Don't hold your breath
| 11:18 UK time, Wednesday, 22 July 2009
TUV leader Jim Allister has issued a lengthy press statement attacking the lack of transparency and opening of North/South bodies. The cross-border bodies have immunity from the Freedom of Information Act 2000. He claims Code of Practice on Freedom of Information promised when they were established only materialised in 2006 and is "useless."
And he's been met with a "stalling wheeze" from the Department of Finance on information he's seeking on EU peace funding for ex-republican prisoners.
It seems the "stalling wheeze" has lasted for six months.
Those of us who have tried Freedom of Information are familiar with that stalling wheeze!
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~39~RS~)
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Martina,
Freedom of Information has turned out to be a farce. The Government departments only release what they want people to know. No wonder why the shredders are never off in some departments.
Stormontspy
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Martina
Here are some documents which relate to an element of secrecy and lack of accountability re. inter-government and presumably NS communications:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17284953/Mayhew-Hunter-letter-31-October-1994
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2303595/Dick-Spring-briefing-Wednesday-10-July-1996
Regards
Nevin
NALIL blog
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Martina
DUP NEED ANOTHER REMINDER
Post No 1 appeared for a fleeting few hours but at 19.26 I received the following:
"Dear BBC Blog contributor,
Thank you for contributing to a BBC Blog. Unfortunately we've had to remove your content below
Comments posted to BBC blogs will be removed if they are considered likely to provoke, attack or offend others; are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable; are considered to have been posted with an intention to disrupt; contain swear words (including abbreviations or alternative spellings) or other language likely to offend."
Let me tell you, Martina, none of the above DD Blog crimes was committed by me.
I believe this is another case of the DUP threatening the BBC with legal action in the face of reasonable comment and, of course, the BBC duly capitulate, as is their wont.
The DUP are increasingly intent on stifling debate that is critical of their position. But what else should we expect from a Fascist Party?
My one consolation is that DUP MPs will be making far fewer claims for the four hundred pounds a month Westminster Food Allowance in the future.
Long runs the fox!
Susie
Carryduff
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Martina,
The DUP may like to silence people but they will never silence the truth. I read Susie's post yesterday and as usual it was on the money. There was no reason why it could be removed. Everyone knows the DUP are in Public life for self gain. Why else would they share power with Sinn Fein? It is quite clear the DUP are looking in here and if they don't like what they read they get it pulled. To prove they are not lining their own pockets what are they doing about -
1. Maze Site
2. Poverty Action Plan
3. Swine Flu
4. Child Poverty
5. Victims' and Survivors' Commission
6. Classroom Assistants
7. Civil Service / Servants
8. Modernisation Programmes
9. Mental Health Support
10. Clostridium Difficile
11. Northern Ireland Water
12. Traffic Calming Measures
13. Road Infrastructure
14. Housing Executive
15. Social Housing Projects
16. Fuel Duty
17. Anti-Social Behaviour
18. Help to farmers
19. Civil Servants back pay
20. Cut back on ambulances
21. Racism
22. Parades
23. Bringing an end to all sectarianism
24. PMS savers
25. Politicians expenses
Come on DUP get a username and tell us what you're about. Obviously if you fail too we will think it is all about the money. The lovely clean shiny money!!
Stormontspy
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Stormont Spy I find your cynicism unbelievable.
because you don't see much progress you think they are all at it for their own ends.
Perhaps you don't remember the old UUP days when just three bills passed the house from 1998-2003. Thats right three.
Now anyone will admit that progress is slow, but thats what happens when you put four parties that strongly dislike each other in govt together.
At least the DUP have made stab at it.
I laughed at point 5. It was the DUP who argued and fought for the victims, when the UUP didnt bother. Who was it secured the £30 million for victims and gave them that voice?
A quote from Ian here is appropriate.
"The DUP entered government on a commitment that we would deliver for the innocent victims of the Troubles.
We delivered over £30 million for the victims and ensured that a commission was appointed which could give the victims a voice."
A voluntary coalition would work better.
What we have is slow and cumbersome, but it is still better than direct rule.
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Madge,
What has the DUP achieved for people? The DUP are propping up their buddies in Government yet they are trying to smash them. Complete contradiction or what?
