And just so you know Mrs Robinson ...
19 December 2007
Statement by Jim Allister MEP:
I note with interest the answer to a written question tabled last week by the DUP’s Iris Robinson to our First Ministers.
They informed her that the longest period of time taken for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to provide a full response to a letter was
i. a Member of Parliament, 43 working days;
ii. a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, 60 working days;
iii. a Councillor, 61 working days; and
iv. a member of the public, 66 working days.
Mrs Robinson did not see any necessity to ask what the longest period of time taken to provide a full response to an MEP was. If she had the response would have made been interesting.
It took the First Minister 54 days to answer a letter about employment guidelines issued by OFMDFM which recommend that terrorist crimes be overlooked by employers. When asked if he agreed with its contents and supported its implementation he merely stated that the guidelines had been issued during direct rule – totally failing to address the issue of whether or not he agreed with its implementation.
I pointed this out to the First Minister and had to wait another 79 days for a “reply” which merely repeated the pathetic response in the previous letter.
On a second issue – the repeal of the Sexual Orientation Regulations – it took 58 days for the First Minister to inform me that he could not comment because of a judicial review. This is arrant nonsense because the review did not prevent his deputy from lauding the said regulations at a gay pride event in Londonderry in a speech which is still carried on the website of Dr Paisley’s government department.
Having highlighted this to the First Minister in a reply to his initial letter I had to wait another 58 days to receive a reply telling me that he could not comment because OFMDFM was looking at how the judicial review impacted on the regulations.
Similarly, when I asked Dr Paisley if everyone in his office had divulged all they knew of crimes to the police it took 61 days for him to respond in a letter which informed me that the Consultative Group on the Past – under the joint chairmanship of Denis Bradley and Lord Eames – had been established to examine the events of the Troubles. No reference was made to the police whose job it is to ensure that evil doers are brought to justice. So much for everyone in the executive being “committed” to the rule of law!
It took another 27 days for the First Minister to write another letter informing me that he had “nothing further to add” to his previous correspondence – a total of 89 days.
In July I wrote asking how the continuing IRA treat to the life of Mrs Zaitschek was compatible with their alleged commitment to the rule of law. The “reply” by the First Minister – which I received after 81 days – was totally evasive.
In August I requested a meeting with the First Minister to discuss European matters. As of today I have been waiting 97 days and have not received so much as an acknowledgement.
Again, back in August I wrote to him about the Sinn Fein/IRA “truth” parade in which republicans paraded the streets of Belfast carrying guns. To date I have not received a reply. 92 days and counting.
I also wrote in August asking if the statement by Martin McGuinness at a gay pride event in Londonderry in which he lauded the Sexual Orientation Regulations had been made with Dr Paisley’s knowledge and agreement. To date this question remains unanswered. Again, I have been waiting more than 90 days for a full response.
In October I wrote to the First Minister pointing out that OFMDFM had responsibility for victims’ issues asking if he agreed that the removal of a photographic tribute to those affected by the Enniskillen Poppy Day bombing in 1987 was disgraceful and requesting that he instigate a review of the “equality guidance” which was cited as the reason for its removal. After more than a month, I received a reply which failed to say if he agreed the removal was disgraceful and stated that he had no remit to overturn a decision by the NI Fire and Rescue Service. Following this, I wrote to OFMDFM again pointing out that Dr Paisley’s office does have responsibility for equality issues and again invited him to comment on the need for a review given events in Enniskillen. To date I have not received a reply to this letter – 57 days and counting.
These are just a few examples of how the First Minister has failed to meet the 10 day target which his department has to reply to correspondence from MEPs. Why is it that our First Minister – who claims Unionists are now in control – cannot even say in his official capacity that the removal of a tribute to victims of IRA terrorism is wrong? Why is it that there have been no moves to repeal the sexual orientation regulations for which his office has responsibility? The answer, of course, is that the Office of the First and deputy First Minister is a joint one in which Dr Paisley has no more power than his deputy.
It is to the shame of the mainstream parties that issues of huge significance to the Unionist community for which OFMDFM has responsibility are never even raised.
