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Speaking today following a One Small Step event in Parliament Buildings, Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in the Northern Ireland Assembly Danny Kennedy MLA has voiced his support for the One Small Step campaign. The event was also attended by Ulster Unionist councillors Alex Baird, James McKerrow and Eddie Rea and MLAs Robert Coulter, John McCallister and Alan McFarland.

Mr. Kennedy said, “the vision of the One Small Step campaign of a society ‘where there is equity, respect for diversity and a recognition of our interdependence’ is a blueprint of the values that will build a Northern Ireland for all of us. If Northern Ireland is to have a shared future a respectful relationship between our various political, cultural and religious traditions is needed. Now that the political framework created by the Agreement has been accepted by all parties, it is crucial that a culture of respect is promoted by those in positions of political responsibility. Our children and grandchildren deserve better than a society marked by intolerance or indifference.

“The One Small Step campaign is a powerful reminder, however, that building a shared future is not the sole responsibility of politicians and government – it is a responsibility we all share. Individuals, families, local communities, schools, faith groups, professional organizations can all make important contributions to promoting a culture of respect. We can all take steps towards building a Northern Ireland that is at peace with itself.

“In my comments at the One Small Step event, I referred to the need for ‘a renewed focus on the development of a shared society’. The political progress of the past decade offers us the opportunity to build a shared Northern Ireland. This is now the challenge lying before all of us”.

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy said he was disappointed at the DUPs reaction to a UUP motion aimed at strengthening and reinforcing ties between Edinburgh, Cardiff, London and Belfast.

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

“It is disappointing, to say the least, that the DUP has responded negatively to my Party’s motion on a Royal Commission to strengthen the Union. Since 1998, the Constitution of the United Kingdom has experienced quite unprecedented reform through the creation of devolved institutions in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Nearly a decade on, it is surely reasonable to ask for a Royal Commission to review how the devolved administrations are working with Westminster as the sovereign Parliament.

“While there are nationalist minorities in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, each of these regions have unionist majorities – with little evidence that this is likely to change. I am, therefore, at a loss to know why Sammy Wilson has talked up the chances of nationalism winning a referendum in Northern Ireland when such a prospect belongs to the realm of political fantasy. I trust that, despite the somewhat ill-tempered nature of its initial response, the DUP is not seriously suggesting that it will vote against a motion aimed at strengthening the relationship between Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.

“The purpose of a Royal Commission on the Union is to ensure that devolution does what was promised – strengthen the bonds of co-operation and common purpose between the regions of the United Kingdom. While nationalists throughout the Kingdom obviously have a different aspiration, the Belfast Agreement declares that the wish of the people of Northern Ireland ‘freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union’. Our motion seeks to ensure that the devolved arrangements throughout the United Kingdom and their relationship with the Westminster Parliament reflect that democratic choice”.

Danny Kennedy MLA, Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, wants an investigation into top civil servant and public sector pay levels, pay rises and bonuses in Northern Ireland. His call comes after a report from the Taxpayer’s Alliance in the UK revealed that the highest earners in the public sector have seen their pay rise by six times the rate of inflation and more than three times the national average.

“The top 300 bosses in the state sector in the UK saw their salaries increase by 12.8% last year, boosting their pay to an average £237,564. Seventeen earned more than £500,000 per year. This is alarming given the fact that their job security is considerably in excess of high paid private sector bosses. I want to find out what the real situation is here in Northern Ireland for public sector pay.”

“With the failure of Finance Minister Peter Robinson to negotiate a financial package for Northern Ireland, we cannot afford to underwrite inflated public sector boss pay raises and bonuses. We need to get value for money and I am not sure we are getting it. The UK figures certainly alarmed me.”

“There will have to be clarity about the performance of public sector ‘fat-cat’ bosses who earn so highly. There are 10 top civil servants of this UK fat cat rich list complied by the Taxpayer’s Alliance. So we need to find out exactly how well they are performing. There needs to be specific measures of performance set against these payments. In many parts of the public sector things are not improving and people are asking where the money is going?”

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy today wished the Northern Ireland squad well ahead of their clash with Spain tomorrow night and said that they were doing the country proud.

Mr Kennedy also said Northern Ireland’s success and ability to foster a deep sense of national pride in such a small nation proved without a doubt that the FIFA proposal that would allow players from Northern Ireland to choose to play in the Republic was unnecessary and counterproductive.

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

“On behalf of the UUP I would like to wish our squad well against Spain on Wednesday night. After their stunning victory over Denmark I have every faith that they can repeat this success in Gran Canaria. Even if they don’t the squad will not be anything less than a squad of heroes that have provided one of the most memorable football campaigns in recent history and have done their country proud.

The efforts of the squad and the pride they have instilled amongst the population of ‘our wee country’ proves without a doubt that the FIFA proposal that would allow players from Northern Ireland to choose to play for the Republic’s squad is ill-conceived, uneccessary and counterproductive.”

Ulster Unionist Party Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy met with IFA Chief Howard Wells today to discuss the on-going campaign to overturn a FIFA proposal that could allow people born in Northern Ireland to play for the Irish Republic team. Mr Kennedy has concerns that the proposal, if ratified, could put the very future of the Northern Ireland squad in jeopardy.

Speaking after the meeting Mr Kennedy said,

“The meeting with Mr Wells was very useful and the UUP remains fully supportive in the stand that the IFA is taking against this proposal.

It appears that the critical FIFA meeting to decide on the proposal will be on the 12th December in Japan but we are hopeful to have matters resolved with FIFA before then.

We will continue to stay in touch and we lend our full support to the IFA and have pledged to do all we can to see this proposal scrapped.”

