Inside Politics: Causeway
Tomorrow's Inside Politics features the DUP MP Gregory Campbell and Sinn Fein's Daithi McKay debating the merits of public or private sector development of the Giants' Causeway. There's no meeting of minds on the visitor centre although both politicians agree that there should be more transparency surrounding donations to the local parties.
The Causeway will remain the centre of attention at Stormont next week - Daithi McKay is due to question Nigel Dodds on the matter on Monday, whilst the Tourism Minister and a host of interested parties face the Enterprise Committee on Tuesday. The Environment Minister Arlene Foster is due to face questions from her committee on Thursday.
Apart from discussing the visitor centre, I also get a question in about the emergence of a new unionist party. The gossip is that this will finally be unveiled next week, although Gregory Campbell tells me he's not worried about the prospect.
Inside Politics is broadcast at 12.45 on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Ulster on Saturday.
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Either everybody's gone on holidays or mark's been talking crap.
Without someone evoking the Freedom of Information Act, Minister Foster, in open government policy must clarify one underlying question. Was the current private proposal submitted by Seaport Investments Ltd for off-site development of the Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre by invitation or purely speculative; that 'nods and winks' played no part in the submission?
It is irrelevant that the Seaport Investments Ltd proposal under the UNESCO remit was unsuccessful.
I find it bewildering why The National Trust and Moyle District Council had not jointly submitted a basic proposal, incorporating the UNESCO competition rules, to the Planning Authority seeking outline planning permission to replace the previous on-site facilities destroyed by fire in 2000. I suggest they should do so immediately in order to retain an on-site Visitors' Centre within public ownership, which I suspect has widespread public support.
I wonder is the notional proposal by the Sheridan Group 'pay-back' for some statement made under parliamentary privilege?
Someone should contact Finn McCool to ascertain if he can sort out the debacle!