Latest news with #Stormont
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
PSNI ‘far more robust' in response to attacks on officers, warns Jon Boutcher
Northern Ireland's police chief has warned rioters that his officers will no longer stand and take the violence directed at them as he made clear there has been a 'shift' in responding to disorder under his watch. Jon Boutcher acknowledged there had previously been reluctance within the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deploy tactics such as baton rounds (AEPs) and water cannon due to concern among officers that they might be subject to complaints. He said that since last summer's race-related disturbances in the region, the PSNI was being 'far more proactive and robust' in response to attacks directed at them. Speaking to the media at an event at Stormont to highlight high levels of assaults against officers across all areas of policing, the chief constable also described as 'nuts' social media platforms that enable people to generate income from livestreaming disorder. There were multiple incidents of people livestreaming disorder in parts of Northern Ireland last week. Mr Boutcher said his officers had put themselves in harm's way to police the incidents, with 87 injured as a result. 'I have a duty to protect those officers,' he said. 'In the disturbances last August you will have seen a shift, we were far more proactive and robust in our tactics last August. And we are more robust again. 'And I will bring support in from policing (elsewhere) in the United Kingdom to ensure that we can police these disturbances until we've arrested all of those concerned. And we will arrest them. We will pursue them, we'll find them, we'll arrest them, we'll prosecute them, and we will put them in prison.' He added: 'I'll be very clear, I have no tolerance for assaults on police officers. And I think if you speak to the police officers here, they would be unequivocal in the fact that we use all the tactics available to us, whether that's AEP rounds, whether that's water cannon, but we do it proportionately. 'You've seen the footage of what these officers have faced – the masonry, the petrol bombs, the railings and axe (all thrown at them). We will not stand there and be assaulted. We'll defend ourselves. 'We'll take proactive measures to stop that, and we will go after them. And we'll put their images in the media, that wasn't happening. So we've released more images of people we want to arrest. 'Don't do it. Stop it. I will be very clear. I will not accept this. I will not accept it, but none of us should accept it. Nobody in society should accept this.' Mr Boutcher continued: 'So last year, last August, to be clear, when the disturbances started, I felt that, and I spoke to police officers, officers told me that they didn't feel supported, they stood there and took incoming missiles of all sorts of descriptions. 'There are a range of tactics available to them. They felt that here complaints are made against them for using those tactics in a way they're not made anywhere else. 'This is our police service. This is the line between keeping society safe and there being, you know, havoc in society, chaos in society. 'We will use all the tactics available to us to protect those officers and protect society. We will not stand there and take missiles in the way that I've seen occur before, unless we absolutely have to. We will be absolutely robust in dealing with people.' On the issue of livestreaming rioting, Mr Boutcher said: 'Much of the stuff that you see online, and there is so much of it, is from overseas. Most of it is from abroad. It's not from here. ' People who don't know Northern Ireland, they don't know Portadown, they don't know Ballymena, they're just getting on this almost crowd euphoria looking remotely. That's what's encouraging a lot of this behaviour. 'I was only told recently, the more looks or likes you get when you're filming these events, you get money on social media platforms. That's nuts. 'Don't go out anywhere near these disturbances and disorders. Stay away, because if you get caught up in it, it can change your lives forever. 'Whatever you think you can achieve in life will be seriously handicapped if you are arrested and prosecuted for these crimes that are being committed. Don't do it.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Stormont is slow, afraid of new thinking and costly, says report
Reading the latest report by the Belfast-based Pivotal think tank into the operations of the Stormont Executive, Assembly and Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is like watching an episode of the much-loved 1980s TV series Yes, Minister, but minus the jokes. Throughout, the fruits of months of conversations with 30 former ministers, senior civil servants, special advisers and some of those who deal frequently with Stormont on policy questions reveals a litany of failures, blockages and short-sightedness. As always in organisations, the principal issues centre on culture. 'Civil servants are broadly committed and enthusiastic, but they are held back by a burdensome system. Risk aversion acts as a brake on progress at every stage,' the report says. 'This seems to have got worse in recent years. Innovation is not always encouraged, and change is often resisted. While delivery is a priority in principle, it doesn't always translate into practice.' READ MORE Too often, Pivotal says, officials make decisions out of fear of a subsequent Northern Ireland Audit Office report, or a grilling before Stormont's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), or being the subject of a judicial review. The PAC uses its time and profile to go through departments' 'bad holiday snaps' in search of a 'gotcha' moment that will dominate the evening TV headlines, it says. Even here, it frequently falls short of the mark as a spending watchdog, with one retired civil servant witheringly saying officials 'wouldn't be afraid' of appearing before it given its 'poor questioning and scrutiny skills'. While they are not afraid of audits, or the PAC, they are afraid of the press, something