Results 1-20 of 2,808 for speaker:Mark Durkan

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Northern Ireland Block Grant (17 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: Like Declan O’Loan, I support the motion. I accept that it is probably the lowest common denominator on the issue, as some of the Ulster Unionist members said, but it is an important common denominator if we are to declare our opposition to any reduction in the Northern Ireland block grant during the next CSR period, or whatever it might be called. The SDLP has a problem with the Ulster...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Northern Ireland Block Grant (17 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: First, I happily acknowledge that the SDLP has advocated a budgetary review Committee and still does, as Mr O’Loan indicated earlier. We had tabled an amendment to that effect, but we proposed a budgetary review Committee to deal with the serious pressures on budgets, public expenditure and public services. The Assembly should not wait until the next comprehensive spending review to...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Northern Ireland Block Grant (17 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: We want to play our part in making responsible choices and in carving out clear strategic priorities in as positive a way as possible. To that end, we support the motion and oppose the amendment.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Private Members’ Business: Northern Ireland Block Grant (17 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: We will come back with our own proposals.

Written Answers — Treasury: Ulster Bank: Pay (12 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received from the Irish Bank Officials Association on Ulster Bank's plans in relation to contractual bonuses to its lower-paid employees; (2) what information his Department holds on Ulster Bank's proposal to withhold the 10 per cent. contractual profit share payment from lower paid employees which his Department had...

Written Answers — Treasury: Thalidomide Trust (11 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government received a request from the Thalidomide Trust in 1996 for the granting of tax rebates for victims of thalidomide receiving payments as a result of a covenant agreement between the Thalidomide Trust and Guinness.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: I thank the deputy First Minister for giving way. May I remind him of a conversation that took place in the office of the deputy First Minister early in my tenure, which was similar to one that I had with Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin president? During that conversation I indicated that among the options that I was pursuing in discussions with the First Minister was the possibility of...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: In the event of the Assembly not agreeing Budget legislation, the Department of Finance and Personnel has a reserve power that it can use. I had cause to research that matter on a particular occasion. Therefore, it would not be a case of everything grinding to a halt, which is markedly different from the dissolution provided for in the sunset clause. We do not want to see that come about, but...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: Perhaps Dr Farry could enlighten us. He referred to the provision in the Westminster legislation as being a fail-safe mechanism and that at least we could rely on it being there. Three parties support the Bill: one party told us that there is no fail-safe or fallback mechanism whatsoever; another party told us that there is, arguably, a fallback mechansim but that it does not believe that...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: The SDLP raised issues, some of which involved criticisms. None of the issues involved obstacles, barriers or preconditions. Other parties, including the Alliance Party, create preconditions that stand in the way of the earlier devolution of policing and justice.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: I have a direct correction to make. The SDLP never made that proposal during negotiations.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: The SDLP made that proposal during a prolonged period of suspension that had no end in sight and when no talks were in prospect. It was not made during any talks or any negotiations. Again, Sinn Féin has completely misrepresented the facts.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: The Member has castigated my party for its target date of 7 December 2009. He says that it is unrealistic. Does that, therefore, mean that Sinn Féin no longer takes the position that the transfer can be achieved before Christmas? That is its public and private position. It has said that it must be done before Christmas. Gerry Adams said that clearly and categorically. Have I got that...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: We are speaking to clause 2 stand part as well as to the amendments, Mr Deputy Speaker, and that is why some of those issues are relevant. Members have been questioning whether d’Hondt is a viable option and asking what running d’Hondt as specified in the Good Friday Agreement would mean. It is pertinent to address those issues, particularly given that the SDLP position was...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Executive Committee Business: Consideration Stage (10 Nov 2009)

Mark Durkan: Mr Ford might tell me to get my timetable right, but we know the timetable of the e-mail to the Liberal Democrats in which he might not have said that it was time to be nice to Shaun Woodward, but he did say that Mr Woodward was trying to do the right thing in the current situation and that, perhaps, people should go easy on him. We do not work like that. I used to think that the Alliance...