uuptoday.org

Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has welcomed the findings of the recent Life & Times survey conducted by Queen’s University which shows that a total of 85% of Protestants supported the union and 22% of Catholics favoured retaining the Union.

Tom said: “These findings , coupled with the election results in the Irish Republic where Sinn Fein had hoped to significantly increase it’s number of seats, truly illustrates that there is no appetite from the electors north or south of the border for a united Ireland. Sinn Fein could not achieve a united Ireland through the armalite and 30 years of a murderous campaign and they are now isolated and no nearer to their goal than they were four decades ago.

They now sit in power in the Assembly and seem quite comfortable with the DUP, exercising British power and support for the police. Despite the charm offensive of their Charter for Unionist Engagement, they need to realise that their plan for a United Ireland is over and they have nowhere else to go. Unionists don’t want unification and neither do 22% of Catholics in Northern Ireland. Bertie Ahern had no desire to share power with Sinn Fein in the Republic but how strange that it was Paisley and the DUP who have them sharing the top positions of power in Northern Ireland”.

Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has welcomed what he described as the “open and transparent attitude” of the Roads Service towards the A26 dualling project at The Frocess.

Assemblyman Dr Coulter was speaking after meeting with Roads Service officials at a recent two-day consultation on the dualling of the A26 from Glarryford Cross to the A44 Drones Road junction.

He added: “Everyone in this debate agrees there is an urgent need for the A26 to be dualled along this lethal stretch of road. Where there is a difference of opinion is on which route the dualling should proceed.

“The Roads Service planners do deserve our thanks for being open and transparent with the public in their consultation process.

“However, these same planners must consider a route that will have the least disruption for the families and farms in the Frocess area. They should not consider simply the route which is the cheapest.

“They must take into serious consideration the human cost of the suffering which merely opting for the cheapest route could create. Suffering cannot be quantified in human terms.

“I also continue to give my full backing to farmers from the constituency whose land is threatened by one of the proposed routes for the dualling.”

Assemblyman Coulter said he recognised that given the increased volume of traffic on this stretch of road and the continued death toll at and near The Frocess, there was “a critical need” to dual the A26 trunk road from Glarryford Cross to the A44 Drones Junction.

He added: “However, at the same time, we do not want the farming community in this locality to suffer if their farms are to be torn apart by the dualling development.

“A number of alternative routes for the A26 dualling should be considered, but I would urge the new roads minister not to literally drive the development through prime farmland.

“The agricultural community in the constituency has faced enough stresses and strains in recent decades without having the additional burden of having their land torn apart.

“This area has some of the best farmland in North Antrim and I would whole-heartedly support the farmers in their fight to stop the A26 dualling destroying their land.

“In this respect, I would also urge the roads minister to consider an alternative dualling route rather than splitting this very close knit rural community in two,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.

UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy today welcomed the appointment of Al Hutchinson as the new Police Ombudsman.

Mr Kennedy said the move to appoint a new Ombudsman was long overdue and hoped that Mr Hutchinson would inject some much needed integrity back into the office.

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

Currently the Ombudsman offices are under police investigation into leaks of enquiries which have infringed people’s human rights, under investigation into breaches of the official secrets act and the Northern Ireland Office is in the process of reviewing guidelines and finding a new figure to fill the post.

This litany of failures, coupled with the fact that the Ombudsman did not command the support of the Retired Police Officers Association or the support of the Police Federation was the wake up call that was needed for the Secretary of State to appoint a new Ombudsman.

Mr Hutchinson brings a wealth of experience with him and the UUP wishes him well in the task of bringing some much needed integrity and impartiality back to the office of Ombudsman.”

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy has called on the DUP’s Executive Ministers to “get their act together” on the national stadium.

Mr Kennedy was speaking after the weekend’s public argument between DUP Ministers, with Nigel Dodds contradicting the statements on the Maze location made by Edwin Poots.

Mr Kennedy said: “While most right-thinking people in Northern Ireland will agree with Minister Dodds in opposing a Hunger Strike shrine as an integral part of the Maze National Stadium plans, the confusion amongst DUP Ministers does Northern Ireland no favours.

“On the one hand we have Minister Poots telling us that the Maze location – with its Hunger Strike shrine – is non-negotiable. On the other, his DUP colleague Minister Dodds tells us that it is totally unacceptable. To state the obvious question, which is it? Is the Maze National Stadium and the Hunger Strike shrine non-negotiable, or is it unacceptable?

