Unionists call for greater scrutiny

Assembly committees should be established to scrutinise the work of direct rule ministers in Northern Ireland, the British government was told today.

Senior Ulster Unionist David McNarry welcomed the allocation of offices at Stormont to Assembly members and political parties.

But the Strangford MLA said the British government should go further by setting up in shadow form the committees which probed the work of government departments in Belfast during devolution.

He argued: “This, I believe, is vital because just look at the issues which the Northern Ireland Office Ministers are dealing with at present – racism, sectarianism, unemployment, hospital trolley waits and in my own constituency, European decisions affecting fishing and agriculture.

“It is frustrating not to have a debating chamber to consider these issues.

“I realise that my proposal does not bestow any power to the committees but apart from opening dialogue, the potential is for serious recommendations to the brought to the attention of the [British] government.”

Devolution was suspended in Northern Ireland in October 2002 following the discovery of an alleged republican spy ring at Stormont.

A team of four direct rule ministers in the Northern Ireland Office took charge of the government departments and assumed responsibility for a range of key decisions which should have been taken by power sharing ministers, such as the future of the 11-Plus, hospital service closures and the budget.

Efforts to revive the power sharing executive and Assembly failed twice last year in May and November amid ongoing unionist concerns about the IRA.

During devolution, Assembly committees conducted hearings into key issues affecting Northern Ireland and took evidence from ministers, senior civil servants, community organisations and members of the voluntary, trades union and business sectors.

Mr McNarry said if the committees were reformed, it would help justify the salaries drawn by the 108 MLAs elected last November.

The Ulster Unionist MLA continued: “After all, the question of what the November election was for has to be considered.

“I understand that soon a review of some kind (into the Good Friday Agreement) is to take place but not every Assembly member will be participating in that review.

“I would contend that the committees acting in shadow form can be an interim measure enhancing the fulfilment in the current circumstances of a local MLA’s status.”

The review of the Agreement is due to get under way later this month under the joint chairmanship of the British and Irish governments, probably on January 29.

The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists will take part, with Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists, nationalist SDLP, the cross community Alliance Party, the loyalist Progressive Unionists and the UK Unionists also expected to suggest changes.

A Downing Street spokesman confirmed today that Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy would this week discuss the review with the province’s parties during a series of meetings.

“During the course of the week Paul Murphy will be meeting the parties in Northern Ireland to discuss their submissions post the election and pre the review but there will be no announcement of the review date certainly this week,” he said.

The Alliance Party, which has six Assembly members, last week published its proposals for reshaping the Agreement.

The party called for a voluntary coalition in Northern Ireland like Scotland and Wales instead of the four-party coalition of unionists and nationalists which operated during devolution.

Its document also called for the Assembly to be reduced in size to around 80 MLAs, a review of the number of government departments and their powers, and the scrapping of 50:50 police recruitment quotas for Catholics and Protestants.

Mr McNarry’s proposal was dismissed by Sinn Féin’s Assembly team leader Conor Murphy who claimed the committees would have no clout.

The Newry and Armagh MLA countered: “What we need is suspension lifted.

“We need to get the real Assembly committee structures in place that can hold ministers fully to account.

“This proposal actually lets ministers off the hook. A shadow committee structure would not have the statutory powers to hold people to account. There is no basis for it in legislation or in the Good Friday Agreement.”