He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, but who will Santa decide has been naughty or nice in the Northern Ireland Executive’s ‘beat the credit crunch package’ announced on Monday?
Unveiled was a £70million package, which included a one-off £150 fuel credit for up to 100,000 vulnerable households.
Tagged alongside were announcements on a freeze on business rates, construction projects and a scheme for building additional farm slurry tanks.
Finance Minister Nigel Dodds declared that the fuel poverty credit scheme had gone beyond the one proposed by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie.
Cue much name calling.
With the DUP and Sinn Féin happy with the deal announced, Ritchie declared the fuel poverty package was a ‘smash and grab’ raid on her budget.
She claimed the Executive had taken £30million from her budget and this would reduce the Housing Executive’s social housing budget. First Minister, Peter Robinson hit back with a stinging riposte.
“I would have thought she would be jumping up and down and rejoicing. Instead we hear carping and criticism,” he said.
"These are people who clearly do not understand the first thing about finance."
With the war of words still raging Santa will have a tough job deciding which of the warring parties has been naughty or nice.
Monday, 22 December 2008
Slurry words
With the announcement of the £20million Farm Nutrient Scheme to enable farmers to build slurry tanks came another war of words.
Claims were made that this was money already allocated and that the deadline for farmers to receive the money had to be completed by December 31.
There followed a brief battle which eventually saw some slackening of the deadline…and an admission that the New Year’s Eve deadline was the ending of a dispensation on nutrients set by Europe.
But, as the row heated up it emerged that the original money allocated was to come from the sale of DARD land – which owing to the collapse of property prices was no longer going to be available.
Farmers are currently scribbling out their application forms in case officials change their mind!
Claims were made that this was money already allocated and that the deadline for farmers to receive the money had to be completed by December 31.
There followed a brief battle which eventually saw some slackening of the deadline…and an admission that the New Year’s Eve deadline was the ending of a dispensation on nutrients set by Europe.
But, as the row heated up it emerged that the original money allocated was to come from the sale of DARD land – which owing to the collapse of property prices was no longer going to be available.
Farmers are currently scribbling out their application forms in case officials change their mind!
Len’ me a few quid….
THE dynamic duo of First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness summoned bank chiefs on Wednesday to urge the four local banks to pass on interest rate cuts to their customers.
With the Bank of England slashing interest rates to first 3% and then 2% Ministers wanted the cut passed on to personal and business customers.
The Banks left the meeting to find a posse of press ready to doorstep them with a flurry of questions.
There followed a hasty explanation of the difference between base rate and the inter-bank lending rate…and how the local banks are doing their best.
And, one caller to local radio reminding all concerned that the majority of mortgages in Northern Ireland were with main land UK-based lenders….
With the Bank of England slashing interest rates to first 3% and then 2% Ministers wanted the cut passed on to personal and business customers.
The Banks left the meeting to find a posse of press ready to doorstep them with a flurry of questions.
There followed a hasty explanation of the difference between base rate and the inter-bank lending rate…and how the local banks are doing their best.
And, one caller to local radio reminding all concerned that the majority of mortgages in Northern Ireland were with main land UK-based lenders….
A hero for our time?
Education Minister Cartiona Ruane managed to draw much unionist ire this week – twice.
Ms Ruane first announced the ending of the pilot Pupil Profile scheme, with parents dismissing it as vague and too politically correct. The profile was designed, long before Ms Ruane was handed the poisoned education chalice, to aid transfer to post-primary school without academic selection.
The Education Minister announced a return to old-fashioned school reports…and lo and behold a new row over academic selection boiled over.
As if this wasn’t enough for Ms Ruane, she then stepped into unionist sights when making a prize day speech at St Colm’s High School, Twinbrook. During her speech she said that the pupils should be thankful for the sacrifice of hunger striker Bobby Sands for helping pave a way to a better future for them.
Apart from the politics students picking up prizes, pupils might have wondered why their prize-giving attracted so much media attention.
Ms Ruane first announced the ending of the pilot Pupil Profile scheme, with parents dismissing it as vague and too politically correct. The profile was designed, long before Ms Ruane was handed the poisoned education chalice, to aid transfer to post-primary school without academic selection.
The Education Minister announced a return to old-fashioned school reports…and lo and behold a new row over academic selection boiled over.
As if this wasn’t enough for Ms Ruane, she then stepped into unionist sights when making a prize day speech at St Colm’s High School, Twinbrook. During her speech she said that the pupils should be thankful for the sacrifice of hunger striker Bobby Sands for helping pave a way to a better future for them.