“When devolution was restored, most people in Northern Ireland had a sense that the Executive was going to have difficulty in achieving a united purpose. It is, however, somewhat surprising that the greatest divisions have appeared amongst the DUP Ministers – failing to agree on what was meant to be a signature project for the Executive, and failing to agree on whether or not a terrorist shrine is acceptable.

“All parties in the Assembly recognise that the issue of locating the National Stadium is a matter of some controversy. But to have Executive Ministers from the same party squabbling in the media over the issue, briefing against each other, and plainly contradicting one another is not the kind of government Northern Ireland deserves”.

Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has raised concerns over the total lack of progress in the preparation on a new Fermanagh Area Plan.

Tom said: “Following an answer from the Minister of Environment to an Assembly question from me I am deeply disturbed to learn that there are no plans to begin work on the review of the Fermanagh Area plan within the next year. It would seem that areas like Antrim, Ballymena and Larne are being given higher priority than Fermanagh.

In view of the fact that the previous Area Plan for Fermanagh was published in 1997 and was to run until 2007. I would have thought that the work should have commenced last year but to now realise that it could be many years before a new Area Plan for Fermanagh might be produced, is not helpful. The current plan has had no updates or reviews over the past ten years, in which time much has changed regarding development in the County. Demand for housing is increasing all the time, priorities and circumstances change regularly but the area of land that was zoned 10 years ago still remains unaltered.

The purpose of the Plan is to inform the public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will be used to guide development decisions within Fermanagh district over the next 10 years.

A new Plan is crucial to provide a planning framework which facilitates future growth and development of Fermanagh and provide development opportunities to meet housing and employment needs within a sustainable living and working environment in the county. A New Plan is required to ensure the equitable and provision of services to support and sustain rural areas and to protect and extend existing industrial and business areas in Fermanagh”.

UUP MEP Jim Nicholson, speaking after the European Summit ended today, said the Prime Minister had surrendered more powers to Brussels, had made one of the biggest mistakes of his Premiership and called on the British Public to have their say on any new treaty by referendum.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“The Prime Minister has made one of the biggest mistakes of his premiership. Despite assurances in the run up to the summit Mr Blair did not protect the UK’s ‘Red Lines’. Because of the implications of his decisions it is only right and fitting that the British Public should have their say by Referendum on any new treaty or variation thereof.

“I am particularly concerned at a number of our foreign and defence policies being surrendered and subsumed into the European ether along with Policing and Justice matters.

It is clear that the decisions taken by Mr Blair in his last cat as Prime Minister will fundamentally alter how the UK conducts and controls its political affairs within the European Union. Again, because of these changes a referendum is, I believe, necessary.”

UUP spokesman on Victims Issues Derek Hussey today gave a cautious welcome to the establishment of a government consultative group tasked with finding an appropriate way of dealing with victims issues and ‘the past’.

In a statement Mr Hussey said,

“The UUP welcomes any input into victims issues and how to deal with the past but we reiterate our opposition to the establishment of a truth commission.

Bertha McDougall has already outlined a positive and comprehensive victims’ agenda that I believe should form the backbone of any recommendations. I am mindful that while this debate continues, for many, pain and hurt continues on as a very real aspect of daily life. It is imperative that resolution happens sooner rather than later. That is why I am concerned that this group are not due to report until next summer.

There is no reason why, for example, the issue of core funding to victims groups cannot be addressed now within the OFMDFM wherein lies the responsibility for the Victims Unit. Undoubtedly the UUP have concerns in regard to some of Bertha McDougall’s recommendations! However those issues that are common should be advanced. To give confidence to the Victims sector that they are not abandoned they need to see work in progress rather than further prevarication.

With the McDougall framework already there, the edges of the jigsaw puzzle are already in place. This group can and should test public opinion to see where the other pieces fit.

I am however concerned that the Secretary of State acted unilaterally in the appointment of this group without consulting OFMDFM wherein the Victims Unit lies.”

Referring to the Secretary of State’s comments about the cost of the Saville Inquiry and how there had to be a better way of investigating the past Mr Hussey added,

“I share Mr Hain’s concern at the nature and expense of inquiries such as Saville, however he cannot have it both ways. Saville was set up by his government. Let us hope that the Historical Enquiries Team - who are doing valuable work - coupled with the new group established today, will find a way sensible and pragmatic solution away from the current approach which has failed to find a common language that genuine victims can relate to.”

In a joint statement on the Maze today UUP Chairman of the OFMDFM Committee Danny Kennedy and Deputy Chair of DCAL Committee David McNarry called on Dr Paisley to clear the air on the Maze project.

