A key component of the Irish Government strategy was to ensure there would be no collapse or fire sale of key assets which are currently under the control of the country’s leading developers. NAMA was supposed to be a confidence building measure for domestic and international consumption. A flaw in the strategy to date is not the modus operandi but its failure to positively communicate its mission. To all and sundry, the word NAMA and going into NAMA has negative connotations and that’s not just a public perception many business folk with considerable commercial acumen believe that too. Property developers are obviously divided on the issue. One reason is because the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland is actually managing NAMA and controlling the banks, leaving the whole process stalemated with banks unwilling and more likely unable to complete on many, if any of the promises it made to developers to their complete schemes.

Some developers are calling foul play over NAMA’s tactics of reeling in both performing and non performing loans.  They argue with some justification that they are being penalised for the recklessness of the banks and are now being hung out to dry by the regulations of the Government.

Unfortunately developers are all being tarred by the same brush by a hostile and indeed sometimes antagonistic media.

Indeed much of the media coverage in the Republic has very much been about playing the ‘man’ and not the ‘ball.  Recently one Southern developer attempted to show a reporter many of the successful schemes he had developed across Dublin in the past thirty years in an obvious attempt to bolster his track record and credibility as a serious developer and not a cowboy builder.

On reading the finished article it was clear this developer was very much like the frog who accepted the offer of crossing the river on the back of the scorpion. As anyone who knows the story will tell you, despite assuring the frog that it would not sting it, the scorpion does just that.  Just as both the frog and the scorpion are about to drown together, the frog asks the scorpion why he did it? To which the scorpion replies ‘why? I am a scorpion, it’s my nature’. So too some Irish journalists seem intent on venting their spleen (in the national interest, of course) on any developer.

It begs the question was this plethora of journalists, who seem to be raking in on our misery with their endless rush to sell us their tacky books about builders, developers and bankers, immune to the personal greed, avarice and self interest that seemingly afflicted the rest of the population?

That banking and financial institutions played fast and loose with our economy, there’s no doubt and that some cowboy developers brought more pokes than pigs (certainly more than they could afford), is also true but Credit Unions and Citizen Advice Bureaus up and down the country will bear testimony to a nation living beyond its means.

Of course, no one wants to hear that now and some journalists like Salome’s mother, want to serve us up a daily dish of the head of very banker, developer and builder they can find.

But let’s be clear some of those bankers and developers committed acts of corporate corruption and they should in course be delivered before the courts and if necessary serve time. Yet the prospect of any successful convictions diminishes every time a journalist on a bad hair day tries to name and shame them. Canny defence lawyers must be keeping weighty media files to prove their clients could never receive a fair trial given the about of media bile occurring on an almost daily basis.

Even Christ knew it was worth separating out the goats from the sheep and both NAMA and the media should start trying too!

Pictured at the start of his series of mentoring sessions is the winner of the Craigavon Business Award’s “Sir Allen McClay Young Entrepreneur of the Year”, Garth Cairns from Craigavon based SlurryKat. The award includes mentoring sessions with a wide range of senior business figures in Northern Ireland including (pictured), Brendan Mulgrew, Managing Director, Stakeholder Communications, Philip Diamond Vice-President, Almac, Jim Fitzpatrick, Below the Radar Productions, and Michael McDonnell, Partner, BDO. Garth will attend monthly sessions between now and January 2011. Other mentors include Prof. Peter Gregson, Vice Chancellor Queen’s University Belfast, & Robert Garrett, Head of Corporate lending, Northern Bank.

Parents have a responsibility too; as they must take responsibility for the huge amount of teenagers who should not be on the streets rioting. There is no escaping that responsibility and parents who don’t know or don’t want to know where or what their kids are doing on the streets should be hauled into court when and if their children are apprehended.

As for the criminal and anarchist mini-minds behind the rioting but more seriously who are behind the attempted murders of PSNI officers; we should not worry too much about their human rights when trying to get them behind bars. Sinn Fein knows that the politics of condemnation does not work; it did not work against them.  Though in fairness only the most churlish of observers would not praise Sinn Fein and in particular Gerry Kelly and John O’ Dowd for their work on the ground in trying to contain the dissidents action from spreading further within the nationalist community.

