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UUP South Belfast Candidate Esmond Birnie today responded to the DUP’s latest pamphlet entitled ‘tackling the tax problem’.

In a statement Mr Birnie said

“Yet another glossy leaflet from the DUP. Yes, it does address a serious issue - the tax burden on Northern Ireland’s hard-working families. And, yes, the DUP do say they want to address water charges, domestic rates, and cut the cost of government. How will they do this? The leaflet is quite open about it - it’s 4 pages have 6 references to a powersharing Executive. We need a devolved Executive to address the tax problem. So far so good.

So why then can the DUP not tell the people of Northern Ireland when they will enter a local powersharing Executive? Amidst the defections and rebellions, all we hear from the DUP on this fundamental issue are excuses, ambiguity and mixed messages. To keep their divided party together, they avoid the one question the electorate wants an answer to - when will Northern Ireland have devolved government?

All the DUP’s talk about helping Northern Ireland’s hard-pressed homeowners is utterly meaningless. How exactly do the DUP intend to address rates and water charges without a Devolved Executive? Refusing to commit to devolution and local Executive, the DUP are offering Northern Ireland nothing but more Direct Rule with greater and greater Dublin involvement. Glossy leaflets cannot hide the reality that a divided DUP is incapable of delivering devolved government for the people and ratepayers of Northern Ireland.”

Esmond Birnie UUP spokesman on Children and the Family and UUP Candidate South Belfast:

“This UNICEF report suggests, using a number of indicators (e.g. child poverty, extent of parental care for children, teenage attitudes), that the UK is very much bottom of the league within the developed world in terms of children.

The indicators regarding child poverty are familiar. There undoubtedly is a problem. There are 35,000 children in Northern Ireland living in severe poverty – a political and moral scandal.

We also know that the UK works some of the longest working hours within Europe so it is no wonder that time with the kids is being squeezed out.

“Some caution is of course necessary in reacting to this report. First of all, let’s not use the report’s conclusions to beat up already very hard pressed parents almost all of whom are trying their best, sometimes under very difficult conditions.

“Second, let’s not shirk the responsibilities which we all have by simply assuming “government must do something about this”. Undoubtedly, government has a responsibility to address child poverty. But it is too simplistic to blame government for all that our children face. We all - parents, communities, businesses, voluntary and faith-based organisations - share a social responsibility to make this society a better place for all our children.

“What this UN report does remind us is the extent of the challenge facing us all to ensure that, as far as is possible, no child faces poverty, neglect or exclusion, or disabling material or spiritual poverty”.

Following today’s meeting of the All Party Working Group on Minority Ethnic Communities, Ulster Unionist candidate for South Belfast Esmond Birnie said that an urgent review was needed of the government’s response to hate crime in light of the recent Chivers report.

In the report, proposals were made to put in place better communication structures between government agencies; for legal definitions of hate crime to be made less ambiguous; there were calls for the development of a Criminal Justice Hate Crime Strategy, and a re-evaluation of the PSNI’s method of hate crime monitoring,

Mr Birnie said, “Social problems hinder our progress towards peace and prosperity. We should be learning to embrace the cultural differences of others.

“Migrant workers have provided an integral service within our economy, assisting in the increase of our economic development.

“The Ulster Unionist Party intends to work towards a fair and equal society for all in Northern Ireland. Racism is an assault on our values and fails to allow for the benefits and advantages that diversity can bring into our community.

“It is important that we work towards creating a cohesive future for our society. The work that our group has done today and will continue to do after the election is essential in sustaining and developing a better future for all.”

Ulster Unionist candidate for South Belfast, Esmond Birnie has today welcomed news of improved economic growth that has created a record number of jobs.

An Ulster Bank survey has found January’s growth to be the highest since August 2002, with the number of posts set to double if economic growth continues. Growth levels are at their highest since 2004, above the UK average, and there was a marked rise in new business.

Mr Birnie said: “This is very welcome news, under a devolved Assembly, we could do so much to assist and facilitate this growth, we had some excellent debates in the Assembly concerning issues such as industrial de rating and workplace 2010.

“This marked contrast to how Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Wales described

“The hard work of Northern Ireland businesses deserve a devolved administration that will that work with our businesses and not – like Peter Hain – against them.

“Under devolved institutions, we could effectively build on this to develop our economy and really build up a new Northern Ireland for all of us.”

