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Commenting on the continued fallout over the Maze Stadium plans this morning, UUP DCAL spokesman and DCAL Deputy Chairman David McNarry said in a statement,

“Much has been made about the architects for the site being snubbed after flying in from London. Before everybody weeps for them it should be remembered that they have currently been paid to date in the region of £3 Million for their plans. The Committee chose not to meet them yesterday because the process was, as some commentators have noted, a farce. We would be happy to welcome them again when we have all the information surrounding the project at our fingertips.

Here are the facts:

The Committee does not have the full picture, a business plan, the final costs or costed alternatives to the Maze stadium at present. This is like being asked to give an opinion on a car you are buying for someone without having seen anything other than how it looks.

The Committee felt it was being bounced. A News Conference was planned for the same time as the Committee meeting by the Minister and Architects, presumably designed to unduly influence the media and attempt to railroad the Committee into accepting a Maze or nothing outcome. This is no way to treat a Committee. Our role is to scrutinise and ensure that the public in Northern Ireland get value for Money. We are not a plaything to be used in a political game of chess by the Minister. Treating a Committee in this way is corrosive to the democratic process and makes a mockery of DUP claims of accountable Ministers.

The Committee is not in favour nor against a National Stadium at the Maze but we will not and can not make a final decision on this matter until we are properly armed with the facts, costings and a proper business plan. This is a common sense approach. We do not seek to be obstructive for obstruction’s sake but we do seek to be afforded basic courtesies and be given adequate information. The root causes of the difficulty surrounding the Maze project do not lie with the Committee. The Committee did not walk out, it was adjourned by consent and at the first opportunity apologised to the designers for circumstances which were beyond its control to which the designers replied with full understanding.”

Commenting on events this morning in the DCAL Committee, UUP DCAL spokesman and Deputy Chairman of the Committee David McNarry said,

“We will not be endorsing a shrine to terrorists on the Maze site, but if it is the intention of the DUP DCAL, Finance and First Minister to incorporate a national stadium with a shrine to terrorists then we believe there is insufficient public support for it.

We understand that a business study to be given to the Finance Minister extends beyond the Maze site with two options for the North foreshore and two options for existing stadia. We believe these must be explored fully before any decision can be made on the Maze.

At this moment we have not ruled anything in or anything out but until we are in receipt of all information on the matter the matter can only be resolved by the three DUP Ministers before bringing it to the Assembly.”

Ulster Unionist Party Chief Whip David McNarry today said Peter Robinson’s threats about no government if no unanimous agreement on the programme for government and draft budget showed his desire to make the Assembly into a soviet style congress.

In a statement Mr McNarry said,

“Mr. Robinson obviously has a desire to turn the Northern Ireland Assembly into a soviet-style congress that merely nods its head, asks no questions and is forbidden from opposing any Executive measures. The Ulster Unionist Party wants a Northern Ireland Assembly based on the values of British parliamentary democracy – in which there is robust debate and scrutiny, in which the Executive is held to account.

Peter Robinson’s intemperate outburst last night, during which he threatened to collapse devolution, is further evidence of the DUP-Sinn Fein control-freakery that is undermining the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Scrutinising the Draft Budget and the Draft Programme for Government is the duty of MLAs. During yesterday’s proceedings, both UUP and SDLP MLAs felt duty-bound to express their opposition to aspects of Peter Robinson’s Draft Budget. In any normal political context such scrutiny, questioning and opposition is accepted as part and parcel of the parliamentary process. But what does Peter Robinson do? Loses his temper and hits out at the people of Northern Ireland by threatening to collapse devolution.

“It is time for the Finance Minister to calm down. He is well aware that his party and his colleagues in Sinn Fein have enough votes within the Assembly to ensure that his Draft Budget and Draft Programme for Government are passed. The Ulster Unionist Party in the Assembly will continue to scrutinize, question and – where necessary – oppose the Draft Budget.”

Ulster Unionist Chief Whip David McNarry MLA today called on the Government to compensate people who have been forced to incur bank charges through changing bank accounts as a result of the massive data protection failure by HM Revenue and Customs.

“If people have to incur bank or other charges as a result of having to change bank details because their personal details have been compromised because of this massive mistake by Government then the Government, which had admitted full responsibility, should have to pay for any costs incurred.”