Naturally both the police and politicians need to win the hearts and minds of the public but the reality is that there comes a time when the policing ‘velvet glove’ comes off to reveal an ‘iron fist’.  One suspects with fifty officers injured over two nights the Chief Constable knows he is close to taking that glove off.

No-one should be under any illusion particularly in Sinn Fein or the SDLP- that whole nationalist communities cannot be held ransom just because a few hundred hoodlums decide take over their streets. Touchy, feely, words about confidence building measures won’t rid the streets of scum who would run feral and rampant as much on the streets of Limerick or Leeds as Lurgan- if they got away with it under the guise of semi political agitation.

Communities cannot rid themselves of these anti social elements alone. Most people are rightly fearful. It will take police enforcement and judicial will power to lock them away. ‘Tough on crime and the causes of crime’ was the New Labour mantra. The new Justice Minster whimpers on about ‘shared future’ strategies. Does he really believe that those out rioting or planting bombs care one iota about integrated schools, shared sports facilities and community picnics in the park? 

Sometimes politicians like jargon such as ‘flags don’t feed anyone’ but yet many people don’t seem to be suffering any indigestion from trying as mainstream politics gets more polarised not less so since 1994. The truth is that in the political carve up that we endure –people are seeing sectarianism rewarded by each side getting a trade off rather than a trade in. No sacrifices are really being made by the body politic. The mutual veto is a farce which masquerades the reality of our stagnant power-sharing. It’s merely position sharing as power sharing requires shared responsibility .

The war of attrition that dominated the Troubles has merely moved from the streets to Stormont and the public once are again pawns. Some unionist politicians are still too careless with their words and all too often fall into a mindset that belies the truth of their working relationship with nationalists in general and Sinn Fein in particular. This is not sustainable; though is unlikely to change with another election imminent. Leaders cannot lead from the trenches or from behind the barricades. Too few of our politicians are ready to move too far from positions from which they cannot retreat. 

In the poem ‘Invictus’- which Nelson Mandela motivated himself while on Robbin Island- the last two lines say ‘ I am the master of my fate; I am the master of my soul’. Mandela released his mind from prison long before his actual release- perhaps our politicians could follow his lead.

Indeed if the SDLP story is ever written it should be about the partners and families of SDLP politicians who bore the brunt of the political involvement by carrying out the constituency work, licking the stamps, knocking the doors, being attacked in their homes, bullied at school, shot at and times even being murdered just for being there to support those they loved.

In ‘Profiles of Courage’, Gordon Brown included Nelson Mandela, Robert Kennedy, Edith Cavell and Aung San Suu Kyi; all inspiring people who were prepared to endure great sacrifices. My icons and exemplars are much closer to home but are equally inspiring by their remarkable commitment, humility and ordinariness in achieving extraordinary things which have impacted positively on the lives of so many others.

My list is subjective but no less worthy.

Gerry Cosgrove. Gerry is probably one of the longest serving politicos in Northern Ireland. She has worked for the SDLP since 1972 and has lived in West Belfast for her entire life. She holds the post of General Secretary but in the life of that party she is both the glue and the touchstone of SDLP grit. She is an instinctive person; a value much under-rated by the careerist, polling mad test-tube politicians that make up our body politic. Many parties have a Gerry- this one only hugs people.

Monsignor Tom Toner. In an era were priests are vilified many people forget the clerical stalwarts who founded the Gaelic clubs; raised money for fields and charities, built churches and community centre and also found the time to provide spiritual and moral guidance and comfort in times bereavement. Tom Toner is one such priest. He pioneered a shared society through his Cathedral Partnership Initiative with Dean Shearer and stood firm against all forms of violence throughout the Troubles. He provided light when there were no candles.

Sir George Quigley. If the term enlightenment can apply to anyone; it can be applied to George. A true intellectual, George foresaw and led on the area of mutual economic interdependence between the North and South of Ireland. He charted the course for what is known as the Belfast-Dublin Economic corridor and provided leadership when other leaders were shirking from that responsibility.