Esmond Birnie UUP candidate South Belfast (and UUP spokesman on Family and Children)

“I strongly welcome proposals announced yesterday which would involve convicted sex offenders being forced to register all their electronic addresses (e.g. email accounts and personal web sites). This would go some way to making cyberspace more safe for children though we must remember that a determined paedophile is likely to look for means (e.g. false identities) to get round any such restrictions.

Still, it is right to try to create an IT counterpart to the List 99 and other vetting lists though this only re-emphasises the importance of getting it right in terms of constructing such lists, ensuring they are up-to-date and also linking up the various lists”.

Ulster Unionist South Belfast assembly candidate, and Party Spokesman on Family and Children, Esmond Birnie has described as “appalling” statistics which reveal that, out of 300 rape cases here, only 13 convictions have been secured.In a statement, Dr Birnie said: “The rape conviction statistics for Northern Ireland published in a Belfast newspaper today are dreadful – and may represent an even worse situation than that in England.

“It would appear that Northern Ireland has a credibility problem in relation to the official response to gender violence. The problem with the Home Office is that the department is in chaos and that gender violence is a concept they are unable to properly comprehend. With only six rape convictions in Northern Ireland for 2005, it seems that the NIO is now mirroring the Home Office.

“It’s clear that a thorough review of our criminal justice system must take place so that we can get to grips with how sex crime is prosecuted.”

Ulster Unionist South Belfast assembly candidate, and Party Spokesman on Family and Children, Esmond Birnie has described as “appalling” statistics which reveal that, out of 300 rape cases here, only 13 convictions have been secured.

In a statement, Dr Birnie said: “The rape conviction statistics for Northern Ireland published in a Belfast newspaper today are dreadful – and may represent an even worse situation than that in England.

“It would appear that Northern Ireland has a credibility problem in relation to the official response to gender violence. The problem with the Home Office is that the department is in chaos and that gender violence is a concept they are unable to properly comprehend. With only six rape convictions in Northern Ireland for 2005, it seems that the NIO is now mirroring the Home Office.

“It’s clear that a thorough review of our criminal justice system must take place so that we can get to grips with how sex crime is prosecuted.”

Esmond Birnie (formerly UUP MLA South Belfast and UUP spokesman on Children and Family issues)

“All parents should be aware that from the end of February 2007 there will be a legal requirement to provide correct child restraint for all children in your car (under the new law all children up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 ins) in height or up to 12 years of age (whichever occurs first) must comply and the driver is held responsible for any child up to the age of 14 using the correct belt/restraint).

·        Perhaps the government (i.e. DOE) should do more to publicise these legal requirements.

·        Parents need to act now to ensure they are not breaking the law in 28 days time.

·        By all means shop around regarding any purchase of baby/child/booster seats because there is great variation in prices.

It is of course regrettable that many already hard pressed families are about to be hit by yet another demand for cash. At the same time, what price a child’s life?”

Addressing the Assembly today, UUP South Belfast MLA, and Spokesman on Finance, Esmond Birnie has said:

“As lead UUP speaker in today’s (Tuesday’s) Assembly debate on these subjects, I introduced a note a caution regarding Workplace 2010. We need to be very careful lest we repeat the mistakes of the privatisation of the electricity power generation contracts in the early 1990s. At that time very long term contracts were entered into on terms which proved very disadvantageous to the NI public. I fear history will repeat itself with respect to the great sell-off of NI Civil Service buildings.

“Regarding civil service decentralisation, it is an attractive idea in principle but due regard needs to be given to cost. One estimate is that it could cost £40,000 per job to move civil servants out of the Greater Belfast area”.

UUP South Belfast MLA Esmond Birnie today commented on the appointment of Patricia Lewsley as the new Children’s Commissioner.

In a statement Mr Birnie said,

“Given the number of urgent issues facing the children’s sector, the UUP recognises the need to have a permanent children’s commissioner in place. Regarding any such appointment we stress the merit principle as the children’s sector deserves nothing less than the best person for the job.

Political appointments should not be made on the basis of perceived political affiliation or community identity. Given the difficulties surrounding the Secretary of State’s appointment of the interim victim’s commissioner, we trust that Patricia Lewsley was appointed for her abilities in this sector (abilities which she undoubtedly has) and not because she is a prominent SDLP MLA.

I look forward to working with Patricia and wish her well in her new role.”