Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, says today’s Question Time to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister was a total waste of time, as neither Martin McGuinness nor Junior Minister Jennifer McCann even attempted to answer the questions asked of them.
Mr Nesbitt said:
“When discussing the Haass Talks, Martin McGuinness has taken to talking about Parades, the Past and Identity, rather than Parades, the Past and Flags, which was the Haass agenda.
“I asked Mr McGuinness if he accepted the criticism voiced recently on CNN tv by Professor O’Sullivan who spoke of the ‘immature way’ some engaged in the issue of identity and how that interacted with the question of sovereignty.
“Mr McGuinness totally ignored the question, abusing Question Time by launching an attack on myself and my Party.
“Later, Junior Minister McCann was asked by my colleague Leslie Cree if she had apologised to victims and survivors over the stinging criticism of OFMDFM arising from the independent review of the VSS, Victims and Survivors Service. The review identified the primary issue with the VSS being OFMDFM’s failure to appoint a fulltime Board in a timely manner, leaving the Service without strategic direction.
“Again, the Minister made no attempt to answer the question. This is an insult, not only to the Northern Ireland Assembly, but also to victims and survivors, who had reason to hope for better from the Ministers who profess to support them and their needs.”