You may like to clarify why you laughed at point 5? Are you laughing at the victims or the commission that was sent up by Paisley and McGuinness? This was the commission that was only meant to have 1 person but because the chuckle brothers couldn't agree it ended up with 4. This was the process decided upon without the need for anything to be written down. Weird or what!!
Just on a separate point did you take offense at Susie's post at number 1? What is so offensive? We all know the DUP are on the take and to hell with everyone else.
Stormontspy
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BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING...
Susie (post no. 5)
You will recall that the same thing happened to me on 29 April under Mark's blog entitled 'A Long Lunch'.
My original comment was passed by the moderators on at 8.43pm, then removed on 1 May at 15.07 having apparently broken the rules. (I received the same from the moderators as you have quoted above). The redactions to my original entry had been made by me in order to comply with the rules. I then submitted my comments with XXXX's. It must have been fun trying to fill in the blanks!
On 2 May, you said I should 'keep punching' and I am glad you are doing the same.
Pandora
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No I didn't get to see susies point, it was removed before i did.
I was laughing because you said what are they doing about....victims and survivors commission.
There wouldn't have been one or any funds without the DUP.
And everyone had applied to the commission it was advertised twice if i remember. They decided after hearing the apllications that got to the interview stage that four was better than one given the skills each brings. Now I think anyone can see that. One is particularly good with media. One was the interim commissioner and did a very good job, recognised by westminister. etc etc.
Everyone intertested had the oppurtunity to apply, so four instead of one makes little difference...you would think any candidate would be happy...a far better chance of getting a job!
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Who addressed the unfair PPS14 rural planning applications?
Who is fighting in europe to get all pesticides and fertiliser banned in the euro parliament to be tested in REACH guidelines before permanent bans?
Who saved academic selection?
Who put the economy first and helped small business?
Who has been fighting for mental health and the mentally and physically disabled?
Who saved a school for autistic children in Antrim?
Who made ministers accountable to the assembly and executive and stopped solo runs on cross cutting issues?
Who forced Sinn Fein to pledge support to the police in a legally binding pledge?
Who stopped abortion coming to Northern Ireland?
Who stopped the irish langauge act?
Who stopped us having to pay twice for water?
Who demands a reduction in the regional rate if seperate water charges are introduced?
Who deferred the water charges in the midst of a recession?
Who gave free public transport to the elederely?
Who froze the regional rate?
Who increased funding for ulster scots culture and heritage?
Who is fighting now for a solid financial package for policing and juctice here?
....of course the DUP.
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Madge,
I see you have selective reading. What has the DUP achieved being in Government with Sinn Fein?
Stormontspy
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The NHS has 14 administrators for every nurse and yet the proposals so far are for cuts in nurses and ambulances!
We saw this week that social mobility on the mainland has actually decreased...academic selection is the only answer to increase social mobility fairly yet it doesn't egt a look in with Sinn Fein.
Minister Richie tried to stop funding for farset working in disadvantaged areas in loyalist communitites. She was ordered by the court to keep funding farset because of the way she took her decision.
It appears to me a casual observer that it is not the DUP ministers you have to worry about!
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can you read? PPS14, irish langauge act, help in the busget for business, local home owners, flood hit victims...etc etc.
You seem well versed in general yet you haven't heard these things?
get the budget speech man!
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Madge,
I put my post up before you had you list up. Looking at it -
Q. Who saved academic selection? A. To the best of my memory it is still in disarray. Sinn Fein have ruined it and the DUP have done little to stop it. The test is no longer.
Q. Who put the economy first and helped small business? A. No one has. Westminster Government have launched and relaunched packages but nothing is getting to the heart of the problem. NI Exeuctive is doing nothing.
Q. Who has been fighting for mental health and the mentally and physically disabled? A. No one has.
Q. Who saved a school for autistic children in Antrim? A. Who closed several schools in East Belfast? Who sold the parents and children down the river? The MP for East Belfast.
Q. Who made ministers accountable to the assembly and executive and stopped solo runs on cross cutting issues? A. No one has. Sinn Fein are still ruling the roost while DUP prop them up.
Q. Who forced Sinn Fein to pledge support to the police in a legally binding pledge? A. Before Devolution.
Q. Who stopped abortion coming to Northern Ireland? A. All 4 parties.
Q. Who stopped the irish langauge act? A. Hasn't been stopped yet.
Q. Who stopped us having to pay twice for water? A. Peter Hain by reintroducing devolution or no wage would be paid to any MLA's. If only it was done 6 years ago.
