Alliance reveals rejection details
Posted By: May 26, 2016
Brendan Hughes. Irish News. (Belfast). Thursday, May 26, 2016
THE Alliance Party yesterday released full details of its rejected demands to accept the role of justice minister.
Alliance proposed to the DUP and Sinn Féin five conditions on which it would re-enter the executive and again take charge the justice department.
Party leader and former justice minister David Ford said: “The Alliance Party put forward proposals that were both ambitious and aimed at moving Northern Ireland forward, sadly the DUP and Sinn Féin failed to engage.”
Alliance’s proposals were outlined in a four-page document under the headings:
· Protocol on the use of the petition of concern
· Tackling the legacy and ongoing impact of paramilitarism
· Increasing commitment to integrated education
· Additional skills investment
· Addressing economic and financial implications of a divided society
Mr Ford said its demands on the petition of concern and integrated education were not accepted by the DUP and Sinn Féin.
“On the abuse of the petition of concern they failed to contemplate any change. In response to our proposals on integrated education they were only prepared to restate a supposed ‘commitment’ which has proven to be meaningless in the past five years,” he said.
“Alliance was not prepared to nominate a minister without fundamental reforms to make government work better and meet the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.”
THE Alliance Party yesterday released full details of its rejected demands to accept the role of justice minister.
Alliance proposed to the DUP and Sinn Féin five conditions on which it would re-enter the executive and again take charge the justice department.
Party leader and former justice minister David Ford said: “The Alliance Party put forward proposals that were both ambitious and aimed at moving Northern Ireland forward, sadly the DUP and Sinn Féin failed to engage.”
Alliance’s proposals were outlined in a four-page document under the headings:
· Protocol on the use of the petition of concern
· Tackling the legacy and ongoing impact of paramilitarism
· Increasing commitment to integrated education
· Additional skills investment
· Addressing economic and financial implications of a divided society
Mr Ford said its demands on the petition of concern and integrated education were not accepted by the DUP and Sinn Féin.
“On the abuse of the petition of concern they failed to contemplate any change. In response to our proposals on integrated education they were only prepared to restate a supposed ‘commitment’ which has proven to be meaningless in the past five years,” he said.
“Alliance was not prepared to nominate a minister without fundamental reforms to make government work better and meet the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.”
