Following his attack last week on the DOE proposal to include bags made of any material in the carrier bag tax, during the Consideration stage of the Carrier Bag Bill, TUV MLA Jim Allister has tabled an amendment for debate next Tuesday to remove paper bags from the ambit of the Bill. Continue Reading…
Archives For Newsroom
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“In his Irish News interview published this morning co-First Minister McGuinness admits what ordinary members of the public already know – the executive is an embarrassment. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today’s comments by the Culture Minister during question time when she dismissed a letter she hadn’t read as “gossip” were nothing short of scandalous.
“For her information, the fact that someone of the standing within amateur boxing internationally of Ray Rodgers has come out and backed Sandy Row and called for a Northern Ireland Amateur Boxing Association is highly significant. I have long argued that there is no reason why two organisations couldn’t operate within Northern Ireland and Mr Rodgers cites an interesting model to follow. As he points out: Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today’s comments by the Culture Minister during question time when she dismissed a letter she hadn’t read as “gossip” were nothing short of scandalous.
“For her information, the fact that someone of the standing within amateur boxing internationally of Ray Rodgers has come out and backed Sandy Row and called for a Northern Ireland Amateur Boxing Association is highly significant. I have long argued that there is no reason why two organisations couldn’t operate within Northern Ireland and Mr Rodgers cites an interesting model to follow. As he points out: Continue Reading…
Jim Allister has welcomed a report by the Northern Ireland Ombudsman Tom Frawley which described the Department of Education’s handling of correspondence from the TUV leader as “unacceptable” and recommended that the Department provide a written apology to Mr Allister – something the Department arrogantly rejects. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“I am disappointed, but from previous experience not terribly surprised, that I have not been afforded the opportunity to question the Justice Minister about the proposed visit of an IRA escapee to a prison in order to discuss his book The Escape.
“While it is welcome that Gerry Kelly’s visit to a book club at Hydebankwood has been cancelled it is absolutely outrageous that this was ever contemplated in the first place. When I first heard of the plan on Friday morning frankly I did not know whether to believe it or not. Continue Reading…
The following platform article appeared in Saturday’s News Letter.
Since police pension regulations were reformed a few years ago there has been a glaring inequality affecting RUC widows. Under the new regulations a new police widow can retain her pension rights for life. Thus on remarriage she does not forfeit her pension. In contrast widows covered by the earlier regulations do lose their pension if they remarry. Continue Reading…
Statement by Jim Allister MLA
“It is disappointing to learn that £5.7m of public money was not subject to proper procurement control and has been labelled as ‘potential malpractice’.
“It is indicative of the general disregard towards public money that this was not identified through internal checks and balances, but it took a whistleblower to expose the extent of the problem. Health Service Management have a lot to answer for, and lot to do before public confidence can be gained.
“It is simply unacceptable and lessons need to be learned.
“While it is a sad state of affairs it does highlight how vital whistleblowers can be in exposing malpractice and why everything should be done in order to protect those coming forward with such information and to encourage others to do likewise.”
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“When the Assembly debated the appointment of Douglas Bain as Assembly Commissioner for Standards I expressed my disappointment with the choice of someone who so neatly fitted within the quango circuit. My view that Mr Bain is completely unsuited for the role is reinforced by the fact that he has decided that a complaint made against Gerry Kelly following comments he made on the Nolan Show about his breakout from the Maze is inadmissible, a decision agreed to by the Committee on Standards and Privileges. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“I am disappointed that the Speaker has declined my request for an urgent oral question to the Justice Minister following Martin McGuinness’s disgraceful comments about the Orange Order.
“The filled and pernicious alignment by McGuinness of the Orange Order with the UVF sets up Orange Halls, parades and personnel for further republican attack and should be allowed to be raised in the chamber.”
