QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Oral Questions
The Health Minister declined an SDLP suggestion to develop ME services on an all-island basis and noted that last year there were an additional 48,000 out-patients and a 9% increase in A&E visits. Over at DARD, which also tends to serve up insipid fare, the Minister addressed rural childcare, single farm payments and animal welfare issues.
The DSD Minister noted that the ‘Streets Ahead’ initiative will be digging up Belfast until next September (nice pavements, shame about the 1960s architecture) and detailed social housing plans for the Titanic Quarter and Sirocco developments.
Written Answers
Vandalism in libraries cost DCAL £9K last year while Education noted that vandalism within the school estate came with a rather more depressing price tag of £442K. The Department also noted that home schooling is most popular in the Western Board (63 children) and that it currently has 14 policy areas under review.
DETI revealed that Dungannon has suffered from a 222% increase in unemployment since 2006 (in Belfast it’s been 49%) and DFP disclosed that rates collection levels are 4.5% lower than Council Tax collection in England. DRD calculated that the Orange Order hired 313 Translink buses for this year’s July 12 celebrations.
COMMITTEES
DARD is inquiring into a dioxin contamination incident and discussed a sheuch-full of regulations, DRD was considering water issues and OFMDFM was back to wondering what to do with the Maze site.
DoE was briefed on a Waste Bill and then went into closed session to debate its Climate Change Inquiry (it had better be good after all this effort). Health wielded the knife with a series of briefings on efficiency savings, DETI was considering savings of a different sort in the Credit Union movement and DCAL returned to another seemingly unending inquiry, funding of the arts.