“Apologies are not enough in such a massive failure to protect the public, leaving 25 million people exposed to potential fraud. People could at least expect any charges they incur making changes to personal data to be paid for. The Inland Revenue would be quick enough to demand payments from the public if they made a mistake.”

“The mechanism to pay already exists in child benefit payments. If the Government even issued a standard payment and this was worked out with the banks, they could pay it across the board to child benefit recipients who have had their personal information compromised by sloppy government procedures.”

Commenting on the problems affecting the Northern Ireland Events Company, Ulster Unionist Culture, Arts and Leisure spokesman and Strangford MLA David McNarry said in a statement,

“The reasons for such a substantial deficit in the events company must be placed in the public domain as a matter of urgency. The Executive must also demonstrate its duty of responsibility to ensure that the repercussions arising from the company’s insolvent position does not result in local supply creditors or those awaiting grant payments losing out.

This is a matter of honour and accordingly I call on the Executive to give the DCAL Minister the authority to clear the air on payments to such creditors and to such bodies awaiting grants.”

Ulster’s Anglers and Conservation groups had a good catch today when the Assembly gave cross party support to an Ulster Unionist motion which will see the Fisheries Conservancy Board (FCB) wound up and powers for fishing being transferred to DCAL.

The Minister for DCAL is also expected to welcome the move. Angling is one of Northern Ireland’s largest participatory pastimes. Many anglers and conservation groups has expressed reservations about the ability of the FCB after successive years of dwindling fish stocks, particularly salmon, and financial mismanagement.

In a statement, UUP Chief Whip and Strangford MLA David McNarry, who proposed the motion said,

“Many Anglers have raised concerns with me that little is being done to protect their fish, which in many cases the anglers have invested large amounts of money in conserving. So bad was the situation that representatives from the Ulster Angling Federation met with the DCAL Minister to raise their concerns.

The FCB have, for some time now, been unable to fulfil their main function of fishery protection, salmon stocks have been depleted, staffing has been systematically reduced, boat patrols have not taken place and the boat meant to patrol the East Coast is not seaworthy.

Some problems were also uncovered regarding £150,000 of funds which in some cases rightly belonged to angling clubs which have been misused by the Board. DCAL, despite requesting a full explanation were never provided with an answer.

Enough is enough. Anglers want fish stocks preserved so that they can carry on their sport, which attracts fishermen and women from all over the world to Northern Ireland for our rivers, lakes and inlets. Angling is a hugely popular sport and anglers, like conservationists care passionately about the river environment and ensuring an abundance of sustainable marine life.

I am delighted that the Assembly has backed my motion that will see an end to the FCB, who were not up to the job, and powers for fishery conservancy moving to DCAL. We should see a dramatic improvement and a fresh focus on ensuring that this wealth generating pastime and sport can continue to flourish, that environmentalists are kept happy and above all that our rich waters are full of healthy fish.”

Speaking to Young Unionists at Queens University on Monday night, Ulster Unionist Chief Whip and Strangford MLA David McNarry said the UUP was not against people wishing to speak or promote Irish but that an Irish Language Act would have been deeply divisive. In a speech to Young Unionists Mr McNarry set out the UUP position,

“I should say at the outset that, despite Republican efforts to paint us as bigots on the language issue, the Ulster Unionist Party respects cultural diversity. It creates a stable, peaceful, pluralist society. In a way tolerance, diversity and pluralism of views is the very essence of what it means to be British.

Modern Britain is a haven for different cultures, ideas, traditions and languages precisely because we do not seek to impose our will or project some kind of superiority or political connotation onto our language and culture.

That’s why we oppose this Act– this respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity - and that we tried to enshrine into the Agreement before the DUP opened it all up again - would have been fundamentally undermined by the proposed Act.

Make no bones about it, the Irish Language Act would only further politicise Irish, place an undue and costly emphasis upon it and allow it to be used as a cultural weapon in an unarmed struggle. It is not enough for Republicans (and to a lesser degree nationalists in the SDLP) to have Irish language promoted normally, they demand a neon ultra-Irish shoved in the face of the majority of people in Northern Ireland.

Listening to those in the Pro-Act lobby and Irish lobby generally, you’d think that the use of Irish was widespread and was somehow being held back from a renaissance type explosion. Not so. The last census shows us that just a little over 75,000 people in Northern Ireland can speak, read and write in Irish. 75,000 people. That’s about 4% of our population here in Northern Ireland.