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy has tabled a motion in the Assembly that seeks support in opposing the recent eligibility proposal outline by FIFA that could mean players born in Northern Ireland can opt to play for the Irish Republic team.

Mr Kennedy’s motion reads:

“That this Assembly opposes the recent eligibility proposal outlined by FIFA;

Believes that it has the potential to cause serious harm to international soccer relations on the island of Ireland; and calls upon the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to assist the Irish Football Association in opposing the ratification of this unfair and unjust proposal.”

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

“I am hopeful that the business committee in the Assembly will fit this motion in at short notice. It is, I believe, an issue of high importance. The FIFA recommendation quite literally shifts the goalposts and places the very future of the Northern Ireland squad in jeopardy. FIFA should not be swayed by assertions about the Good Friday Agreement or subsequent agreements. The Constitutional position of Northern Ireland has been settled through the principle of consent.

Therefore we remain a separate national entity from the Irish Republic. Therefore there is no choice to be made. Players born in Northern Ireland should only play for Northern Ireland. Any changes to the current set up could effectively spell an end for the Northern Ireland squad. This is not something that I, or I believe a majority of people in Northern Ireland want. The Assembly can send a strong signal to FIFA and those advocates of this ill conceived proposal that they are barking up the wrong tree.”

The Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Newry & Armagh Cllr Danny Kennedy MLA has called on the Government to change the law in respect of criminal damage compensation to local Community and Orange Halls.

Addressing members of Edenderry Ulster Unionist Branch in the Constituency of Upper Bann (Tuesday 30th) Mr Kennedy said changes to the law were absolutely necessary given the ongoing campaign against Orange property particularly in Co Armagh and the reluctance of the security and political authorities to clearly identify and name by organization the republican perpetrators.

He said Orange Order Officials were finding it increasingly difficult if not impossible to have issued to them a Chief Constable’s Certificate confirming the political and sectarian nature of attacks against their properties and this effectively blocked any entitlement to compensation.

Mr Kennedy said the current situation was unacceptable and the Government should act immediately to amend the relevant legislation.

The Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Assembly Party said that he found it deeply ironic that at a time when the DUP and Sinn Fein were partners in Government Orange Halls continued to be damaged and destroyed and nothing was being done to ensure compensation was available.

Mr Kennedy said the clear message to republicans was – LEAVE OUR ORANGE HALLS ALONE.

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader and MLA for Newry and Armagh Danny Kennedy today welcomed the announcement by Norbrook to invest £83 Million in developing new products which could create up to 300 new jobs for the Newry and Armagh area.

In a statement Mr Kennedy said,

“This investment is great news and I commend Lord Ballyedmond for his continued entrepreneurial spirit and his desire to see Norbrook develop further as a world leader in veterinary and agricultural medicine provision.

Researching and developing are key to any company’s growth and expansion and Norbrook clearly have intentions to both grow and expand.

The £83 Million investment, will, I understand create up to 300 new jobs. This is a great boost to the area and proof, if it were needed, that Norbrook continues to be a major part of the economic fabric of the Newry and Armagh area.”

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy MLA, has said that “though today’s Programme for Government, investment strategy and Budget represented a major effort for Dr Paisley and his partner, Martin McGuinness, they must both share a deep sense of disappointment that they were unable to get more money from Gordon Brown.”

“The First and Deputy First Minister duo may be hyping today’s events up for the media but the real story here is their failure to get more money from Gordon Brown. The Budget statement is only the beginning of a process of consultation and during the next 10 weeks of debates and forensic examination by the Committees at Stormont including the OFMDFM Committee which I chair, the lack of additional money will emerge as the big issue.”

“I am also concerned that the 6,500 jobs they are planning to create is such a long way short of the 140,000 jobs we need to create over the next ten years - just to stand still.”

“So, let us keep a sense of proportion about today’s events. I am glad the Executive is doing something at last and so soon after I put down a motion last week criticising them for doing nothing. I would extend my sympathy to Dr Paisley and his partner Mr McGuinness for their failure to extract a peace dividend from the tight-fisted Prime Minister.”

UUP Deputy Leader and Chair of the Committee of OFMDFM, Danny Kennedy MLA, has expressed his concern at the decision by the Dail to invite Northern Ireland MPs to sit on its newly-established Committee on the Implementation of the Belfast Agreement.

Mr. Kennedy said, “last night’s decision by the Dail is a deeply disappointing move. The text of the motion referred to ‘Members of the Westminster Parliament elected for constituencies in Northern Ireland’. While it is interesting to note that Dail Eireann – in contrast to Sinn Fein Ministers of the Crown in Stormont – can refer to this jurisdiction by its proper title, it is the view of the Ulster Unionist Party that the proper forum for dialogue between MPs and TDs is the East-West framework set up by the Belfast Agreement.

“Although rightly concerned, there is no need for unionists to over-react to this move by the Dail. Despite the ambitions of republicans, the Dail has refused to allow Northern Ireland MPs any ‘right to vote or to move motions and amendments’ in the new Committee. Such a stance is quite understandable – why would citizens of the Republic of Ireland want Members of another Parliament, accountable to another electorate, to have a vote in a Dail Committee? In light of the insignificant role granted to Northern Ireland MPs on the Committee, it is difficult to understand why the Dail supported a mostly symbolic move that nevertheless detracts from the existing East-West institutions.

“The Ulster Unionist Party will strongly urge Her Majesty’s Government and the First Minister of Northern Ireland to express their disapproval of this development and to reaffirm the centrality and integrity of the East-West institutions. Whatever the token participation of republican and nationalist MPs from Northern Ireland in the Dail Committee, the British Isles framework of the Belfast Agreement is the proper forum for the respective parliaments to jointly examine the Agreement’s implementation”.