Assembly round-up
Divisions over welfare reform came to a head in May. Fiscal decisions and their impact on the most vulnerable in society were dominant themes in Stormont’s proceedings.
After a week of last minute campaigning for the general election, the Assembly held its first plenary session of the month on 11 May. Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady opened the session by presenting a petition calling for Gullion or South Armagh to be included in the name of the area’s new council (currently entitled Newry, Mourne and Down).
In an historic step, Mike Nesbitt brought forward the first legislation to be drafted by an Assembly committee: the Public Services Ombudsperson Bill. Nesbitt commented that it “levels up protection for citizens as consumers of public services” with similar structures being in the rest of the UK and Ireland. The Assembly also established an ad hoc committee to scrutinise the Mental Capacity Bill – a particularly sensitive piece of legislation which will apply to the Health Service and the criminal justice system.
The appointments arising from DUP reshuffle were officially announced on the following day. Within the Assembly, Peter Weir succeeded Michelle McIlveen as Chair of the Education Committee. Paula Bradley was subsequently appointed to replace Weir on the Assembly Commission. A heated debate on BBC Spotlight’s allegations regarding Housing Executive contracts ended with the House dividing 55-32 in favour of the Social Development Committee’s report.
On 18 May, Robin Swann’s motion calling for a consistent response from the Executive to the community and voluntary sector at a time of increasingly constrained budgets. Swann commented that the Budget process “results in very late decision-making” by groups within the sector and “leaves little room to readjust, manoeuvre and change.”
Patsy McGlone raised another important fiscal issue on 19 May when he highlighted the Republic’s lower VAT rate for tourism and hospitality services:
9 per cent compared to the UK’s 20 per cent rate. Arlene Foster supported his cause and pledged to continue to lobby the Treasury for a reduction.
Widespread sympathy was expressed for Peter Robinson following his admission to hospital on 25 May. Robinson was discharged five days later and plans to resume his duties as soon as possible.
In the same week, though, increasing political tensions led up to a divisive final stage debate on the Welfare Reform Bill.
For Sinn Féin, John O’Dowd called for members to take time “to get an agreed Welfare Bill moving forward and to work along with the other administrations in these islands to secure a better and more prosperous future for us all.” Rounding off the debate, Mervyn Storey said that, by objecting, the nationalist parties would “bring to an end any measures, mitigations and benefit that would come to the people of Northern Ireland, whose champions they claim to be.”
Members divided by 58 ayes to 39 noes although the result was cancelled out by the petition of concern brought forward by Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Green Party.
While the fiscal totals involved appear large to the public, they represent small proportions of public spending in the province: 3 per cent for the overall projected shortfall and 0.3 per cent for the extra welfare costs. Intense negotiations are expected over the coming weeks before the House rises for its summer recess on 3 July.
