Question Time: Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister Monday 08 June 2015
After
branding the 10-year delay “a disgrace”, Ms Anna Lo MLA asked the deputy First
Minister, Martin McGuinness, when a draft sexual
orientation strategy will be brought to the Executive. Junior Minister
Jennifer McCann, answering on behalf of the Department, agreed that the
strategy “has been far too long in coming”. The PSNI has reported a recent
increase in hate crimes of this nature, putting an onus on us to bring a
strategy forward adding that “we need to send a very clear message to the LGBT
community that it has the reassurance that the Executive will ensure that its
needs and interests will be addressed by government.” Following the recent equal
marriage referendum in the Republic of Ireland the Junior Minister McCann also
discussed the potential for Northern Ireland to follow saying “we also have to
ensure that we are legislating and that anything that we do here is for
everyone, that we are progressive and, at any time, we need to challenge
homophobia in any other places where that leads to discrimination and
everything else against people, particularly our young people.”
Paul Girvan
then asked the deputy First Minister for an update on the implementation of the
Stormont House
Agreement in light of the current
difficulties in implementing Welfare Reform. Mr McGuinness explained that
party leaders continue to meet weekly in an effort to take the Agreement
forward. Plans are being drawn up to deal with matters such as the past, flags,
parades and emblems. However the current impasse over welfare reform “has
created very serious difficulties, which have implications for the agreement
and the future of these institutions.” The Minister is confident that the
difficulties can be resolved adding that “what is required now is political
will from all parties and both Governments to reach a suitable resolution that
protects the most vulnerable in our society and the economic viability of these
institutions.”
During Question
Time the deputy First Minister also answered queries on the proposed repeal
of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry and
the social investment fund. There was also a period of topical questions in
which the Minister discussed topics such as the Parades Commission, community
relations in South Belfast and the sustainable development strategy.
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