Friday 22 May 2009

Catalonia visit

ROOM 144 at Parliament Buildings was unusually quiet on Wednesday afternoon. Normally buzzing with debate and rancour as the Committee of the First Minister and deputy First Minister holds forth on the many topics that come within its remit, this week silence descended on the room.

No, members had not fallen asleep – instead they were off to Spain. Or, more precisely Catalonia to find out how the devolved Catalonian assembly managed to work as a region of Spain within the EU.

Important stuff no doubt. But given the expenses fiasco could they not have simply sent an email, written a letter, picked up the phone?

Average temperature in Barcelona on Friday was 24 degrees Celsius. The average temperature in Belfast on Friday was 16 degrees celsius. Nah, that email idea just wouldn’t have worked.

Better to meet face-to-face in Catalonia.

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