Richard Moore. Richard is more of a verb than a noun when worn by Richard Moore. His enthusiasm is like a virus and is contagious. Being robbed of his sight at the age of ten by a plastic bullet he has shown more vision than a battery of politicians. He now shares that vision through his Charity Children in Crossfire. In Richard’s world no child will be left behind. Even the Dali Llama says he is a hero.

Rev. David Mc Millan. David is a remarkable Pastor. He ministers at the Baptist Windsor Church in Belfast. Few people can truly communicate a Christian message like this man. If people are made in God’s image this man is a poster-boy-though he would be embarrassed at the thought. His outreach has always demonstrated true compassion.

Pat Jennings. No one mentions Pat’s name without following it up with the word ‘gentleman’. Despite a remarkable football career, Pat remains a humble but exemplar sporting role model. Forget Best- Pat is a legend.

Joe Hendron. Decency and politics are words not often found side by side, particularly these days. Joe remains an icon for anyone seriously interested in serving people by playing a role through politics. He is a self deprecating, compassionate and decent politician. Try finding those words in a contemporary political bio?

Jim Fitzpatrick. If there are unsung heroes of the Troubles – Jim is probably holder of the Legion of Honour. In an unassuming and quiet way he has fostered initiatives both political and civic to bring people together and to build a physical infrastructure fit for them to share, particularly in Belfast.

But for space, I could have added; Eugene Reavey, Joe Hughes, Sr Consielo, Fr Ray Collins, and John Robb. For many others icons of inspiration could be parents, guardians or mentors but anyone who inspires us to be the best we can be –deserves iconic status.

The special sitting to cover extra business will see the Environment Minister read through the second stage of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill, the Social Development Minister do likewise with the Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill before taking the Welfare Reform Bill  to its conclusion.  

In Private Members’ Business North Down MLA Peter Weir will attempt to narrow the definition of a victim relating to compensation with the first stage of Victims and Survivors (Disqualification) Bill.

Matters are concluded with a debate tabled by SDLP Newry & Armagh MLA Dominic Bradley on the murder of the Reavey Family in Whitecross, Co. Armagh on 4 January 1976.

To view the complete agenda click here.

Question time sees DCAL’s Nelson McCausland at the dispatch box before the Assembly does a spot of end of term spring cleaning to spruce up its procedures.

Matters are concluded with a Public Accounts Committee motion for the Assembly to take note of its Fourth Composite Report and First Thematic Report.

To view the complete agenda click here.

Staff from First Trust Bank, accompanied by their trade union representatives from the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA), today met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Belfast to outline their serious concerns about the potential implications of the proposed sale of the bank by AIB plc. Today’s meeting follows earlier engagements with Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson MP MLA, and the NI Assembly’s Finance Committee.

Speaking before the meeting, IBOA General Secretary, Larry Broderick, said:

“The surprise decision by the AIB Group to put First Trust Bank is irresponsible, short-sighted and damaging for jobs and the Northern Ireland economy. First Trust Bank has existed in Northern Ireland in one form or another for decades and is a vital part of the community. The staff of FTB – the vast majority of whom are IBOA members – have worked hard to serve businesses, home-owners and personal customers for many years. However, their loyalty and hard work is being repaid by rash decisions based on expediency and short-termism following the appalling mistakes made by the senior management of AIB Group  in Dublin.

“Forcing a sale of First Trust Bank at a time when international financial markets are in the doldrums will almost inevitably result in a fire sale – which would be an open invitation to an asset stripper with little or no commitment to FTB’s branch network, to its current levels of employment or to the wider economy of Northern Ireland.

“The future economic prosperity of Northern Ireland relies on a strong local banking sector, committed to lending, businesses and employment. A sale of First Trust Bank in the present climate could see the Bank’s presence reduced significantly, both in terms of employment and in terms of providing credit to the economy which would in turn result in less competition and longer dole queues.

