Statements by First Minister (Designate) and Deputy

Part of the debate – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:45 pm on 26 October 1998.

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Photo of David Ford David Ford Alliance 3:45, 26 October 1998

It is regrettable that this debate is taking place only today. The target date of 31 October 1998 was realistic for the establishment of all the bodies which would depend on this Assembly for their functioning. It is now exactly four months since the Assembly election, and that time should have been adequate to complete that work. However, the discussions that were necessary to set up those bodies have failed to materialise.

We had good economic news today from the First Minister (Designate) in his references to the US trip. Mr Ken Robinson of East Antrim highlighted the good news for an area within his constituency and on the boundaries of mine. I welcome that news but, although I regard economic development as a major issue for the Assembly, the first priority has to be to get the new institutions of government into operation and control, democratically and locally, matters such as agriculture, hospitals and business confidence. Those issues were highlighted by the Deputy First Minister (Designate).

I agree that there should be more intense inter-party discussions on departmental structures, North/South structures and the British/Irish Council. British and Irish civil servants have had many discussions on those structures. Papers have been prepared and the technical assessments on the North/South bodies have been lodged in the Library. There have been meetings with officials in Edinburgh and Cardiff —even with officials in Douglas, St Helier and St Peter Port.

In all that activity, the one huge blank area is in the Assembly. We have the democratic mandate, and the principal responsibility of moving the process forward, but we are not doing that. We are failing those who elected us, and that is a criticism not only of the First Minister (Designate) and the Deputy First Minister (Designate) but of every one of us, because we have not encouraged them as much as we should have done.

Frequently, during the two years before the Good Friday Agreement, we, the local politicians, relied heavily on outsiders such as George Mitchell, Harri Holkeri and John de Chastelain. It is time we learned to stand on our own feet and accept the responsibility that we claimed to want when we stamped the streets at election time.

If the First Ministers (Designate) and the Deputy First Minister (Designate) are starting a serious process of consultation, Alliance will certainly play its part. It is important to pick up the momentum. We must not lose it. That should have happened a long time ago.

Their statement promised us a period of "intensive consultations" on departmental structures; consultations on the British/Irish Council; "intensive consultations" on North/South Bodies; and an intensifying of consultations on the Civic Forum. The first function of the Assembly is to ensure that those other structures are set in place.

Part of the problem is that we speak different languages here — and I am not referring to Ulster-Scots, Ullans or Irish. I heard that analysis a while ago. Nationalists have a wonderful habit of putting the broad brush picture about. They will slap up a few general principles and all will be right on the night. Unionists tend to speak in the detailed examination mode, and we had some perfect examples.

Mr McLaughlin and Mr G Kelly alleged that the First Minister (Designate) is unwilling to share power. I do not believe that, but the UUP — and not just the Leader — have to show their good will towards bringing the process on board. Their response was shown to some extent by Dr Birnie who gave a detailed analysis of business and technical issues concerning North/South Bodies.

That may be valid, but I suggest to him, though he is not here to hear it, that the approach that parses every sentence, dots every ‘i’, crosses every ‘t’ and demands a consultant’s report before anything is done, gives the impression of foot-dragging.

Unionists must recognise the symbolic importance of cross-border bodies being set up. Decommissioning is symbolically important to them. It is clear that we have missed the 31 October deadline for the setting up of institutions. We also missed the deadline for the Good Friday Agreement — as I recall, by about 17 hours. I had hoped that it would be possible to be within 17 hours of the 31 October deadline, but that seems impossible. We do not seem to do any work until we are up against the wire, and we are certainly against the wire now.

I urge the First Minister (Designate) and the Deputy First Minister (Designate), now that they have established the kind of momentum that is reflected in the report, to keep it moving and to ensure that all parties work together to get the structures in place.