Plans to move on

PLANNING officials are on their way out of planning offices to a smattering of civil service departments.

Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, says he wants to make sure that the 269 staff are re-deployed as a result of lower planning application receipts.

He wants to make sure there are posts for them to go to before other departments started cutting back and looking to re-deploy staff.

Stay with us here for a moment…the implication is clear. There will be redundancies in the civil service. Now, is this an indication that there will be cuts forced upon other departments? And, if so, where and when will these cuts take place.

But, and here is the rub, if a civil servant loses their job then there is a redundancy payment to be paid. After that there comes the cost of the former civil servant sign on for Job Seeker’s Allowance. This means more staff may be needed in dole offices…

The parties in the Executive have a difficult time ahead if they are to make so-called cuts.

However, we have a wee nagging doubt about the ability of any party to make sure that cuts take place. As anyone working on year end public sector accounts should know, come March there is a mad dash to spend all the money, or else you’ll lose it next year. Will the same apply to the Block Grant? Come March 2011, will NI plc panic next February to spend, spend, spend lest the Treasury wield the axe.

Water, water everywhere…now pay up!

START putting the pennies and pounds in the piggy banks because we’re all about to pay for H2O.

Given the perilous state of the economy (copyright of any political party in opposition) the option of further deferment of water charges in Northern Ireland looks like being taken off the table.

Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, has hinted that the water-tax holiday will end shortly.

But that means the decision will have to be taken in the weeks and months after the Westminster poll. When, of course, we’ll be preparing for the 2011 Assembly election.

Executive ministers would appear to agree that water charges are inevitable; but are they? Will ministers have the courage to go to the electorate saying we’re going to introduce what are in all but name more taxes.

Who said what when the microphone was still on

GORDON Brown's 'Bigot-Gate' clanger dominated the headlines midweek. But what have the local politicians been saying off microphone?

When Catriona Ruane and Margaret Ritchie were on radio this week debating the state of South Down, both were at pains to say that they had a 'working relationship' and that they both 'worked round the Executive table'.

But did they sit down for a natter together beforehand? And when the radio microphones were turned off did they grab a quick cuppa together before hitting the campaign trail?

And round the Executive table, when the 'serious' business of government is put away, do the ministers have a catch up on the football scores, the weather and whether the election polls actually mean anything?

The populace wants, nay demands, that the Sky News's sound team mic-up the Northern Ireland political elite so we can hear what they really think.

On the other hand, would they say anything that was of remote interest to those of us who are not sad political anoraks? Which, of course, touches on the question - will Northern Ireland politicians ever say anything relevant?

What has been remarkable about the past couple of weeks campaigning has been the outstanding ability of many of the candidates to comment, during a Westminster election, on issues that have been devolved. Health, education, agriculture and policing have all been discussed ad nauseum.

Either they view the electorate as completely stupid on such constitutional matters, or they slavishly follow an agenda set by the media or others - whatever you think, just try not think about it too much: otherwise you might end up really, really considering what way to cast your vote.

Shown the door

ONE has to admire the courage, tenacity and downright heroic acts of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Faced with a vote on policing and justice, the Ulster Unionist Party decided to argue on making the Executive work well, and education.

No matter the pleas of their Tory bedfellows; faced with pressure from the US administration; faced with criticism from the Secretary of State; faced with every other party and almost every other MLA voting in favour of devolution of policing and justice, the UUP resolutely stood their ground.

Except when deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness allegedly told them to ‘get out’ of his office…

Their courage must have faltered otherwise there should have been a sit-down protest, an unauthorised parade round Martin’s office and a poster campaign reminding the deputy First Minister of their Britishness.

Finally, to rub salt into their wounds the UUP were told by the last local politician that held the powers of policing and justice that they were wrong. He was, of course, the Ulster Unionist peer Lord Kilclooney.

Opening mouth to change feet

NEW Justice Minister – awaiting confirmation of course – David Ford seems to have all the qualifications necessary to sit on the Northern Ireland Executive; that is the ability to annoy people.


His ‘pointless’ reference to the Saville Inquiry managed to irritate almost all of the nationalist community.


But still it must rank as some sort of record, annoying so many people in so short a time with one word!