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Elected representatives from Northern Ireland participating in the Dail may, to some, be of little consequence. However, I see it as an important litmus test of the Irish Government’s view of good neighbourliness towards Northern Ireland. Frankly, their utterances to date are unwelcome.

Such is the nature of the UUP’s fundamental opposition to Mr Ahern’s proposals, notwithstanding welcoming comments from the DUP and bluster from Sinn Fein.

Lagan Valley MLA Billy Bell has urged applicable residents to take advantage of the Department of Social Development’s ‘Warm Home Scheme’, which provides a grant of up to £750 to install insulation measures in private sector housing.

Mr Bells comments follow a meeting with the DSD and Eaga Partnership, who outlined to Mr Bell the eligibility criteria for those wishing to embark on the scheme.

Mr Bell said:

“I fully support the warm homes scheme and would urge those who are applicable to take full advantage of what’s on offer. The scheme’s package of insulation measures ensure that homes will have significantly reduced energy costs. Cavity Wall insulation, reflective radiator panels, loft insulation and draught proofing are just some of the measures made available.

“Those who are entitled to the scheme include householders with a child under the age of 16 and who are in receipt of certain benefits, including disability, income support and housing benefit. Householders over 60 are also eligible for further measures included in the ‘Warm Homes Plus’ Scheme.

“As UUP Disabilities and Older Person’s Spokesperson, I can certainly see the benefits for the more vulnerable section of our society, especially older people and the elderly. Despite being launched in 2001, there are still those who have not taken advantage of the scheme and I would urge them to contact EAGA for more information”.

Strabane District Policing Partnership member Derek Hussey has warned that those trumpeting the value of community-based Restorative Justice Schemes must be prepared to support the vital role of the police in criminal matters.

The UUP West Tyrone MLA argues that the schemes must be integral to current policing practice rather than being seen as a possible alternative way of dealing with crime related issues.

Mr. Hussey said:

“I welcome the Policing Board’s detailed response to the NIO’s draft guidelines on community-based Restorative Justice Schemes which makes quite clear its concern that the current draft guidelines present a very real and inherent risk of schemes becoming an ‘alternative’ to established elements of the criminal justice system.

“Any dissolution of the powers or role of the police and the courts cannot be tolerated. They must remain the bedrock of how we deal with crime in the future. I fear that too many people see these schemes as alternatives to the police service and the courts system and this must be addressed quickly. A lot of important work has been carried out in this area and the potential contribution that community based Restorative Justice Schemes have to make must continue to be assessed.

“However, I agree with the Board that as an integral part of the criminal justice system, all organisations wishing to participate must give unqualified acceptance to the role of the Police Service within the criminal justice system that the schemes will become a part of. Confidence in that system will not be promoted if there are organisations within it that are endorsed by the Government who do not acknowledge the legitimacy of one of the scheme’s key partners, namely the police.

“That is why I personally consider the draft guidelines to be unacceptable and would hope to see new guidelines drafted. There must be a clear definition of the types of ‘low level crime’ that CBRJ Schemes would deal with. The overall responsibility for ensuring that schemes are held to account should be given to an oversight body.

“Whether this role is given to a new organisation established for that purpose, or goes to the Probation Board for Northern Ireland or the Policing Board itself, is open to further consideration. A truly independent external complaints system needed to be established.”

Mr. Hussey said he also endorsed Board’s findings that schemes need to operate to the highest standards both with regard to human rights and to have in place robust human resources and training management systems to enable schemes to recruit, train and assess their staff.

“Anyone wishing to work for a scheme should have their application submitted to the oversight body who would take appropriate measures to ensure that applicants are not involved in paramilitary or criminal activity.”

Ulster Unionist DETI Spokesperson, and East Antrim MLA, Roy Beggs Jnr, has welcomed news that 150 new jobs being are to be created by engineering firm FG Wilson at its plants in Larne, Springvale and Monkstown.

Around £47 million is being invested to research and manufacture generators for parent company Caterpillar.

In a statement, Mr Beggs said: “I’m delighted that Caterpillar has decided to reinvest in FG Wilson - this news will be warmly welcomed by everyone in East Antrim.

