Posts tagged ‘Assembly’
Monday, October 10th, 2011
Peter Cheney looks behind the scenes at Parliament Buildings, where the work of today’s politicians is surrounded by history.
As the new Assembly session got under way, agendaNi explored some of the better and lesser known parts of Parliament Buildings.
Built between 1928 and 1932, the Assembly’s home initially symbolised unionist rule over Northern Ireland and has witnessed the shifts in political power throughout the province’s troubled history. With brief interruptions, it was vacated by politicians during the Troubles with civil servants replacing them for the best part of...
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Tags: Assembly
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Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
agendaNi lists the all-party groups established in the new Assembly to date.
All-party groups consist of at least 10 MLAs who must represent all three designations (unionist, nationalist and other). Outside organisations and individuals are often welcome to inform members of their work.
A decision on the formation of an all-party group is made by the Standards and Privileges Committee when it is clear that the group does not seek to further particular commercial interests. However, this does not mean that all-party groups cannot be formed to support particular trades, industries or sectors...
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Tags: Assembly
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Monday, April 18th, 2011
Dr Sydney Elliott takes the long view of the Assembly’s history and analyses the main numerical trends of the last term.
Significant claims were made as the Northern Ireland Assembly rose for the fourth election under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It was the first Assembly to complete its term without suspension or dissolution. Indeed, it was the first devolved legislature in Northern Ireland to complete a term since the old Parliament of Northern Ireland (1965-1969). Its successor was suspended by the Conservative Prime Minister, Ted Heath, from 30 March 1972 with two years of its...
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Tags: Assembly
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Friday, April 15th, 2011
Northern Ireland politics moved its focus from peace to the economy over the 2007-2011 Assembly. Results were modest but a stable power-sharing government was firmly established.
2007
After a decade of soundbites, stalling and talks, this was it. Northern Ireland, it appeared, had reached the peace process’ final stretch as traditional enemies pledged to work together. The sight of Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams side- by-side took even hardened journalists aback and was a genuinely historic moment. It was, though, the natural conclusion after Sinn Féin’s pledge to support the PSNI...
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Tags: Assembly
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Thursday, March 10th, 2011
A satisfied Speaker looks back over the 2007-2011 Assembly. Members have matured and Stormont is now an example for others, William Hay tells Peter Cheney.
“Thrust into the deep end” on 8 May 2007, William Hay recalls the good community spirit in the Great Hall that day as Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern looked on. He also had mixed feelings, looking back over the history of the peace process.
“Some of these politicians had never, ever spoken to one another on any issue and all of a sudden by May 2007, we had [an] agreement of bringing the Assembly together,” Hay recalls, sitting...
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Tags: Assembly
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Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
More responsible behaviour is required in the night-time economy in order to save young lives and get rid of the culture of binge-drinking, the SDLP’s John Dallat tells agendaNi.
In the week that police seized 90,000 ecstasy tablets in Portstewart, Dallat told agendaNi of his concern for young people who “drink excessively”, are approached by drug dealers and take drugs which they are “not able to handle.”
In a no-day-named-motion (i.e. is yet to be debated be the Assembly), Dallat called for a comprehensive night-time strategy which would take full account of the potential...
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Tags: Assembly
Posted in Economy, Politics, Social | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Purpose: to bring protection for non-farmed animals into line with standards on farms.
One of old Stormont Parliament’s last laws, the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 was designed to prevent unnecessary suffering but has frequently been criticised by campaigners for being out of date. If enacted, this Bill will replace the law.
The main new offence is causing physical or mental suffering to an animal, whether deliberately or by omission, unless this is necessary or allowed under the law. Examples include the castration of lambs by farmers, scientific research procedures,...
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Tags: Assembly
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Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
The new Justice Bill has been published but is not as ambitious as some may have wanted, Emma Blee writes.
The Assembly’s Justice Bill has been set out by David Ford but many are questioning if its remit is wide enough to tackle the province’s problems.
The Bill aims to improve services to victims through a new offender levy scheme and special measures for vulnerable victims and witnesses. It is the largest the current Assembly has dealt with and follows on from Ford’s promise to overhaul the justice system.
Justice Committee Chair Lord Morrow says the Bill should “change Northern...
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Tags: Assembly
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Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
MLAs should be well-briefed by the library, according to the Assembly Commission, and are about to start a steep learning curve as the budget approaches. The consequences of current and previous political violence also came into focus at Stormont during October.
Among the Assembly’s first motions this month was a call on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to lobby the European Commission on behalf of property fraud victims. Hundreds of Northern Ireland residents had fallen foul in Europe and Turkey. No OFMDFM ministers, though, turned up for the debate so it was not clear...
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Tags: Assembly
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Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Four years on from the St Andrews deal, Peter Cheney analyses the alternative to devolution.
With devolution now secure, the idea of an alternative seems a distant thought. However, it is well known that both governments were drawing up a Plan B if the Assembly was not restored.
The prime ministers’ joint statement on
6 April 2006 suggests that work on “British-Irish partnership arrangements” got under way in that month. Blair and Ahern promised “a step-change in advancing North/South co-operation and action for the benefit of all” within the Good Friday Agreement.
A work...
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Tags: Assembly
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