You will all be aware of the current pressures on public expenditure in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland must tighten its collective fiscal belt after the miracle financial package that the DUP made a pre-requesite to devolution, failed to materialise.

So, on a sound financial basis it doesn’t make any sense to spend that much money on such a small group. But it’s about more than money. Irish Language is used by Republicans not to be inclusive but to be exclusive. It is used as an expression of the aspirations of Irish Republicans.

As a result it has been turned from something that any pluralist British person can accept as a legitimate form of expression and a celebration of tradition, into something deeply political divisive. We don’t need an Irish Language Act and never will.”

Speaking after the DCAL Minister Edwin Poots kicked a proposed Irish Language Act into touch, Ulster Unionist Chief Whip and DCAL Committee Deputy Chair David McNarry said in a statement,

“The Ulster Unionist Party had settled the language issue through the Belfast Agreement in 1998. Language was to be carried through the North/South language body which comprises of the Board of Ulster Scots and the Irish Bord na Gaelige. This created parity and a level playing field.

The Ulster Unionist Party respects cultural diversity as a key foundation for a stable, peaceful, pluralist society. That’s why we oppose this Act – respect, understanding and tolerance in relation to linguistic diversity would have been fundamentally undermined by the proposed Act. The Irish Language Act would further politicise Irish, place an undue and costly emphasis upon it and allow it to be used as a cultural weapon in an unarmed struggle.

The DUP went to St Andrews and signed up to Annexes which included the Irish Language Act proposal. At the conclusion of the negotiations, the overall package was described by the DUP Leader as ‘a great day for all of Ireland’.

The DCAL Minister has now kicked the issue into touch. This is to be welcomed especially after the Minister, in response to my specific question, said it was unlikely that the matter would go to Westminster. The DUP have turned around on this issue after repeated pressure from the UUP.”

UUP DCAL spokesman David McNarry won Committee backing today to demand a full explanation by DUP Minister Edwin Poots as to why his department wants to ‘surrender’ £1.5 Million this year for the implementation of the proposed Ulster Scots Academy.

The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure is surrendering * £1.5 Million of the budget allocated for the implementation of the Academy for this year. The Committee has decided not to approve the surrender until a fuller explanation from the Department on the rationale and whether the money from this year can be re-couped next year.

In a statement after the Committee met today, Mr McNarry said,

“I have been following with great interest the development of the Ulster Scots Academy and am keen to see this project come to fruition at the earliest opportunity. I know, from my own constituency in Newtwonards, that much preparatory work is being undertaken and plans are being made based on the existing budget allocation.

I was therefore alarmed to hear from the Minister and his department that they are surrendering, for surrender is exactly what it is, £1.5 Million of the budget for this year, while this vital preparatory and planning work is underway.

I am delighted that the Committee has accepted my recommendation not to give our blessing to the surrender of this money until the Minister can assure us that it is retrievable next year and offers us a fuller explanation for the rationale of this move.

I personally am against any surrendering of funds to what I see is a vital component in the present and future development and celebration of Ulster Scots Culture.”

UUP Assembly Chief Whip and Culture, Arts and Leisure spokesman David McNarry today welcomed Assembly calls for an introduction or an extention to Northern Ireland of the Football Offences act, but Mr McNarry said any new legislation should also cover the GAA.

In a statement Mr McNarry said,

“I’m all for campaigns to end sectarianism and violence at sports grounds, but it is wrong when considering a Football Offences type Act, not to consider Gaelic Games. Gaelic Games are among the highest spectator sports in Northern Ireland, and where recent incidents of sectarianism made headline news.

I commend the Irish Football Association for their efforts to date in stamping out the scourge of sectarianism and violence at football games. Their efforts have been successful. Football here is a million miles away from what it used to be and enjoyed by all and particularly now by those with young families.

Rugby too is another sport that in terms of sectarianism and violence has been a success story, it is very much a family sport and I cannot recall any serious incidents in the recent past where sectarianism and violence reared their ugly heads.

It would however be completely remiss of the Assembly and Executive to exclude the GAA from any legislation covering sectarianism and violence. It is clear that more needs to be done by the GAA to eradicate sectarianism and the almost weekly violence on pitches across Northern Ireland. It trust that the Assembly, when considering this motion tomorrow, will ensure that it is not just football that falls under the microscope.”