that has got worse since news reporting exposed the 'cash for ash' scandal, which has cost NI taxpayers £500 million that they know about, but probably more. [ Cash for ash scandal: Everybody is to blame, nobody is to blame Opens in new window ] In an effort to avoid taking responsibility, officials are overly willing to hire consultants and, as a consequence, fail to build up the skills of their staff, the report says. The sums being spent are now causing 'alarm' among those interviewed. A business leader, speaking anonymously, as every interviewee does in the report, believes Stormont is 'creating middle-class industries'. Consultants have become 'an ordinary part of working' in Stormont's hard wiring, according to most of those who contributed. Too often, however, as one retired senior official put it acidly, they 'borrow your watch and tell you the time'. Inside the bureaucracy, things move at 'a glacial pace', according to a former minister, with officials unwilling to quickly change their ways of working or move into new roles. 'Pace is not what civil servants do well. They do process well,' said a business leader. If it does process well, Stormont does not do outcomes. Interviewees were, Pivotal reports, shocked at the lack of attention given to whether a programme's aims are achieved, with the focus instead on ensuring all the money allocated is spent. 'The system needs to be turned on its head and see the reason for doing this is not just the pound notes, it's actually about changing the place,' said one business representative experienced in Stormont's ways. Bureaucracy 'can thwart change easily', said one former minister, while a former special adviser believed the system often thought more about 'finding their people something to do' than having them do something productive. Too often, life inside the Stormont bureaucracy is about management rather than change. 'Every day a business will ask 'How do I make my business better – quicker, stronger, better?' There is very little of this in the NICS,' said one business leader. If officials like talking to consultants, they do not like talking to anyone else, the Pivotal report states. They are 'not inclined to engage in difficult conversation' with outsiders, said a former minister. The voluntary sector was scathing of the way it feels it is treated by Stormont. Often, according to the report, the sector gets little more than 'lip service', while consultations that do take place are regarded as box-ticking exercises rather than meetings where they are listened to. Stormont departments operate in silos, the report notes, unwilling to co-operate with colleagues in other departments. Jayne Brady, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, enjoys no formal authority over departmental permanent secretaries, the report notes, who are instead accountable only to their ministers for policy, to the NI Department of Finance for spending, and to the Stormont Assembly. Ministers are said to get bogged down in day-to-day matters rather than the bigger issues, and they are seen as having a preference for making announcements rather than the drudgery of reaching long-term goals. Their behaviour can delay or even halt delivery, particularly when matters political, or local, get in the way. One former official delivered a backhanded compliment, saying: 'I have never worked with anybody who didn't really care'. Stormont's political structures – where the Executive does not operate by collective responsibility and where ministers are appointed by their parties – does not help, the report finds. 'Many interviewees pointed to political disagreements that slowed down delivery of important policies, whether those disagreements were about policy design, who would benefit, or local impacts.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
NI Politics: Watchdog complaints double since Stormont restored
Complaints to the Northern Ireland Assembly's standards watchdog have more than doubled in the year since Stormont was 150 complaints were made to the Assembly Commissioner for Standards in 2024-25, compared to 65 lodged in the previous 12-month Ireland's devolved government returned in 2024 following a two-year hiatus due to a political row over post-Brexit trade commissioner investigates complaints against members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and ministers in Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive. A total of 149 complaints were made in 2024-25, including 123 against MLAs and 26 relating to these, 16 were assessed as admissible and proceeded to formal investigation, while 129 were deemed the 2024-25 figure is an increase compared to the previous year, it is similar to other recent highest figure in the 13 years since the commissioner role was created was 164 in complaints in 2024-25 related to alleged conflicts of was followed by complaints of "excessive and unreasonable personal attack" including concerns related to the use of social media. 'More could have been achieved' The details were contained in the latest annual report by the standards commissioner Dr Melissa is her last annual report before her five-year term as commissioner ends in commissioner said the "exceptional circumstances" of the Covid-19 pandemic and a two-year Stormont hiatus "made for an unusual five-year term".She added that "while I am very proud of what has been accomplished, I believe that in different conditions more could have been achieved".In her "final reflections" in the report, she said the ministerial code of conduct should be "updated, as it has not been revised since 1998"."This remains an urgent and unresolved matter," she McCullough said the commissioner's office needed more staffing resources "to do the work effectively"."Unfortunately, despite formal requests for such dedicated support, none has been provided," she McCullough also said the terms of the commissioner's employment should be reviewed, as benefits such as holiday pay and sick pay are currently not said it "risks sending the wrong message" and could "deter experienced and capable individuals from putting themselves forward".
