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£3M of Health Funding being spent on Interpreters

Admin —  August 26, 2014

TUV leader Jim Allister has established through an Assembly Question that £8000 every day of health service funds is going on paying interpreters, giving an annual cost of almost £3 million.

The TUV leader has also established that 5% of pupils in Northern Ireland schools do not have English as their first language, with the percentage topping 10% in South Belfast and 9.5% in Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

Commenting Jim Allister said:-

“In a climate of spates of racist criminal attacks – which must be met with the full rigour of the law – it is difficult sometimes to draw attention to issues of which the public need to be aware. These figures graphically illustrate the impact of the EU’s open door immigration policy within this part of the UK. In the debate about immigration we seldom hear of the ancillary costs in education and health, but, plainly, they are huge, even in the incidentals of providing interpreters in our hospitals.

“The face of several constituencies is changing dramatically, with South Belfast, Fermanagh & South Tyrone and Upper Bann having in or about 10% of schoolchildren not having English as their first language.

“The geographical correlation between health spend on interpreters and high levels of immigrant children in our schools is obvious with the Southern Health Trust spending £1.3m per annum on interpreters.

“Migration has been a feature of life for centuries, but hitherto nation states have exercised control through operating the immigration policy suited to their needs. But not anymore, because now the EU controls our immigration policy and operates a completely open door policy across Europe. Hence, the disproportionate  upsurge in westward migration and the resulting pressures on our health, welfare and education budgets. It is only outside the EU that the UK can reassert control over its immigration policy.”

Note to Editors – Links to Qs in official record:

http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/questions/printquestionsummary.aspx?docid=202678

http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/questions/printquestionsummary.aspx?docid=191901

In Health, Newsroom
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Stormont patently unfit to handle tax-raising powers

Admin —  August 22, 2014

TUV leader Jim Allister has warned that the Stormont which squabbles over cuts and welfare reform is demonstrably unfit to handle the devolution of corporation tax powers.

“The June monitoring cuts have put the executive in a spin, with the Health minister declaring a form of departmental UDI. Yet, the inescapable consequence of devolving corporation tax is even more massive cuts in public expenditure, not just for one year, but in perpetuity and of the order of £250m-£500m! How could this Stormont cope with that? It couldn’t, making all the talk about getting tax raising powers dangerous nonsense.

“There is no logic or sense in volunteering for hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts every year in the block grant simply for the ego-stroking capacity to set corporation tax rates, which will only benefit a select few big businesses, but leave the ordinary citizen burdened with huge cuts in health, education and housing. When these chickens come home to roost it wouldn’t be long before the same politicians would be turning to water charges and other local taxes to help make up the shortfall.

“Only the Stormont elite would think any of this a good idea: the very people who day and daily are proving their inability to handle the powers they have.

“The present impasse over something as straightforward as “June monitoring” should be warning enough of the folly of inviting further huge public expenditure cuts through corporation tax devolution.

“Doubtless, post the Scottish referendum, the Treasury will be only too happy to unburden itself of hundreds of millions of public expenditure each year in Northern Ireland, if Stormont remains foolish enough to volunteer for such self-inflicted madness.”

In Newsroom, NI Politics
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New chapter in Stormont Shambles

Admin —  August 21, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-

“Last month Edwin Poots voted in the executive to accept only £20m for health in the monitoring round. Today, he declares he won’t live within this constraint and that he desperately needs another £60m, at least! Is this the same Edwin Poots who, along with his party, mockingly berated his Ulster Unionist predecessor every time he dared to say more money was needed?

“The dysfunctionalism of the Executive has clearly spread now even to within the DUP, with Edwin Poots planning to bust Simon Hamilton’s budget and constraints. Collective responsibility doesn’t now even operate at party level, never mind cabinet level.

“Of course, Sinn Fein are playing malevolent games with our public finances, but who brought them into government and sustain them there? Now, we all, but particularly the sick, according to the Health minister, are to pay the price of this unworkable system of mis-government. Another fine mess, made in Stormont!”

In Health, Newsroom
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Admin —  August 20, 2014

Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:-

“There is a growing funding crisis in the innocent victims’ sector. The phasing out of PEACE III funding, with no gap provision made by Stormont, has coincided with severe cuts by OFMDFM in such funding as their Victim & Survivors Service provides. Even payments under the individual needs programme have been unilaterally ended. Victims who may had had a range of help, be it physiotherapy treatments or respite care, now find this funding has been terminated.

“I have, accordingly, written directly to the First Minister on the crisis which his department has created.

“It is, frankly, shameful that at a time when we’ve seen Stormont department’s spend on hospitality rise by 22% in two years, vital spending on innocent victims is being savagely cut.”

Note to Editors:-

Mr Allister’s letter to the First Minister is in the following terms:-

Dear First Minister,

I write to express my dismay at how some innocent victims have been left without support in consequence of the ending of funding.

Individuals who have chosen not to access support through organised victims groups are being particularly badly hit. Having applied under the individual needs programme, they are now being told they are no longer deemed eligible unless they are a carer or in receipt of DLA. Some isolated individuals took a lot of encouragement to even look for help through the individual needs programme, only now to have the rug pulled from under them.

Quite apart from the impact of cuts in the individual needs programme, the sector generally is seeing its funding stream traumatically impoverished, particularly as Peace III ends. With no gap funding and a cut in other support funding, many worthy organisations in the sector are in crisis.

