SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph
29 January 2008
By Noel McAdam

The SDLP has been criticised after dividing in the Assembly over the Executive’s three-year programme for government - and signalling it will also oppose the Budget.

The party’s MLAs voted with Alliance against the programme.

But the sole SDLP Minister Margaret Ritchie voted to support it and the plan was approved overall by 60 votes to 24. If she had voted with her party, the Social Development Minister would have been in breach of the Ministerial Code, potentially plunging the power-sharing administration into crisis.

But despite drawing the ire of other Executive parties, former Finance Minister Mark Durkan’s party is still poised to vote against the accompanying Budget proposals today.

The party says too many questions remain unanswered over water reform, there is no mention of the crucial replacement for the 11-plus as well as continued pressures on the health budget and the lack of a children’s fund.

But sources have also insisted there is no question of the party pulling out of the Executive to form a more official opposition with Alliance.

North Down DUP MLA Peter Weir said the SDLP had performed a “complete U-turn” and it was “ludicrous” for Mrs Ritchie to have supported the two programme for government documents without party backing.

“If I was Margaret Ritchie I would be getting worried that my colleagues were deserting me and effectively hanging me out to dry with the electorate,” he said.

Alliance leader David Ford argued: “The logic of the SDLP’s position is that they should now pull out of the Executive.”

BBC

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has denied his party is divided over whether to support the Northern Ireland Assembly budget and programme for government.

Mark Durkan’s SDLP looks set to vote against the budget

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie was the party’s only MLA to vote for the programme for government.

However, Mr Durkan said this was because changes to the ministerial code meant Ms Ritchie had no choice.

The assembly is to debate and vote on Finance Minister Peter Robinson’s first budget on Tuesday.

Mr Robinson published his draft budget last October and a final version was agreed by the executive last week.

The SDLP and Alliance Party are expected to vote against the budget, although the DUP, Sinn Fein and Ulster Unionists are set to back it.

On Monday night, the assembly voted in favour of the programme for government and investment strategy.

It was passed by 60 votes to 24, with the SDLP and Alliance Party voting against it.

Mr Durkan said his party decided to vote against the programme for government because it was unclear on many issues including water reform, post-primary school reform and the health budget.

“If Ms Ritchie had not supported the programme for government, the DUP would have excluded her from office,” he said.

“We have a mandate to do what we are doing, we are standing by our manifesto.”

:::u.tv:::
28/01/2008

Lord Saville’s investigation into Bloody Sunday reaches a major milestone tomorrow. It is 10 years since it was officially created, however, it is still dogged by delays and huge costs.

Families of the Bloody Sunday dead, though, say they are prepared to wait another 10 years if it means getting the truth.

It is a decade exactly since the then Prime Minister Tony Blair went before Parliament to order a new inquiry under Lord Saville.

A decade later, 10 years have come and gone, Tony Blair has come and gone and the Inquiry has come and gone.

This is by far the biggest inquiry in UK legal history, a huge amount of material, an army of lawyers and more than 900 witnesses over seven years of hearings.

Much has been made over the £170million price tag of the Inquiry and although the families believe the investigation was worth the time and the money, they are bracing themselves for still more delays.

Even early drafts of the report may be pushed into court and subjected to judicial review.

The longest running inquiry in UK legal history may yet have some way to go.

Belfast Telegraph
28 January 2008
By Noel McAdam

New legislation will be required to underpin Northern Ireland’s four new Victims’ Commissioners, the Assembly was told today.

First Minister Ian Paisley said it was hoped the legislation will be brought forward as soon as possible, but the quartet of commissioners are for now appointed as “designates”.

Mr Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also defended their decision to appoint four commissioners rather than one — due to a ” significant backlog of urgent work”.

MLAs, angry that the appointments were leaked before today’s official statement, also heard that the decision to re-advertise the then single position had resulted in 38 new applicants.

But it is understood that at least one of those appointed, former UTV Live anchorman Mike Nesbitt, was on the shortlist from the original pool of applicants.

Mr Paisley also argued a single commissioner would “inevitably” have been forced to delegate many activities, including consultation and liaison, to a secretariat and many specific projects would have had to be undertaken by consultants.

“Obviously” though, Mr Paisley added, administrative support will still be provided to the four commissioners.

“It is our intention to make formal appointments in due course, but we must first introduce the necessary legislation to create the Victims’ Commission,” the DUP leader said.

Before Mr McGuinness was due to take questions from Assembly members, Mr Paisley set out that the initial tasks for the commissioners would include a review of support services and the setting up of a Victims and Survivors’ Forum.

Belfast Telegraph
By David Young
28 January 2008

A leading dissident republican has called on splinter terror groups to unite to enable them to intensify their campaign of violence against British forces.

Londonderry hard-liner Gary Donnelly, a key figure within dissident circles, said the Real IRA and Continuity IRA should join forces.

The groups have co-operated in the past, most notoriously in the 1998 Omagh bomb attack, but have never formed an official alliance.

The Real IRA claimed responsibility for shooting and injuring two off-duty PSNI officers in separate attacks late last year.

Donnelly, who is from the Creggan area, is a senior member of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, the group regarded as the political wing of the Real IRA.

“I would love to see republicanism united,” he told the Sunday Times.

“It would be more logical to have one group which would be more effective than two.”

The republican said the RIRA was rearming and actively recruiting new members.

His claims follow a foiled alleged attempt by the terror group to purchase arms and explosives in Lithuania last week.

Louth man Michael Campbell (36), the brother of former RIRA leader Liam Campbell, was arrested after a sting operation by the country’s secret service.

Donnelly, who denies being a leading member of the RIRA, said the group was attracting many disgruntled republicans.

“More and more people are returning to republicanism because of what (Gerry) Adams and (Martin) McGuinness have done,” he said.“ And these support the (Real) IRA.”

He added: “History has taught us that there always will be an IRA. Its evolution may ebb and flow but it will always be there as long as the border between north and south exists.”

Belfast Telegraph
By David Gordon
28 January 2008

An IRA money laundering claim made against a businessman by a DUP politician was back in the spotlight today after a High Court judge described it as ” baseless”.

Mr Justice Gillen made the statement while rejecting a judicial review taken by the Sheridan Group, headed by Belfast developer Peter Curistan.Mr Curistan was accused under parliamentary privilege by DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson in February 2006 of a link to “IRA dirty money”.

He strongly denied the claim and argued that it led to his company being ditched later in the year from an investment scheme for the publicly owned Queen’s Quay site in Belfast.Mr Justice Gillen today rejected Sheridan’s judicial review case against the Queen’s Quay decision, dismissing allegations of bad faith and unfairness against the Government.

The judge concluded that the company’s axing from the project was due to an accounting review which had shown up corporate governance weaknesses.

However, he also referred to money laundering allegations as “baseless” — echoing a comment by a Government lawyer during the hearing of the case last month.Mr Curistan today said he was disappointed with the ruling, adding: “Nevertheless, I am completely satisfied with the comprehensive vindication of my own personal reputation, and that of my company, by the trial judge in relation to the malicious and unfounded allegations made by Peter Robinson in the privileged confines of the House of Commons some time ago.”