I HAVE consulted the Hansard report of a debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly (for accuracy), and in particular Barry McElduff's comments during the debate regarding Strategy for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration on Monday.
I believe I have found this MLA has exposed himself as being unsuitable to hold the chair of the DCAL committee.
Mr McElduff stated, and I quote from Hansard: "The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure must face increased scrutiny".
This depar
tmental committee exists to, and I quote from the Assembly website: "undertake a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and plays a key role in the consideration and development of legislation". The reason for the existence of the committee is therefore clearly laid out in black and white.
Now this view may be simplistic, but if Mr McElduff is charged, as chair of this committee, with ensuring that the work of DCAL Minister Gregory Campbell is thoroughly scrutinised, do his remarks in the debate not expose him to the charge of not ensuring that this scrutiny is already taking place?
If this lack of effective leadership from the chair in discharging the committee's statutory duties is the case, surely the chair would not want to be the one announcing his shortcomings to the world at large?
I will therefore ask Mr McElduff to heed his own advice to the minister in the debate.
If he is unfit for office and incapable of showing respect to other people's traditions, and if he wants to remain in the trenches, he should consider his position as chair of the DCAL committee with responsibility for scrutinising the role of the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
David Gilmour
Coleraine
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