“Not only is this a much needed boost for the local economy, but is also sends out a strong signal that manufacturing continues to have a strong role to play in Northern Ireland’s economic development.

“We have a long and proud history of innovation and productivity in the manufacturing field, and I am pleased to see this continue at FG Wilson.”

Ulster Unionist South Antrim assembly member, Jim Wilson, has welcomed the announcement that £6million is to be invested to clear the current waiting list for drugs to treat severe arthritis.

In a statement, Mr Wilson said: “A number of individuals have approached my office over this issue. It also affects some members of my own family, so I am aware of the misery it causes.

“The statistics of this health issue in Northern Ireland are alarming with approximately 230,000 people affected Province-wide. Over 70% of sufferers are sufficiently affected to come within the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act; 1 in 5 GP visits concern arthritis and related conditions; the disease is the largest physical cause of disability and days off work in Northern Ireland and is the largest cause of disability in this country.

“Alarming statistics indeed – even more alarming is the fact that Northern Ireland has not had a dedicated strategy on arthritis and provision for people here continues to lag behind that on the UK mainland despite medical predictions that cases can be expected to increase.

“People assume that arthritis only affects the elderly. This is not the case. It can be a seriously debilitating illness which can affect all ages, and whilst it cannot be cured, medication can help people to manage their pain.

“Access to rheumatology services tends to be slow and sporadic and service provision here in Northern Ireland is way behind that on offer in the rest of the UK. Access to new treatments that have been proven successful in the USA is relatively good in mainland UK, with 2/3 of consultants satisfied that they can prescribe the drugs as required.

“Here in Northern Ireland we have, at the last count, nearly 450 people on a 2-year waiting list for such drugs. Additionally recent evidence suggests that this province has one of the lowest numbers of rheumatologists per head of population than anywhere else in Europe.

“This announcement is welcome news indeed. According to the Minister we can expect the number of people who are receiving specialist medicine to double and it is anticipated that everyone on the current waiting list will receive their treatment within the next two years.”

Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Mid-Ulster, Billy Armstrong, has voiced his deep concerned that, due to funding cuts, Speechmatters has been forced to announce the closure of its services in the Homefirst areas.

This means that people with Aphasia, which is a devastating communication disability after a stroke or head injury, will not receive crucial specialist services from Speechmatters from 1 April 2006.

In a statement, Mr Armstrong said: “The NHSSB have said that Speechmatters will not receive funding for 2006/2007 because an application was not submitted to a grant aid scheme in late 2005. However, it transpires that no invitation to apply to the NHSSB scheme was ever received by Speechmatters and the NHSSB officers did not advise that this grant scheme was available as a means of funding for Speechmatters specialist services.

“Due to this funding crisis, Speechmatters will be forced to close its services, including Conversation Groups in Cookstown and Newtownabbey, the Aphasia helpline and its one to one Family Support Services right across Homefirst Trust area. Another devastating consequence is that many specialised staff will lose their jobs and their skills lost.

“Many disabled people aged 65 years and older living in Mid- Ulster and South East Antrim, will now be left without any long-term Aphasia support because the services that were provided by Speechmatters are not available through the statutory sector or through any other voluntary organisation.”

He concluded: “I shall be calling on the Health Minister to offer the people of Mid- Ulster and South East Antrim the same level of support as other areas in Northern Ireland. It is a scandalous situation that in order to receive help, it ends up as a post code lottery.”

Ulster Unionist agriculture spokesman Tom Elliott MLA has called for a strong marketing strategy to promote Northern Irish beef on mainland Europe, the comment comes after the findings of a report by the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) were published this week. The report examined the potential markets for Northern Ireland red meat in five European countries, namely France, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Denmark.

The study was commissioned by the LMC in anticipation of the lifting of the beef export ban.

In a statement the Fermanagh and South Tyrone assemblyman said: “The announcement on 8 March was indeed welcome, and the unanimity of the vote sent a clear signal regarding the safety and quality of British Beef around the world.

“However, as we near the actual commencement of exports the industry must be fully prepared for the tough job that lies ahead, the job of trying to rebuild our lost markets.