Apart from the politics students picking up prizes, pupils might have wondered why their prize-giving attracted so much media attention.
Young Earth, old Earth, lottery money
After last year’s row over the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, the National Trust’s proposal for a centre has moved a step nearer completion with news that the plan has been short listed for a healthy cash boost from the National Lottery.
Hopes are high that the cash for this World Heritage site development will be forthcoming soon. But where will this place Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster? With members of her party determined to have a Young Earth creationist explanation on the Causeway’s creation, will the National Trust include their explanation with the geologists’ account?
Hopes are high that the cash for this World Heritage site development will be forthcoming soon. But where will this place Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster? With members of her party determined to have a Young Earth creationist explanation on the Causeway’s creation, will the National Trust include their explanation with the geologists’ account?
Cross-party unity can only go so far
With the credit crunch temporarily set aside as X-Factor fever grabbed the nation, it emerged that the mandatory collation government of Northern Ireland can’t make real change.
Despite the backing of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, representatives of all the political parties and the media, Eoghan Quigg was defeated in the X-Factor final.
Political wrangling was shunted off the headlines as acclaim was heaped on the Dungiven teenager despite his defeat.
But it then emerged that many local callers to the Simon Cowell backed show couldn’t get through to place their vote…had the Assembly not been going into recess, a debate on the X-Factor conspiracy would have followed swiftly!
Despite the backing of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, representatives of all the political parties and the media, Eoghan Quigg was defeated in the X-Factor final.
Political wrangling was shunted off the headlines as acclaim was heaped on the Dungiven teenager despite his defeat.
But it then emerged that many local callers to the Simon Cowell backed show couldn’t get through to place their vote…had the Assembly not been going into recess, a debate on the X-Factor conspiracy would have followed swiftly!
Obituary – Conor Cruise O’Brien
This week saw the passing of one of the most controversial and at times influential political figures in Ireland, Conor Cruise O’Brien, aged 91.
The ‘Cruiser’ occupied a central role in southern politics for what seemed decades, and included in his CV – membership of the Labour Party and Dáil Éireann; Minister for Posts & Telegraphs and architect of the Republic’s censorship of Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA; hatred for Charles Haughey; and even membership of the UK Unionist Party.
He left that party after he claimed that the real defeat of violent republicanism would come about when unionists willingly entered a united Ireland.
A diplomat, critic, author, essayist, politician, minister of state, newspaper editor – the likes Conor Cruise O’Brien are few in any generation, and it may be a long time before his like is seen again.
This week saw the passing of one of the most controversial and at times influential political figures in Ireland, Conor Cruise O’Brien, aged 91.
The ‘Cruiser’ occupied a central role in southern politics for what seemed decades, and included in his CV – membership of the Labour Party and Dáil Éireann; Minister for Posts & Telegraphs and architect of the Republic’s censorship of Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA; hatred for Charles Haughey; and even membership of the UK Unionist Party.
He left that party after he claimed that the real defeat of violent republicanism would come about when unionists willingly entered a united Ireland.
A diplomat, critic, author, essayist, politician, minister of state, newspaper editor – the likes Conor Cruise O’Brien are few in any generation, and it may be a long time before his like is seen again.
The ‘Cruiser’ occupied a central role in southern politics for what seemed decades, and included in his CV – membership of the Labour Party and Dáil Éireann; Minister for Posts & Telegraphs and architect of the Republic’s censorship of Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA; hatred for Charles Haughey; and even membership of the UK Unionist Party.
He left that party after he claimed that the real defeat of violent republicanism would come about when unionists willingly entered a united Ireland.
A diplomat, critic, author, essayist, politician, minister of state, newspaper editor – the likes Conor Cruise O’Brien are few in any generation, and it may be a long time before his like is seen again.
This week saw the passing of one of the most controversial and at times influential political figures in Ireland, Conor Cruise O’Brien, aged 91.
The ‘Cruiser’ occupied a central role in southern politics for what seemed decades, and included in his CV – membership of the Labour Party and Dáil Éireann; Minister for Posts & Telegraphs and architect of the Republic’s censorship of Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA; hatred for Charles Haughey; and even membership of the UK Unionist Party.
He left that party after he claimed that the real defeat of violent republicanism would come about when unionists willingly entered a united Ireland.
A diplomat, critic, author, essayist, politician, minister of state, newspaper editor – the likes Conor Cruise O’Brien are few in any generation, and it may be a long time before his like is seen again.
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