The unilateral cutbacks on funding are impacting severely across the victims’ sector and need urgent reassessment.

Yours sincerely, 

Jim Allister MLA

In Newsroom, Victims
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Another fine mess under Sinn Fein control

Admin —  August 12, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-

“The admission today by the Education Minister that for 5 years under Sinn Fein there have been no powers to remove a teacher’s eligibility to teach in Northern Ireland, speaks to an unfit minister and sloppy department. This happened under Ruane’s disastrous tenure. A bit more focus on detail and less on dogma would have prevented this gaffe.

“The resulting inability of the department to remove a teacher’s right to teach, no matter what serious misconduct they might have indulged in, is a serious matter, no least in the context of child protection. A more credible explanation of how this arose, than “a breakdown in communication” within the department, is required from the minister.

“The failure to realise the import of the 2009 repeal of the department’s powers in this regard, as they existed in the Education Order of 1998, was not just a failure of the minister but also of the Education ‘Scrutiny’ Committee, which equally failed to adequately interrogate what was proposed. All round it was a failure in the exercise of devolved powers by Stormont, but primarily by the minister.

“Now, O’Dowd intends a ‘sticking plaster’ approach while new primary legislation is prepared to plug this gap. No doubt, as ever, in Stormont no one will be held accountable for this failure towards parents and pupils.”

In Newsroom, NI Politics
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TUV opposes taxpayers building Mosque

Admin —  June 10, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

This staggering statement by the deputy First Minister yesterday in the Assembly requires urgent clarification from the First Minister:-

“The First Minister is on the public record as saying that he believes that it would be appropriate, and I agree with him that, if necessary, public funds could be used to provide assistance with regard to the construction of a mosque in Belfast.”

“Whatever flap Stormont may have got itself into over comments about the Muslim community, there can be no justification for the novel departure of taxpayers money being used to construct a mosque. Indeed it would be of questionable legality. Any religion that requires a place of worship must pay for it itself. It is no function of the state to sponsor or fund any religious sect.

“I am therefore fundamentally proposed to any suggestion that a mosque should be built in Belfast with public money. I am calling on the First Minister to urgently clarify his position. If McGuinness was distorting the OFMDFM position, then, the First Minister needs to clear this up quickly.”

In NI Politics
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TUV message to DUP and UUP in new talks: Keep looking over your shoulder!

Admin —  June 9, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“Indications that the Haass issues are to be addressed in further hothouse talks, after a meddling visit by the ROI Foreign Minister, suggests who is calling the shots.

“But, there are fundamental questions for the proposed unionist participants. Both DUP and UUP acknowledged Haass was built on deception by reason of the secret OTR arrangements. What has changed? Just, another unionist roll over! The UUP, in particular, withdrew from the executive party talks because of the hood winking of the OTR deal. Now, they are heading back in!

“Of course, it is noticeable these are talks only for the parties in government with Sinn Fein. Let the DUP and Sinn Fein remember, though, that as 22nd May proved, there are 100,000 unionists you do not represent and whose eyes are watching you. Keep looking over your shoulder!”

In Justice, NI Politics
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Not for the first time Gerry Kelly is on the run!

Admin —  June 9, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“Not for the first time Gerry Kelly is on the run!

“This time, he’s running from public scrutiny before the NI Committee in Westminster over his role in the nefarious OTR scheme. Fearful of public questioning he has chickened out. Happy to act as secret postman for the IRA in carrying their demands for OTR amnesty letters, he, who is so quick to demand inquiries that suit republican pet projects, is cowering in the shadows, unwilling to help uncover the truth over the OTR scandal. He and Sinn Fein have too much to hide.

“His refusal to attend is a challenge to the authority of the Westminster committee, which they must not dodge.”

In Newsroom, NI Politics, Terrorism ,
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Latest DUP u-turn welcome, as far as it goes

Admin —  April 17, 2014

Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Jim Allister:-

“Edwin Poots’ electioneering announcement of ‘reprieve’ for four statutory care homes needs close examination. If he does not reverse his policy of blocking new admissions to all these homes, and others, then the announcement does not provide an assured long term future for the homes. Finding a new use for them is not the same as permitting them to flourish as statutory residential homes within the NHS.

“In the Northern Trust area Mr Poots had advance knowledge of the intended 100% closure, and did not intervene till forced by the public outcry. To now say that he wishes all current residents to be able to stay, while welcome and a relief for those families, does not guarantee the future of these homes unless he allows new admissions.

“I congratulate the Pinewood and other campaigners who have pushed the minister this far, but the campaign must go on till the long term future of the homes is assured as residential homes.

“So while this latest DUP u-turn is welcome, as far as it goes, only lifting the moratorium on new admissions will bring long term security to these homes.”

In Health, Newsroom
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Villiers needs to act not talk on Opposition

Admin —  April 16, 2014

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-

It is welcome that the Secretary of State now recognises the imperative of an Opposition, but she needs to do something about it. Abdicating responsibility to self-regulation by the Assembly means it will never happen, because of the Sinn Fein veto and the vested interest of all the executive parties.

The 1998 Act, which established the perverted arrangements at Stormont, is Westminster legislation. Thus, it is for the Secretary of State to initiate the change, which she lamentably failed to do in her Miscellaneous Provisions Bill last year.

TUV  has long identified the lack of Opposition as a key blight of Stormont.  If the Secretary of State really believes in democratising Stormont, then she needs to lead and get on with it.

In Newsroom, NI Politics ,
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