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Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong has called for the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre to be rebuilt by Government and the Public Sector in order to ensure that both the Causeway site and the surrounding area are safeguarded for future generations.

The Mid-Ulster MLA and member of the Assembly’s Environment Committee said;

“The Giant’s Causeway is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO and is one of the jewels in the crown of Northern Ireland tourism. There is no doubt that the site both deserves and requires a world class visitors’ centre.

While I am normally a supporter of private sector involvement, I believe that in the case of Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage site an exception has to be made in order to safeguard the site and its surrounding area for future generations.

I have long held the opinion that the best solution is for the key stakeholders to get together and agree a way forward whereby the National Trust, Moyle District Council, the Department of the Environment and DETI work in partnership so that this vital asset remains wholly in public hands.

It is clear that this view is shared by Moyle and Coleraine Councils and the National Trust. I therefore call upon the relevant Ministers to work in partnership with these bodies to ensure that the integrity of the Causeway site and its surrounding area is protected both now and for the future by retaining ownership in public hands. This is an early test for new Ministers, a new Executive and a new Assembly. It is a test we must not fail.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong has welcomed comments made in a written response by OFMDFM regarding the recent spate of attacks on Orange Halls.

The Mid-Ulster MLA said;

“The OFMDFM’s strategic departmental objectives include ‘promoting better community relations, a culture of equality and rights, and promoting social inclusion’.

“I recently wrote to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister asking them what assessment has been made of the impact of the recent spate of attacks on Orange Halls on their strategic objectives.”

“In their response they say that they ‘totally deplore these acts and condemn utterly those people who carry out such attacks which are a scourge on our society.’

I fully endorse these comments and would especially urge those politicians from the republican community to use their influence to ensure that attacks on Orange Halls are halted.

We must all work to develop a society in which Halls and Churches of all denominations are given due respect and left well alone.

Attacks on these Halls are nothing more than hate crimes and must be condemned by all right-thinking people.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has confirmed today that he has demanded an urgent meeting with EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel to discuss soaring animal feed prices, which according to the UUP MEP is having a “devastating impact” on Northern Ireland’s agricultural industry.

Mr Nicholson will be accompanied by representatives from the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“The massive increases in cereal prices we have witnessed over the last few months is something that none of us can escape. It is having a crippling affect on our agricultural industry and as I have warned before has the potential to put many of our farmers out of business.

“I believe this is an issue that requires action from the European Commission, especially because their zero tolerance approach to GMO produced grain is simply compounding matters further. Events on the global stage and at a local level are conspiring against the farming industry in Northern Ireland. The poor weather and flooding during the summer coupled with drought in some of the Southern Hemisphere countries and an increase in demand from the bio fuel sector are driving feed prices through the roof.

“Supermarkets must begin to reflect these increased production costs in the price of their food. Farmers can not continue to absorb rising costs any longer. There are some changing and really challenging times ahead, both for the farming industry and consumers.

“What this situation proves again is the need for the creation of a regulatory framework that would promote a fair relationship between producers, processors and the supermarket chains. For a long time there has been an undeniable need for the producer to receive a fairer reward for his produce. I see something inherently wrong with a market that repeatedly shows falling returns to farmers but consistently shows rising returns to processors and retailers and I hope that the Competition Commission’s investigation into unfair practices brings some relief for producers on this matter.

“I will repeat again that the next 10 to 15 years will see a real issue over food security in Europe. Over the past number of years or so we have been used to low food prices and the availability of an abundance of food within the EU but now that the butter and milk mountains have melted away it is a different story.”

Ulster Unionist MLA David Burnside today said it would be a sad indictment on Policing and Justice in Northern Ireland if former IRA Commanders serving at the heart of Government were to be immune from investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team.

Mr Burnside was responding after writing to OFM/DFM asking if any interviews have taken place between Ministers, officials and Policy advisers and the PSNI with reference to any historic crime investigation. The response was that no such interviews had taken place.

In a statement Mr Burnside said,

“I will not let this subject drop. I am trying to ascertain if Ministers are now immune from investigations carried out by the Historical Enquiries Team and will be taken further action.

If they are immune it will be a sad indictment of policing and justice in Northern Ireland and makes a mockery of the remit of the Historical Enquiries Team.”

Ulster Unionist Police Board Member and Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea said of the Police Ombudsman’s report today,

“Yet again the Police Ombudsman has clumsily and simplistically waded into our society’s painful past. The murder of Rosemary Nelson was a heinous act – one of many heinous acts that occurred during the Troubles. Ms. O’Loan is very well aware that her actions are contributing to a highly politicised attempt to re-write the history of 30 years of violence.

As our society seeks to move away from three decades of violence and paramilitarism, during which the Royal Ulster Constabulary contained the threat posed by terrorists to the entire community, what has the appearance of ideologically inspired investigations into only part of our past have the potential to undermine political progress.

There can be no doubt that we as a society should hold the agents of the State to infinitely higher standards than the actions of those who engaged in terrorist violence. That is not the issue for debate. The debate is about the selective and partisan nature of inquests into our painful and troubled past”.