Down in the Ballymena Bunker
The lightest moment during Deputy First Minister's question time today concerned the existence of a Ballymena bunker in case of nuclear war or some other disaster. The SDLP's Alex Attwood wanted to know who was on the list of 300 people to be taken there in a moment of peril. The DFM Martin McGuinness replied that he knew nothing of the bunker and hoped he wasn't on the list, whilst the Environment Minister Arlene Foster said she hadn't given it planning permission. More than one MLA joked about Ian Jr. being sent to the bunker.
If the MLAs had computers in the chamber a quick web search would have turned up the bunker, complete with a quote from Mr McGuinness's own OFMDFM.
Meanwhile when it comes to the budget the Executive parties have now climbed out of their respective silos, agreeing a final document to be officially launched by Peter Robinson tomorrow. So there's a truce in the Executive civil war. Margaret Ritchie is getting more than £200 million to build 5000 plus affordable homes over the next three years. The Ulster Unionists claim their settlement for health amounts to £150 million over 3 years, but other parties reckon that's an over inflated figure. Sir Reg Empey looks set to get his hands on around £40 million of the British-Irish innovation fund, and Sinn Fein are hailing committments to equality built in to the budget process.
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You mention if the MLA's had their laptops in the chamber.....
Can it be assumed that since one of the reasons our MLA's have (at great cost to the public purse) a range of laptops, office pcs, pdas and the like is to communicate with their constituents.
That being the case can we assume that all at Stormont have now got round to complying with the requirements of the Data Protection legislation and have registered with the Information Commissioners Office as Data Controllers.
Have just checked the public register to be found at and there seems to be something of a cross party failing in this regard.
Check the MLA's in your constituency and see how many are registered.
BALLYMENA BUNKER!
I have heard of the existence of the Ballymena Bunker. Perhaps your colleague, Ms Purdy, could find out if it was built under government contract by Mr Seymour Sweeney and if his proposed underground Causeway Visitor's Centre is really a nuclear fall out centre for the exclusive use of the MLAs!
Good question Alex Atwood. It would be very interesting to find out what the breeding stock would be should the rest of NI get annihilated.
Also, good to see Sinn Fein happy with equality under the Union Jack.