“Marketing of products, no matter what you care to mention, is now a highly competitive and professional operation, that is why the research by the LMC is an essential first step. The impact of the recent bird flu cases on chicken sales highlights how important consumer confidence is.

“The enviable traceability record of Northern Irish beef and the natural production methods are selling points which need emphasizing at every opportunity, if we want consumers to switch back to our produce this differential needs promoting.”

When exports recommence it will be over ten years since the European Commission voted to ban global exports of UK beef and cattle. Over Thirty-Month (OTM) cattle are only permitted for human consumption after successfully passing a BSE test, it will also remain the case that animals born before 1 August 1996 are excluded from the food chain.

“The knock on effect of farmers leaving the industry is incalculable, when you consider that in 1995 beef exports from Northern Ireland amounted to some £123million at farmgate prices, you begin to realise the loss to our rural areas in particular and to the province as a whole.

“I call on all stakeholders to work in partnership to promote our quality produce to our European neighbours, a focused, professional strategy is needed, as now the real work begins.”

Billy Bell MLA, Ulster Unionist Assemblyman for Lagan Valley and Public Accounts Committee Chairman in the last Assembly, today questioned the amount spent on roads in the City of Lisburn in the past five years. The MLA says the figures show that Londonderry with a population just behind that of Lisburn had 22% more spent on its roads than Lisburn

“I am concerned that Lisburn, which is Northern Ireland’s second city in terms of population with 108,000 citizens has had significantly less spent on its roads in the past five years than Londonderry with a population of 105,000. In fact Lisburn had about one quarter less spent on its roads than Londonderry. Five years is a reasonably long period and you would expect to see some averaging out over such a time span but that has not happened.”

“Between 2000 and 2005 £39.2 million was spent on Lisburn’s roads compared to £50.12 million spent on Londonderry’s. That is a very significant gap. It is a gap which is consistent year after year as the attached table shows. Year on year Lisburn is disadvantaged when compared to Londonderry. This suggests that something is badly wrong with our road building priorities and certainly needs to be looked at.”

“Lisburn’s current roads are inadequate to say the least. There is, for instance, only a B class road between Lisburn, with a population of 108,000 and over 3,000 businesses, and the International Airport. If you were a stranger, and really wanted to, you could easily find Loanends but you would be hard put to find Lisburn. In fact there is still no sign at the airport gate directing people to Lisburn. It is as if Lisburn did not exist. Well, I know 108,000 people who would not agree with that and it’s time the Roads Service took more account of the fact.”

Ulster Unionist Mid-Ulster assembly member, Billy Armstrong, has welcomed the announcement by Health Minister Shaun Woodward that more than £4 million will be spent on tackling suicide in Northern Ireland over the next two years.

Figures released from General Registrar’s Office show that the number of people who took their own life soared by 50% last year to 213. This year’s figures have revealed large increases reported in Cookstown and Magherafelt.

In a statement, Mr Armstrong said: “This announcement is a welcome first step and it is important that this money is channelled immediately into the community.

“The appointment of a Northern Ireland Director of Mental Health to oversee the whole mental health service is a long overdue initiative and for too long this area of the Health Service has been severely under resourced.

“It is vital that vulnerable children and young people get prompt access to the help they so desperately need and the announcement of telephone helpline is welcome. This will be piloted within Eastern Health Social Services in conjunction with NSPCC and Samaritans and will focus initially on North and West Belfast.

“I would advocate that due to the increases in suicides in Mid-Ulster that similar helplines should be established in the west of the Province.

“It is also important that medical professionals recognise signs that lead to suicide and GP’s have a huge role to play in helping build an effective strategy and offer immediate help. I welcome the commitment by the Minister that an effective programme with the BMA to develop and promote depression awareness training programme for not only GP’s but also primary care practitioners. Evidence from Scotland suggests that there are no quick fix solutions but if it prevents one death it is worthwhile.”

Ulster Unionist Members of the Local Government Taskforce Group today gathered cross-party support to give Lord Rooker the clearest indication that there was no support for a 7 super-council plan.

In typical cavalier fashion Lord Rooker noted our objection and moved on to the next item of business. However, I feel that the parties have managed to fire a strong warning shot across the government’s bows.”