Causeway proposal refused
It's official. Arlene Foster has just told the Assembly that she is refusing Seymour Sweeney's application for a private visitor centre at the Giants Causeway. The minister has told the Assembly the proposal would have an adverse impact on the Causeway's World heritage site status as it would adversely affect the character of the area. If she had done this in the first place just think of the acres of newsprint that could have been saved.
UPDATE: A reasonably lively debate followed the Environment Minister's announcement. The best one liner came from the UUP's Danny Kennedy - "It would appear that the DUP have left Mr Sweeney on his tod."
I'm 
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Mark
鈥淲HAT AM I GOING TO SAY TO SEYMOUR?鈥
The most interesting aspect of watching Arlene Foster deliver her much trailed decision to ditch Seymour鈥檚 application for the Causeway Visitors鈥 Centre was Junior Paisley鈥檚 dejected demeanour. As Arlene droned on about how her decision had been based solely on planning considerations (Laugh Out Loud), poor old Junior鈥檚 slouch became more and more pronounced as he sank deeper into his seat. Suddenly, above his head, I saw speech bubbles exposing his mental torment [Think 鈥淔olks on the Hill鈥漖:
鈥淢y God, what am I going to say to Seymour?鈥
鈥淲orse still, what is Seymour going to say to me?鈥
鈥淚f I never see that Martina Purdy again, it鈥檒l be too soon.鈥
鈥淚f that Declan O鈥橪oan doesn鈥檛 stop smirking, I鈥檒l invite him outside.鈥
鈥淭hat Daith铆 McKay is a wee skitter.鈥
鈥淲hy is Peter not speaking to me?鈥
鈥淒a, where are ya when I need you?鈥
鈥溾滿ummy, Mummy, bad men are after me!鈥
Mind you, Mark, Junior was not the only one discomfited by Arlene鈥檚 retreat from Seymour鈥檚 proposal, which most people believed was inevitable because of the Junior Minister鈥檚 lobbying. Iris 鈥楥ruella鈥 Robinson and Mervyn Storey were prime examples that her climb-down was a humiliation for the whole Party. Seeking to mask her embarrassment, Iris鈥檚 rictus grin must have been jaw-aching to maintain and fooled nobody. Mervyn Storey is always a good barometer of the mood of the DUP in the Assembly. When the DUP is unhappy, Mervyn bounces and fidgets in his chair like a bored schoolboy, sharing faux jokes and giggles with colleagues or pretending to make notes in his jotter. Yesterday, he exhibited all these tendencies in spades.
Mark, maybe I have been too cruel to wee Junior. It鈥檚 not fair kicking a man when he鈥檚 down. On second thoughts, in Junior鈥檚 case, I think it鈥檚 fair enough.
Susie
Carryduff
Seymour Sweeney is a cheery, ebullient characher and a surviver, the people who thought they gained by making him a national priority are the sad and weary losers. I would not be surprised if Seymour does not build a tourist facility beside the National Trust one anyway. I think we will 'see more'
DON鈥橳 SLIP ON THE SLIME鈥
It now transpires that the only matter Minister Foster was 鈥榤inded鈥 to do in the Giant鈥檚 Causeway Sweeney planning application was to ignore the advice of her planning management officials.
Did Minister Foster have sight of the letter of intent from David Hanson on the issues raised by her DUP colleague, Ian Paisley Junior following a private t锚te-脿-t锚te over sticky buns and thick chicory coffee with Tony Blair at St Andrews?
It would seem not unreasonable to conclude that Minister Foster is now playing 鈥榤ind games鈥 on the whole saga of the Giant鈥檚 Causeway. The Minister needs to watch where she steps as it looks like the tide is going out and she might slip on some slime without a lifeboat in sight.