLAs in the last two years but UK Border Agency officials still close the door on their queries. As previously reported by agendaNi and now substantiated by a freedom of information request, Assembly representatives must pass on all immigration cases to an MP. The information shows that MLAs’ enquiries to the agency must first go through an MP or UK Government Minister before they are dealt with by the agency. Correspondence...[full story]

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:Skills, knowledge and success

Friday, July 9th, 2010
Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey explains why he thinks Northern Ireland’s new skills strategy will improve our economic performance, especially by up-skilling those already in work. The economy is rightly at the heart of the Northern Ireland Executive’s current Programme for Government, but to achieve the innovative, dynamic economy the Executive aspires to, it must continue to refine its policy toolkit. The Independent Review of Economic Policy led by Professor Richard Barnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster, recognises the important correlation between...[full story]

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:The public arena

Friday, July 9th, 2010
Tighter rules on public protests will restrict the quality of democracy, contends John O’Farrell. Politics must be a public activity rather than for private consumption. These are days in which the political class constantly worry about the viability of their trade. The general election just saw another slide in participation from the electorate in Northern Ireland and few expect next year’s Assembly elections to buck the trend. Oddly, however, the pattern of non-voting stalled in England, widely believed to have been part of the ‘Clegg factor’, as the young felt enthused at...[full story]

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:Conversational politics

Friday, July 9th, 2010
The implications of a changing media world on political discourse were discussed by Conall McDevitt and Mark Devenport at an agendaNi ‘Digital communications and New media’ seminar. Meadhbh Monahan reports. The relationship between the media and politicians has historically been fraught with tension. With the advent of new media platforms such as twitter, facebook and blogging, a space has been created for “an entirely new type of politics” and a modern and efficient way for the media to hold public representatives to account. In addition, citizens, businesses and organisations...[full story]

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:Commissioner for Older People Bill

Friday, July 9th, 2010
  Purpose: to set up and give power to the Older People’s Commissioner’s office. In its 2005 manifesto, the DUP said the idea of an older people’s commissioner “to combat ageism” should be discussed. This was followed up by a debate in the pre-devolution Transitional Assembly on 19 December 2006 when MLAs called for a commissioner to be appointed. Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness gave the idea a ‘green light’ almost exactly a year later, on 18 December 2007, but a lengthy period of consultancy and public consultation was to follow. A May 2008 Deloitte report supported...[full story]

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:Assembly round-up

Friday, July 9th, 2010
Stormont’s last sitting month sees a logjam of legislation dominate the agenda and two new faces appearing on the hill. End-of-term illustrations are often used when summing up the Assembly’s last month before the summer. However, other school phrases seemed relevant this month including suspension and some members’ first days. After the SDLP whip was taken from Declan O’Loan, June’s business began with his removal from the Standards Committee chair and the Culture Committee deputy chair. The move, by Margaret Ritchie, again indicated that the parties have the real say at...[full story]

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:Peter Weir MLA

Friday, July 9th, 2010
One of the few to take the route, Peter Weir was elected as an MLA before he sat in the council chamber. He was returned for the UUP to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 and elected to Stormont in 1998, but left to join the DUP in 2002. Peter has served on North Down Borough Council for Ballyholme and Groomsport since 2005. A former barrister, the Bangor man also sits on the Employment and Learning and Environment Committees. How did you get started in politics? I had an interest in politics from a young age, and although there were no direct family connections with any political party,...[full story]

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:What’s the problem with skills?

Friday, July 9th, 2010
Brian Acheson sees the solution in young people educated for the economy, using the block grant to grow the private sector and government trusting colleges to get on with their job. Here’s an interesting vox pop from some of our brightest 16 and 17-year olds. A fundraising programme from my son’s school features answers to a number of questions. The answers to the question ‘possible career path’ contain no surprises. Out of 46 boys, almost half want to become doctors or lawyers. But, is this a good thing? How does this unrepresentative picture impact on the need to grow a truly...[full story]

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:Assembly round-up

Friday, June 4th, 2010
The economy topped the Assembly’s agenda, while local justice powers continued to be distributed with the historic appointment of Belfast-born Attorney General John Larkin. May’s Assembly proceedings began on a relatively quiet note, three days ahead of the Westminster elections. In a written reply to Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn, OFMDFM revealed that £12.5 million had been spent on the potential redevelopment of the former Maze prison site. Lunn claimed this was a “staggering” amount considering that there is “next to nothing” to show for it. A proposal that the Minister for...[full story]

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