“At today’s meeting we will be inviting the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to add their voices in support of our efforts to lobby the AIB Group Board and the Department of Finance in Dublin, as AIB’s biggest share-holder, to rescind this short-sighted decision,” he said.

Now Queen Elizabeth II will officially come to Ireland- with the proposed visit occurring before the end of the reign of our own Regent, An Uachtarain Mc Aleese. 

Mrs Mc Aleese has been long courting the notion of a State visit to Ireland by the Queen and has met the Mountbatten’s on several occasions. Apparently she thinks ‘Lizzie’ is a ‘wee dote’. Its odd that such a visit to the Republic of Ireland by the Head of State of Ireland’s nearest neighbour has taken so long. The visit will certainly be historic and no doubt will mark Ireland’s coming of age.

Of course, President Mc Aleese has met the Queen but always on the Queen’s home turf.  The President has been in and out of Britain so often her visits rarely make the press. As for Northern Ireland, the President nips home as often as she can without rising unionist heckles too much. Indeed some think she is probably more familiar with the Shankill in Belfast than Shankill in Dublin.

While Mrs Mc Aleese will finally lay to rest the taboo of an official visit to Ireland by the British Head of State and will make history in doing so; the real plaudits for the visit lie further back in the long and deeply personal relationship between Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair. The labouring of these two individuals so publically finally showed that good neighbours can be good friends too.

In the Republic of Ireland – no-one will blink an eye over the visit except of course for the cost of hosting such a visit in times of austerity. The Neanderthals in the wings of republicanism will bleat and protest. They are probably dusting down their placards right now. Sinn Fein will ignore the reality of their partial administration of the British State on behalf of HM Government at Westminster and will fill the airwaves with empty and out of date anti British rhetoric.

Some in their quarters don’t seem to mind rubbing shoulders with Royalty as Danny Morrison, tongue in cheek, revealed this week that he shared the groove with Prince Charles at Glastonbury.

The notion of an Ireland permanently in a state of war with Britain has always been more myth than reality. Both countries share a common language; their trade as pointed out by Brian Cowen is four times that than between GB and China. Ireland’s tourism comes mostly from Britain and the first stop for most Irish migrant workers since the Famine has been Britain. Nearly a third of all British Members of Parliament have Irish names and hundreds of thousands of soccer loving Irish support English football teams.

Of course in the land that time forgot and where memories are longer and more unforgiving; the battle against Perfidious Albion continued. But even in Northern Ireland –ice thaws.

These days, Lord and Lady Paisley don’t creep into Dublin under the cover of darkness; now they take the full Paddy wagon tour and dine at Leinster House. The Twelfth is celebrated in Phoenix Park; while rugby and soccer have been played at Croke Park. It only remains for hurling to be played at Windsor Park for Ireland to be truly ecumenical!  Naturally there had to be some political chorography to put the final building blocks in place for a Royal visit to occur- not least of which was recent publication the Saville Report and the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

President Mc Aleese has played a significant role in providing confidence within the Unionist community that modern Ireland is mature enough and indeed pluralist enough to not only recognise but accommodate their traditions. She has also helped give full recognition and dignity to the families of the tens of thousands of Irish men who fought for the British in the First World War. 

As a glance at the Irish Sunday papers will tell, the Irish public are not immune to the fascination of the Royal Family’s soap opera shenanigans. While it’s doubtful that thousands will line the streets of Dublin when the Queen finally lands on Irish shores; there is no doubt many will be secretly glued to their TV screens in the privacy of their ownhomes with the remote set to mute during the English national anthem!

DETI Minister Arlene Foster opens up some procedural jiggery-pokery before the Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy takes the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill through its final stage and OFMDFM ask the Assembly to take note of the Programme for Govt. recent delivery reports.

Question time for Justice & Agriculture precedes some Committee reshuffling with Peter Weir (DUP) filling a vacancy on the Assembly Commission and the DUP new boys, Jonathan Bell, Paul Frew & Paul Givan taking up positions on the Employment, Enterprise & Justice Committees respectively.

