‘No business’ as Assembly breaks

By Noel McAdam – 27 October 2008

Assembly members today began their week-long Halloween holiday amid a warning the Stormont legislature has “no real business”.

The new devolved Assembly also took a Halloween break, coinciding with the schools calender, last year from October 27 to November 4, officials confirmed. But Alliance leader David Ford today admitted the break looks bad.

“I think people might recognise that if the Executive was giving the Assembly some business then a weeks’ break in the four months between September and December could be justified to allow members to do other things including work in their constituencies,” he said.

“However, I am sure most people will share the level of frustration which certainly we in the Alliance group feel that the Assembly has virtually no business at the moment.”

Inter-party talks between Sinn Fein and the DUP to attempt to resolve the failure of the Executive to meet for more than four months also appear to have reduced.

First Minister Peter Robinson criticised Sinn Fein’s refusal to allow an Executive to take place, until key issues including the devolution of policing and justice have been agreed.