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Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey said the Secretary of State’ comments on the need for a speedy resolution to the question of devolving policing and justice and that people couldn’t take an ‘a la carte’ approach to the St. Andrews Agreement were worthless.

Sir Reg said it was ridiculous to expect parties to be behoven to an entire agreement when they were not privy, nor asked for their opinion on the agreement in its entirety.

In a statement Sir Reg said,

“The Secretary of State appears to be in a hurry to force the devolution of policing and justice on the people of Northern Ireland, presumably to a timetable agreed between the DUP and Sinn Fein in St. Andrews. He invoked that people could not take an a la carte approach to the St Andrews Agreement.

I have to say the Ulster Unionist Party is not behoven to the St Andrews Agreement. To go a la carte requires a detailed knowledge of your choices on the menu. There have been many surprise announcements emanating from St Andrews that many of the parties had no knowledge of.

We were not consulted on a timetable for the Devolution of Policing and Justice. In present circumstances we would only consider it when there was sufficient public confidence for it to happen.

There is no current appetite nor confidence for the devolution of policing and justice to take place. It is too soon and any attempt to force it through could destabilise the Assembly. Taken with the recent announcement that Fianna Fail is seeking to organise in Northern Ireland, it is not inconceivable that a Fianna Fail Minister could end up in charge. This would give Unionists further reason to reconsider any moves to devolve Policing and Justice.”

Speaking ahead of a debate on child poverty tomorrow, Ulster Unionist Social Development spokesman Fred Cobain said that in order to tackle and eradicate child poverty, an overall targeted approach to tackling overall poverty was needed.

Mr Cobain said that target dates for the reduction and eventual eradication by 2020 of Child Poverty were ambitious without attempts to tackle issues such as Social Housing, Education and Community renewal projects.

In a statement Mr Cobain said,

“The people of Northern Ireland were hoping that with Direct Rule Ministers away, the Assembly and Executive would begin tackling important issues, such as child poverty. So far we have had heard all the usual platitudes and well meaning rhetoric, with little or no difference being felt on the ground.

Tackling child poverty is not something that can be done in isolation, it is entwined in a plethora of social problems. We need to tackle poverty at a number of roots. Social Housing provision must continue to grow. It is estimated that Northern Ireland needs between 2000-2500 new houses to meet the growing numbers of homeless people. The Department of Social Development is building just 600.

We need to give breaks to the working poor, not cripple them with more rates or water charges, we need to inject meaningful funds into education, targeting areas of disadvantage.

Without a dedicated strategy to tackle the roots of poverty I fear that the target to reduce child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020 are nothing more than a utopian fantasy, being discussed without any real thought and without any contextual map.”

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey called on the DUP to ‘wake up’ to tentative moves by Fianna Fail to organise in Northern Ireland after Dermot Ahern appeared on a television debate yesterday evening on the issue.

Sir Reg said the move was an attempt to by-pass the settled issue of sovereignty enshrined in the Agreement and would ‘re-constitutionalise’ political debate in Northern Ireland at a time when the new power sharing government was just beginning to bed down.

In a statement Sir Reg said,

“I am alarmed at the complacent attitude of the DUP to this move. I find it incredible that they appear to be so relaxed and un-enthused at the prospect of a major Irish Republican Party seeking to organise in Northern Ireland.

The move in itself may indeed fragment the nationalist vote but they are missing a fundamental point if this is all they have to comment on the move.

The Ulster Unionist Party has been calling for the normalisation of politics in Northern Ireland. We want a transition to dealing with the normality of life here and the concentration on our social and economic policies. With the return of Stormont the door has opened once again to achieving this progress to normality. The constitutional question has been settled and dealt with.

Now the prospect of Fianna Fail Ministers being in both the NI Executive and the Dublin Government could put unbearable strain on the political process before it has had a chance to settle down and re-open the tired old constitutional debate.

There are no clear benefits to the people of Northern Ireland - who want pressing issues dealt with like education, health, the economy and the environment, to name but four - to see nationalist and republican politicians shifting their focus to old constitutional quarrels, which are already settled, in an effort to out green each other. It is like having a debate about how to build a castle in the sky.

The people of Northern Ireland have only just got their devolved institutions back, this move is ill-timed, ill-advised and seeks to by-pass settled sovereignty matters. I am urging the DUP to wake up to this issue, which of detriment to the political process, and join with us in opposing it.”

UUP Police Board Member Basil McCrea has described as premature moves to wind down the numbers in the Full-Time Reserve. The plans, unveiled today by the Chief Constable, involve cutting numbers from 680 to 381 starting in April next year, followed by the remainder gradually by March 2011.

The Lagan Valley MLA did say however that the packages on offer appeared at first glance to be generous and the manner of the winding down, if it must happen, was sensible.

In a statement Mr McCrea said,

“I feel this move is premature given the not insignificant threat still posed by dissident elements. Public order problems may also still arise although the relatively peaceful parading season this year has been encouraging. The public are however crying out for more policemen and women on the streets as incidents of anti-social behaviour, and ‘normal’ crimes, if such a term exists, are on the increase. To me the PSNI should be reassuring people that this downgrading and eventual ending of the full-time reserve makes sense. To me, in the current circumstances it does not.

However, at first glance the packages on offer do appear to be generous and the manner in which the reserve is being wound down, if it must indeed happen, is sensible and sensitive to the membership of the reserve.