Q. Who demands a reduction in the regional rate if seperate water charges are introduced? A. Department for Regional Development.
Q. Who deferred the water charges in the midst of a recession? A. Conor Murphy
Q. Who gave free public transport to the elederely? A. Conor Murphy
Q. Who froze the regional rate? A. The civil servants in DFP
Q. Who increased funding for ulster scots culture and heritage? The civil servants in DCAL.
Q. Who is fighting now for a solid financial package for policing and juctice here? A. Both DUP and Sinn Fein for separate reasons. What happened to Nigel Dodd's line - "Not in my life time"
Stormontspy
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Madge,
I think people on here know what I think of Margaret Ritchie and the SDLP.
Stormontspy
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Opposing the Irish Language act was an ignorant thing to do. That's something only an imbocile would boast about. Gaelic culture and tradition is the ancient and historic life-blood of Irish society and to seek it's repression is a criminal and small minded idiocy.
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Sorry, Susie, I didn't even get a chance to read your mail this time before it was removed.
Re: #12
Where to start with that one? I'm glad Stormontspy filled in the replies, otherwise I was just about to.
I'll just take up two points instead:
"Who stopped the irish langauge act?"
"Who increased funding for ulster scots culture and heritage?"
Is this something to boast about?! That one culture is undermined while another is propped up? You're proud of that? Really? That is terrible, that is really, really sad.
Hey, let's all perpetuate a divided society!
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Thankfully Stormontspy has filled in the answers so I won't bother.
But I do want to ask why you are proud of:
"Who stopped the irish langauge act?"
"Who increased funding for ulster scots culture and heritage?"
As a unionist voter I have no desire to crush the Irish language nor any desire to throw any more money at the Ulster Scots stuff. Your comments appear to me like casual cultural bigotry! I would be more impressed if you negotiated a tightly costed ILA which firmly embeds the Irish language within the UK as a sign of goodwill to your neighbours but without wasting a lot of scare taxpayers money.
Also on this one:
"Who is fighting in Europe to get all pesticides and fertiliser banned in the euro parliament to be tested in REACH guidelines before permanent bans?"
The sole DUP MEP is not part of any group and has, I would suggest, precisely zero influence within the (admittedly corrupt) European Parliament system.
My overall impression of the executive is that it is useless. On e.g. water rates, when are they going to engage with reality and realise that they have to charge and then focus on installing meters so it is charged fairly - but as with all things they just complain and go to the Chancellor of the Exchequer saying "Big Issue, Big Issue, Spare change please Meester Darling, Spare change please"
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The Northern Ireland Assembly passed 5 Bills into law in the year 2000, so the idea that they passed only 3 between 1998 and 2003 is fanciful. Would never be like the DUP to distort the truth so badly though would it? in 2001 the NIA passed 17 Bills. The equivalent DUP legislative year, 2008, it passed only 11, two of which were UUP Bills and two more were controversial bills the DUP forced through on accelerated passage with limited opportunity for scrutiny.
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Stormont soy,
you are misinformed. the academic selection test remains. 11+ has gone, but selection remains...just called another name.
The DUP put the economy first in Northern Ireland and at the centre of the programme for govt. So much so that the english small business federation complained to the treasury the DUP gace automatic rate relief. They are still waiting in England for that. The DUP finance minister helped small business where labour did nothing.
Iris has been chasing the implementation of the bamford review far ages. You do a diservice to yourself in ignoring this. Check Stormont hansard.
"Promoting positive mental health and the prevention of mental ill health is a priority for the entire community. A quote to help your searching...Iris Robinson speaking in the asembly quoting bamford.
Do you imply Peter Robinson closed Schools? ludicris.
DUP have stopped solo runs...why do you think Ms Ruane cannot stop the schools that wish having academic selection as an entrance criteria...because the DUP had it secured in legislation.
You do not approach the questions in a fair unbalanced way instead making trite remarks.
The civil servants did freexe the regional rate...but then all civil servants carry out what the dept head asks. Who asked for th rate to be frozen....Peter Robinson.
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stevemrsteve,
Its not about putting one culture ahead of the rest its about balancing it up.
The irish sector had more than double the funds of Ulster Scots sector before devolution in 2007. The DUP have ensured that this had become better balanced and coninues to do so.
