Danny Kennedy: Will the Member give way?
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it right for a Member of this House to impugn the integrity of a civil servant or anyone else engaged in the work of government?
Danny Kennedy: I question your ruling.
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Danny Kennedy: Will the Member give way?
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Is it right for a Member of this House to impugn the integrity of a civil servant or anyone else engaged in the work of government?
Danny Kennedy: I question your ruling.
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Danny Kennedy: I endorse Mr Bradley’s great disappointment in respect of the Minister’s answer regarding Newry. Could I press the Minister to give active and urgent consideration to reinstate agencies under his control in the constituency of Newry and Armagh?
Danny Kennedy: Regarding the lack of provision within community care, may I draw the Minister’s attention to the under provision of nurses trained specifically in epilepsy in Northern Ireland and ask what steps she intends to take to address this area of concern.
Danny Kennedy: 5. asked the Minister of Education what assessment of the Gallagher report he has made in relation to the transfer test. (AQO 340/99)
Danny Kennedy: Can the Minister indicate the financial impact any changes to the current transfer test will have on the education budget, particularly in relation to the school estate?
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. With due respect to the Minister, I must say that he has not answered my question. It seems strange that the Department cannot —
Danny Kennedy: I realise that many of the main points have already been made. I am reminded of what Henry VIII is alleged to have said to one of his wives: "I do not intend to keep you long." I am speaking on behalf of the Education Committee, of which I am Chairman. Like all departmental Committees, we have had very little time for an effective scrutiny of the main Estimates and spending plans contained...
Danny Kennedy: In her concluding remarks Mrs Nelis used the expression "up the pole". Is that parliamentary language?
Danny Kennedy: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. For the record, it is important that I, as Chairman of the Education Committee, confirm that the decision to write to the Minister in respect of the earlier debate was the unanimous view of my Committee on a cross-party basis.
Danny Kennedy: The Minister will recall that I wrote to him in my capacity as Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee regarding the meeting of the North/South Ministerial council to which his statement refers. I remind the Minister that the Education Committee, on a cross-party basis, expressed its concern that it was not consulted either about the meeting or, particularly, its content. How does the...
Danny Kennedy: Does the Member not accept that the terrorist warfare organised and instituted by Sinn Féin/IRA, particularly in an area such as south Armagh, has caused all these things? It is very important that security considerations be met and that there be a response to the security requirements. These situations were brought about entirely by the actions of Sinn Féin/IRA and the Republican movement.
Danny Kennedy: I am grateful for the opportunity provided by Mr Wilson, the Member for East Belfast, to speak in this important debate. The appointment of the current Minister of Education generated a very negative response in the entire community, and particularly in the Unionist community. This reaction was inevitable given the public persona and background of the individual concerned. Many people,...
Danny Kennedy: Thank you very much. However, she was a very nice person who had a famous ancestor who was good at writing. She wanted to tell all the boys and girls about him. In fact, a local man called Seamus, who was good at verse, liked her and helped her. But Mr Finbar would not budge. He stopped the visit, and all the local children were sad.