I and my Party will be studying the detail of this proposal before giving a fuller response.”

Responding to increasing speculation that a new Unionist Party is to be formed to oppose the DUP and Sinn Fein’s Power-Sharing arrangement, Kenny Donaldson, an Ulster Unionist Party Officer has stated:

“Many Unionists of my parent’s generation will feel a deep sense of deja-vu. The reality is that Unionism started internally dividing itself when the present First Minister, Dr Paisley and others decided they neither had the stomach, nor the political or civic responsibility to face up to the challenges of accommodating nationalism within an internal political settlement. 30 years later and the penny still hasn’t dropped for some people.

“Let’s be clear; we have the sectarian carve up that we have because people refused to share responsibility for the governing of Northern Ireland decades ago. Furthermore, the terrorist campaign of the PIRA and so-called ‘loyalist’ terrorists were major factors in instilling deep hatred and mistrust between our respective communities. This cocktail of factors meant that no political settlement was deliverable here for a generation.”

Kenny added: “In the run up to 1998 and for the 7/8 years thereafter, the DUP and Sinn Fein set about destroying the centre-ground, fuelled by their own selfish agendas they sought to bring about the conditions, which ensured our Country was carved up between the ‘prods’ and the ‘taigs.’ Despite the fact that this reality has come to pass I am confident that in the medium-long term, the public do not want their children to grow up in a society where there is mutual loathing between the principle protagonists charged with delivering Government. Forget about the amicable photographs, the mutual nods of agreement, the stomach-churning camaraderie on show between the ‘chuckle brothers’ and their respective merry men and women. This is but self-serving spin and mutually constructed choreography.”

Kenny continued: “Unionism collectively needs to realise that fracturing does nothing to assist the aims of promoting the Union. Yes that’s right, I use the word ‘promoting’ because the Union is already ‘protected’ by the enshrined principle of consent which Ulster Unionists negotiated and won in the run up to the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

“My core objective is to see the Ulster Unionist Party rebuild itself so that it can go forth and deliver for the people of Northern Ireland. I do not see the introduction of a new Unionist Party as advantageous. Do people really believe that Sinn Fein can be removed from Stormont at this stage? The parameters of our political settlement have been set, principally by the UK Government and supported by the Government of the Irish Republic, people need to get real; they need to deliver positive change for the people of Northern Ireland within the realms of possibility. For too long politicians in Northern Ireland sought power, now they have it but they need to realise that with power, comes responsibility,” concluded Kenny.

Kenny Donaldson, an Ulster Unionist Party Officer has called for all sides involved in the ‘classroom assistants’ dispute to get around the table immediately to negotiate a resolution so that strike action might be averted.

Classroom assistants across Northern Ireland are planning a one-day strike next Wednesday unless agreement is reached over pay.

In a statement, Kenny said: “Foremost, my thoughts are with the children who neither caused nor deserve to be adversely affected because of others’ inability to act responsibly.

“The Department of Education have said that they regret the move by Classroom Assistants, which they say could “disrupt the education of some children”. If that position was to be followed through to its’ logical conclusion then they would step up their efforts at brokering a deal with classroom assistants. Inaction is neither an appropriate nor responsible position to adopt.
“The reality is that if the present situation isn’t sorted out the children’s education will suffer more. Experienced and qualified staff will be forced to leave the job and many others will be deterred from seeking employment in this field.

“The Education Assembly Committee has indicated their resolve that this debacle should be resolved equitably. Common-sense and fairness must prevail. Classroom Assistants are a key component in the developmental experience, a child receives at School; they are an essential complimentary support for Teachers. They must receive their just desserts, they must be fairly rewarded for the priceless job they do. Classroom Assistants for too long have been looked upon with disdain by elements within Government. Let’s get real - without them, Teachers could not deliver the Curriculum to the standard and efficiency which they do,” concluded Kenny.

Responding to comments made by the Lord Chief Justice, Brian Kerr in which he defended the Judiciary from accusations of lenient sentencing, Kenny Donaldson, an Ulster Unionist Party Officer has stated:

“The Lord Chief Justice has apportioned responsibility squarely at the door of Parliament claiming that ‘judges do not make the law, they perform the task of sentencing within it.’

“Such comments mean little to the public; the fact of the matter is that there is an inherent anger within the public towards our Criminal Justice system and the sentences which are being handed out. The public perception is that, a message is being sent out to criminals and ‘would be criminals’ that, crime pays.

“The public frankly do not care whether its’ Parliament, the Judiciary or both who are responsible for sentencing. What they desire is to be protected, they crave to have confidence in the Criminal Justice system, and they want to see the perpetrators of crime held to account for their actions. The rights of victims should always be paramount, perpetrators of crime through their actions deprive themselves of certain rights extended to those who are law abiding.”

Kenny added: “I 100% respect the independence of the Judiciary, it should not be comprised by political interference however I equally believe that the Judiciary must be held accountable for its’ interpretation of law and its’ refusal to hand out the stiffest possible sentence within the parameters available through law.

“The public cry is for the Judiciary to mirror the general populace, it must cease to be aloof from wider society, if it continues to operate within a vacuum, public support and respect for the system will dwindle even further. Its’ crunch time for the law makers and the law implementers and the public are growing increasingly impatient,” concluded Kenny.

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.”