Speeches by Hanna.

“I will come back in on how we break the cycle but, in the interests of trust in the Executive and how we buy people into the journey that we are going on, there is a real worry about a mismatch in words and actions. We all understand those financial pressures, and you have selected in the narrative and in the public-fa…”

“As I said, we have sympathy with that, and I believe in devolution and not just cutting and pasting. My concern is that it is priorities in words, but not necessarily in allocation. I am not convinced that that stabilisation, which we all understand, is adequately happening. The draft budget says that it is being viewe…”

“I did not want to name names, but I am attributing a direct quote.”

“I have just a quick one to finish. The BMA told us last week that the health sector needs better targeted funding and not necessarily more. Do you agree with that assessment?”

“Thank you very much, Minister. I wanted to ask you about the voluntary sector. Everywhere, it plugs some of the gaps between government services, but, particularly with those years of stop-start government, it has really had to step up in Northern Ireland. There is a bit of a sense of abandonment by the political class…”

“As I am sure the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) would attest, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful estimates that we have 420 million plastic bottles and 90 million cans in Northern Ireland so we have a lot of work to do on reduction. The scheme is working really well in the Republic and I am an avid user of it wh…”

“Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney described Sean Brown as a man of “goodwill and integrity” who represented something better than we have grown used to. We meet the day before his family are forced back to court, and in the week of the anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre; the sole survivor, brave Alan Black, is waiting fo…”

“4. What progress his Department has made on reforming the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.”

“Without sounding too sycophantic, thank you for your answers. I agree with that analysis. You should not have to be squabbling over the resource. Graham, I am going to focus on SEN and to roll up a few questions, if you do not mind. Are you concerned that the SEN strategy is released without specific figures and budget…”

“Without sounding too sycophantic, thank you for your answers. I agree with that analysis. You should not have to be squabbling over the resource. Graham, I am going to focus on SEN and to roll up a few questions, if you do not mind. Are you concerned that the SEN strategy is released without specific figures and budget…”

“Sir Robert, what is your assessment of the effectiveness of the Executive’s budget sustainability plan? Do you think that it is sufficiently ambitious? I know the revenue-raising targets were stretched over a couple of years. Were there measures that you would have anticipated seeing that are not in there?”

“Do you get a sense that there is much going on? Again, there is a lot of chat.”

“We have touched on it, but once more for the tape, what progress has the Joint Exchequer Committee made on the final fiscal framework, and what should it contain?”

“Do you think we are setting our expectations a wee bit low after two years of negotiations? After 10 months back, we are just getting a draft programme for government and a draft budget. Do you think we are setting our expectations a bit low if we are celebrating just getting drafts?”

“You are right, and I think colleagues will come back to that. That is my point. There was a lot of talk about getting this right a year ago, but it feels like we are maybe back into some of the old habits. Clearly, judging by your submission, you are disappointed in the lack of ambition in this first budget. Do you thi…”

“Stephen, in its response your unit made a number of recommendations about ways to make things more sustainable—things like preventative DEL spending. Do you think that with the figures on the table and sufficient joined-up thinking and vision, it is possible for the Executive to deliver decent public services and a bal…”

“The trajectory is not bad.”

“Do you think that is possible given the increased budget settlement for next year, even though some of it is short-term and there is huge need. Do you think it is possible with effective decision making, addressing silos and so on, as we have discussed? As somebody in your profession, do you think it is legitimate to a…”

“Dorinnia, Stephen referenced potential shortfalls this year. Do you think the Executive are on track to deliver a balanced budget in the coming financial year?”

“Do you think Ordnance Survey map charges and increases and so on show the vision that the Executive need to transform public services?”