Affording special status to irish above and beyond what is necessary benefits no one. The last census only 4% of northern ireland residents had any knowledge of irish and less than 1% claimed to pseak it fluently, if i remember correctly.
The chinese, polish, portugeuse and other communities who cannot speak english surely deserve resources over and above the ulster scots or irish contingent who can speak english perfectly well. When it comes to culture they should be equally funded.
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Stevemrsteve,
also water charges. Less than 20% of the cost of water coming into homes or businesses is as a result of the the water itself, ie purification etc.
The bulk of the cost around 80% is in infrastructure and overhead costs, admin, staff, vehicles, drainage etc etc.
So to base the cost on volume is deceptive and unfair. The cost difference between using 200L and 1000L is minimal.
As for one MEP perhaps you would rather the eurpean parliament votes into law guidelines for chemicals from produces to end user and everyone in between, but then ignores those own guidelines and removes from use over 400 chemical fertilisers / pesticides without any scietific study or evaluation and then keeps others despite evidence that they are harmful. Ask the UFU a big issue for them too.
Ian Paisley brought in more than 2Billion in funds from europe and that was just one man. Even John Hume and Jim Nicholson had the courtesy to recognise his endeavor on belahf of northern ireland...surely you could too!
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MJShilliday, perhaps i wasn't clear enough.
It was only three executive led bills passed the house 1998-2003. The rest were private members bills. The figure for scottish parliament in the same time was over 300.
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Madge,
Your comments are crazy.
You said - "Perhaps you don't remember the old UUP days when just three bills passed the house from 1998-2003. That's right three."
Now MJShilliday put the record straight and said "The Northern Ireland Assembly passed 5 Bills into law in the year 2000, in 2001 the NIA passed 17 Bills. The equivalent DUP legislative year, 2008, it passed only 11, two of which were UUP Bills and two more were controversial bills the DUP forced through on accelerated passage with limited opportunity for scrutiny."
Would you now like to withdraw your crazy comments, take off your DUP glasses and face facts? You said that only 3 bills passed through the house. Now you have backed down and said 3 executive bills. You need to be more truthful with people. That is a lesson that all the DUP could do with learning. You don't realise that people can check out what you say. I know you and the DUP like to believe that the electorate are like sheep but people do have brains. If you don't believe me google it!!
As for the 11+ does it remain? Did the DUP stop it being scrapped? No because they didn't have the power. Also big Ian ran round after St. Andrews saying he had a letter from Tony Blair saying 11+ was safe. Funny that then - if there was a letter the big man should have produced it. Another failed DUP PR stunt.
You also said that I implied that Peter Robinson closed schools. What happened to Lisnasharragh Primary School? Tell me that.
If you want to be like the rest of the DUP and spin us a line check your facts otherwise I will and I will come back and embarrass you.
Stormontspy
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I thought it was pretty clear that we were taking about leadership from parties, and safe to assume therefore that it would be taken as read the figures related to the executive agenda. I have acknowledged my mistake and clarified. I will try to communicate more effectively in future.
You seem to forget again that I am not in the DUP, nor do i happen to wear any glasses let alone DUP pnes if such things exist. The DUP have saved academic selection.
I personally was never a fan of the 11+, but am not an idiot either. The only fair way to achieve social mobility is on selection. post code lotteries are not fair. If the govt. was serious about comprehensive schools why then do they publish league tables? At the end of the day money should not buy a good education it should be free for all to attain.
To my own knowledge the DUP have only claimed to have saved academic selection. I have not heard every interview, but the material printed says academic selection....which they have saved.
I don't know what happened to lisnasharragh, but i do know Peter Robinson was never the education minister....or a civil servant in the Dept of Education; since in your previous posts you seem to credit the people who carried out what the politicians tell them.
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Madge,
With Lisnasharragh Peter Robinson sold the school down the river. He could have done more but instead he did what a politician does. Tell some people one story and tell other people another story.
Stormontspy
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You could at least pretent to know what you're talking about. The NIA has never passed a private members bill, all Acts of the Assembly have been Executive led bills.
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Perhaps a case of getting back to first principles here. My A Level notes for govt and politics say clearly that only three bills passed the house, executive initiated, from 1998 to 2003.
They are, free bus travel for over 65's, childrens commissioner, and the third was a finance bill. This information is cleary incorrect.
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Clearly. Who was your teacher? Sammy Wilson?
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