Matters are concluded by the first stage of David McNarry’s private members bill on financial support for the armed forces, a DUP motion examining the work of the Regional Autistic Spectrum Disorders Network Group, and a UUP motion on school attendance.

To view the complete agenda click here.

THE WEEK THAT WAS….

‘Anything you can do we can do better’ – forget Isner and Mahut’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6 and 70-68 marathon at Wimbledon.  That was only 11 hours and five minutes of play spread over three days.  This week the Assembly managed to sit for 19 hours and three minutes in just two days.  Sadly there was no rain to interrupt play.

It’s not that long ago everyone was bemoaning the absence of legislative activity, but like a panic-stricken fifteen year finishing off his course work before the final deadline the Assembly progressed 16 separate pieces of Executive Business.  All important and necessary stuff, but did the Business Office collectively forget there was a Recess coming?  Didn’t they notice the tell tale signs of summer – sun, long evenings, parades?

There were some interesting exchanges during the Budget debate.  It was almost as if someone had picked up a compendium of ‘Yes Minster’; the scales fell from their eyes and they realised for the first time that the bureaucracy of Government is not always there to facilitate decisions by politicians.

The Finance Minister argued that the Budget process is “lengthy, convoluted and repetitive — very repetitive on some occasions”.  He also confessed that the whole process lacks transparency and that financial publications produced for the Assembly “did not lend themselves to easy scrutiny and challenge”.  Whether that is the fault of the Mandarins or the Ministers, keen to defend their budgets in the gloom of obfuscating double speak, is a matter for debate.  Necessity is the mother of invention, however, and the small matter of having to find c.£1bn worth of savings has had the wonderful effect of concentrating minds on delivering value for the taxpayer.

As Dr. Farry (Alliance, North Down) pointed out during the incredibly lengthy Wildlife Bill debate, President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, argued that a good crisis should never be allowed to go to waste.  With an inevitable contraction of the public sector due, is this Northern Ireland’s chance to shed its Keynesian Republic image, trim its excessive Government layers and give the private sector room to grow? Alternatively, given a track record of indecision and dither, we may just stagger through unchanged.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Oral Answers

The FM is hopeful the EU will help fund a Conflict Resolution Centre at the former Maze Prison and noted that he’s waiting for the Coalition Govt. to bring out a paper on the possibilities of devolving power to amend Corporation Tax.

Over at DRD the Minister revealed that the new road between Londonderry and Aughnacloy has cost £27m so far, expressed his unwillingness to transfer any powers to local councils in the absence of RPA and confirmed that he’s asked DFP for an extra £2.3m to cover the popularity of subsidized fares for the over 60s.  The DSD Minister discussed regeneration of the Lower Falls and has a bid of £5m with the Executive to fund a Mortgage Relief scheme.

Written Answers

The new Parades Bill should be out for consultation within weeks according to OFMDFM, DCAL’s consultants are still working on the business case for new sports stadia for Football, Gaelic and Rugby while the DETI Minister confirmed that she’s made five official visits to West Belfast.

Environment confirmed that February was the first month on record without a fatality and that deaths this year are running at less than half of those last year.  DFP revealed that no civil servants have been sent on anger management classes in the last five years and DoJ confirmed that Lithuanians top the list of foreign nationals who have served sentences of over one year locally (there are only nine of them though).  DRD estimates that the average daily flow of traffic on Belfast’s Lisburn Rd is 19,954 vehicles.

COMMITTEES

Cockle fishing on Belfast Lough was tickling DARD’s fancy, DFP was considering how the Assembly scrutinises the Budget and DEL was contemplating redundancies at Quinn Group.  Education was trying to work out what the secret is to running a good secondary school in a disadvantaged area while DETI was reviewing implementation of MATRIX’s proposals.  DCAL was briefed on Derry / Londonderry’s Capital of Culture bid, Environment was back on the tee at Knock Golf Club, Health was back on Sunbeds and Justice was considering a draft Community Safety strategy.

AND FINALLY….

With the House sitting three days next week instead of the usual two, MLAs are beginning to despair if there ever will be a ‘finally’ this year.

Roll on the Recess!