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Concern Stormont MLAs delivering pre-scripted remarks for social media clips
Concern has been expressed that Stormont MLAs are delivering pre-scripted text in the Assembly for a clip on social media. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots said he was also concerned that Points of Order are being raised about 'the normal cut and thrust of debate'. Almost a year and a half since the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored, Mr Poots has written to MLAs about the standards of debate in the chamber. He also made his points at the start of the plenary session on Tuesday. Mr Poots, who has been elected to the Assembly for almost three decades, said he has witnessed 'political giants who passionately articulated their own case', but also engaged in debate and 'realised that they had to give as good as they could take'. 'Our standards of debate are often referred to in the context of the first element – the standard of remarks made about other members. However, there has been a decreased focus on the second element – the concept of debate,' he said. 'If the Assembly is to be serious about its scrutiny role, having a strong culture of parliamentary debate is vital.' Mr Poots said requiring MLAs to take care in their language and have civility in exchanges 'is not intended to, and should not, prevent passionate and robust debate'. 'In my time in the Assembly since 1998, I have been privileged to witness political giants, who passionately articulated their own case, engaging in debate,' he said. 'However, they also realised that they had to give as good as they could take. 'The freedom to challenge and to express different views in debate are core to this Assembly's core functions of exercising scrutiny, holding ministers to account and representing our constituents. 'Proper debate is about both having the opportunity to state your own views and listening, responding to and challenging the views of others. 'Some members increasingly concentrate only on stating their own opinions. ' Technology has created a temptation for members to deliver a pre-scripted text in the Chamber, shortly after which they leave to issue a clip of their speech on social media. 'If debate was only about a series of members reading out pre-scripted thoughts on an issue, without interaction, there would be no need for an Assembly Chamber – we could do it by email.' He added: 'I am also concerned about the tendency to raise Points of Order with the chair about the normal cut and thrust of debate, rather than challenge those points themselves.' He went on to say he is expanding the Ten Practical Principles of Debate circulated in 2021 to 'ensure they focus not only on interactions between members, but also on having a strong culture of debate and challenge'. 'When the Assembly has responsibility for making legislation which impacts on people's lives, it is vital that members are able to probe all the arguments before the Assembly takes a decision,' he said. 'It is my role to encourage the conditions for members to be able to exercise effective scrutiny and accountability in the Chamber. 'I therefore ask all members to take the time to reflect on the principles I have set out in the attachment and to adhere to them in debate.'
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Concern Stormont MLAs delivering pre-scripted remarks for social media clips
Concern has been expressed that Stormont MLAs are delivering pre-scripted text in the Assembly for a clip on social media. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots said he was also concerned that Points of Order are being raised about 'the normal cut and thrust of debate'. Advertisement Almost a year and a half since the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored, Mr Poots has written to MLAs about the standards of debate in the chamber. Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots (Liam McBurney/PA) He also made his points at the start of the plenary session on Tuesday. Mr Poots, who has been elected to the Assembly for almost three decades, said he has witnessed 'political giants who passionately articulated their own case', but also engaged in debate and 'realised that they had to give as good as they could take'. 'Our standards of debate are often referred to in the context of the first element – the standard of remarks made about other members. However, there has been a decreased focus on the second element – the concept of debate,' he said. Advertisement 'If the Assembly is to be serious about its scrutiny role, having a strong culture of parliamentary debate is vital.' Mr Poots said requiring MLAs to take care in their language and have civility in exchanges 'is not intended to, and should not, prevent passionate and robust debate'. 'In my time in the Assembly since 1998, I have been privileged to witness political giants, who passionately articulated their own case, engaging in debate,' he said. 'However, they also realised that they had to give as good as they could take. Advertisement 'The freedom to challenge and to express different views in debate are core to this Assembly's core functions of exercising scrutiny, holding ministers to account and representing our constituents. 'Proper debate is about both having the opportunity to state your own views and listening, responding to and challenging the views of others. 'Some members increasingly concentrate only on stating their own opinions. 'Technology has created a temptation for members to deliver a pre-scripted text in the Chamber, shortly after which they leave to issue a clip of their speech on social media. Advertisement 'If debate was only about a series of members reading out pre-scripted thoughts on an issue, without interaction, there would be no need for an Assembly Chamber – we could do it by email.' He added: 'I am also concerned about the tendency to raise Points of Order with the chair about the normal cut and thrust of debate, rather than challenge those points themselves.' He went on to say he is expanding the Ten Practical Principles of Debate circulated in 2021 to 'ensure they focus not only on interactions between members, but also on having a strong culture of debate and challenge'. 'When the Assembly has responsibility for making legislation which impacts on people's lives, it is vital that members are able to probe all the arguments before the Assembly takes a decision,' he said. Advertisement 'It is my role to encourage the conditions for members to be able to exercise effective scrutiny and accountability in the Chamber. 'I therefore ask all members to take the time to reflect on the principles I have set out in the attachment and to adhere to them in debate.'
