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06/06/2006
Preparation for Government Committee meets for second day
The Northern Ireland Assembly's Preparation for Government Committee has today reconvened for a second attempt at finding a chairperson.
The committee met yesterday but failed to agree on who should chair proceedings.
Yesterday, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness suggested that the committee be either jointly chaired by representatives of this own party and the DUP or rotated between the parties, however the DUP rejected this proposal.
The DUP then proposed the Assembly Speaker, Eileen Bell, as a possible chairperson, but she rejected the role and left the meeting.
They also suggested their own party member South Antrim MP William McCrea and the Alliance Party leader David Forde for the role, however, Mr Ford said he would only consider the role as part of a wider rotation system between all the parties.
An idea put forward today was to allow NI Secretary Peter Hain to make an external appointment.
Another is that the Alliance, Ulster Unionists and SDLP rotate the chair for an initial period until a solution is found.
The committee's role is to identify obstacles to the return of devolution.
At today's meeting, Secretary of State Peter Hain was criticised by the Ulster Unionist party whose leader Sir Reg Empey accused him of making the Assembly into puppet show.
He also protested over Mr Hain's attitude to the assembly and asked if the speaker could request that the business committee at Stormont decide what is debated.
Assembly speaker Eileen Bell said that under the Northern Ireland Act, Mr Hain had the power to refer whatever business he saw fit to be debated in the assembly on the recommendation of the business committee.
The Assembly members then discussed the issues of the introduction of industrial de-rating.
As the debate got underway, DUP leader Ian Paisley said that he was amazed Mr Hain had decided last week without consulting parties that the Assembly would not meet.
He said: "They speak for the people of this province. Why should this Assembly suddenly be turned off because the Secretary of State has other views that he wants to impose on members of this Assembly?"
The reformation of the local assembly is a bid to encourage the political parties to come to some sort of an agreement in a bid to restore an all-part power-sharing executive by the November 24 deadline.
On May 15, Northern Ireland MLA's took their seats at Stormont for the first time since 2002.
The local assembly was suspended following allegations over an alleged republican spy ring, which was subsequently proven to be false.
(EF/GB)
The committee met yesterday but failed to agree on who should chair proceedings.
Yesterday, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness suggested that the committee be either jointly chaired by representatives of this own party and the DUP or rotated between the parties, however the DUP rejected this proposal.
The DUP then proposed the Assembly Speaker, Eileen Bell, as a possible chairperson, but she rejected the role and left the meeting.
They also suggested their own party member South Antrim MP William McCrea and the Alliance Party leader David Forde for the role, however, Mr Ford said he would only consider the role as part of a wider rotation system between all the parties.
An idea put forward today was to allow NI Secretary Peter Hain to make an external appointment.
Another is that the Alliance, Ulster Unionists and SDLP rotate the chair for an initial period until a solution is found.
The committee's role is to identify obstacles to the return of devolution.
At today's meeting, Secretary of State Peter Hain was criticised by the Ulster Unionist party whose leader Sir Reg Empey accused him of making the Assembly into puppet show.
He also protested over Mr Hain's attitude to the assembly and asked if the speaker could request that the business committee at Stormont decide what is debated.
Assembly speaker Eileen Bell said that under the Northern Ireland Act, Mr Hain had the power to refer whatever business he saw fit to be debated in the assembly on the recommendation of the business committee.
The Assembly members then discussed the issues of the introduction of industrial de-rating.
As the debate got underway, DUP leader Ian Paisley said that he was amazed Mr Hain had decided last week without consulting parties that the Assembly would not meet.
He said: "They speak for the people of this province. Why should this Assembly suddenly be turned off because the Secretary of State has other views that he wants to impose on members of this Assembly?"
The reformation of the local assembly is a bid to encourage the political parties to come to some sort of an agreement in a bid to restore an all-part power-sharing executive by the November 24 deadline.
On May 15, Northern Ireland MLA's took their seats at Stormont for the first time since 2002.
The local assembly was suspended following allegations over an alleged republican spy ring, which was subsequently proven to be false.
(EF/GB)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