In a joint statement the UUP men said,

“It is important to draw the demarcation lines between the distinct issues arising out of the controversy surrounding the proposed maze development.

The decision to proceed with a national stadium rests with Edwin Poots the DCAL Minister whilst the decision to open an IRA shrine rests with Dr Paisley and the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.

A stadium does not necessarily have to be built on the Maze site. It could be placed elsewhere or not at all whereas the shrine is a project locked into the business plan adopted by Dr Paisley, who only last week signed a joint letter with Martin McGuinness shutting down the Maze monitoring panel and placing full responsibility for the development of the site with his own offices.

It is important therefore that OFMDFM clear the air regarding the shrine and indicate urgently when the shrine, as a tourist attraction, will be handed over to the DETI Minister Nigel Dodds.”

Ulster Unionist MLA and vice chairman of the Assembly’s Agriculture and Rural Development committee, Tom Elliott, has called for immediate action from the Agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew, on the matter of the 30-day standstill rule.

In a statement Mr Elliott said: “After the recent missed opportunity to make her department more farmer friendly with regards voluntary modulation I feel that on this issue the Minister must act for the benefit of the agricultural sector.

“This matter can easily be addressed by the Minister as the problem stems from the way in which her department interprets EU legislation. Comparing how the authorities in the Republic of Ireland interpret the 30-day standstill rule compared to DARD shows just how overzealous our own government is on such matters.”

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone assemblyman continued by saying that numerous farmers, breeders and those involved directly in the cattle export market had flagged up their concerns with him regarding how this issue was hindering the export of cattle from the Province.

Tom continued by adding: “Northern Ireland cattle have been reared to some of the highest standards in the world and to have an obstacle placed in the way of supplying markets is damaging our competitiveness.

“Many countries are very keen to buy Northern Ireland cattle yet our own authorities are actually making the process unnecessarily difficult for buyers, meaning they go elsewhere to fill their order books.

“Unless there is immediate action by the Minister on the 30-day standstill rule our producers will continue to be placed at a severe disadvantage when compared to our competitors. This matter must be addressed to allow the sector the ability to service the demand of export markets, or we risk damaging the health of the industry.”

The youth wing of the Ulster Unionist Party, the Ulster Young Unionist Council, has re-launched it’s Lagan Valley Branch after three years of inactivity. Speaking at the launch from the office of UUP MLA Basil McCrea in Dromore, newly elected Chairman Michael Shilliday, commented that the re-emergence of a UYUC presence in Lagan Valley is a positive step for a party moving forward:

“In early 2004 the Young Unionists in Lagan Valley collapsed when Jeffrey Donaldson joined the party of protest. He left the UUP for an array of reasons, not least of which was Sinn Fein’s two ministers from 1999 to 2002. In 2007, Jeffrey Donaldson has been overlooked for Ministerial office, by a leader who has entered government with Martin McGuinness as his equal in all but name, and flanked by three other Sinn Feiners.

“The rise of the DUP has been at the expense of my party. The Youth Wing suffered most from the effects of 2004, indeed the Provincial body dissolved. Since then the UYUC has reformed, grown and prospered. In 2004, the Lagan Valley Branch was the only Young Unionist branch, yet today Lagan Valley is the 5th Branch, with the 6th being launched next week, and more to follow.

“Under DUP leadership Sinn Fein now have the chance of having the First Minister’s job, North/Southery has been expanded and the DUP have proved themselves to be opportunists working in their own interests, not Northern Ireland’s. Their record is one of self-interest, in contrast to my party, which used its position within Unionism to move Northern Ireland forward, and to entrench its position in the UK. The Ulster Nationalists currently in charge have been frittering away those constitutional safeguards by forming a pact with Scottish Nationalists and changing the rules for the election of First Minister for their own electoral reasons.

“Unionists are seeing through the DUP. Membership of my party is increasing every day, and the UYUC is growing particularly fast. Branches are forming across the province, and Lagan Valley is at the heart of that. Our members are drawn from every corner of the Constituency, and new members are joining ever week. The Party is currently engaged in a wholesale review of its structures and operation – the Young Unionists are at the heart of that, and will continue to be at the heart of Ulster Unionism.”

Concluding, Mr Shilliday urged young people in Northern Ireland to join the UUP:

“I joined the Ulster Unionist Party because I believe in a Northern Ireland at ease with itself within the Union. Our Unionism is based not on religion, race or a ‘little Ulster’ ideology. Our Unionism is pluralist, inclusive and rooted in our British cultural and political outlook. Our movement is growing, and any Unionist who shares our outlook is welcome to contact us to join.”