Tough year in Government, as well as at the polls
IT has been a "very difficult" year for the DUP not just electorally, but in the Executive and Assembly, Mr Robinson accepts.
However, he blames the Stormont difficulties on the system of government in Northern Ireland, rather than on the MLAs who operate it.
He argues that despite the difficulties in operating the current system, his MLAs and ministers have made "very considerable progress".
"We have been able to agree on literally 99 percent of the decisions that came before us as an Executive and a small percentage that we have not been able to deal with I don't think the finger can be pointing to us," he says.
Like most politicians outside of Sinn Fein, Mr Robinson lays the blame for the education debacle firmly at the feet of Sinn Fein Education Minister Caitriona Ruane, "a minister who doesn't appear to know how to engage herself in negotiating mode; who is so doctrinaire that she's not prepared to consider anybody's view other than her own."
Despite the difficulties in the Executive, the First Minister argues that the Executive has made key decisions — on water charges, "cushioning the economic downturn" and freezing the regional rate — which Direct Rule ministers would not have implemented.
Asked whether the wrangle with Sinn Fein over policing and justice has been a distraction from the work of Government, Mr Robinson says: "I think distraction is probably the right word to use because as I go round, people aren't collaring me and saying 'I wish you'd hurry up and get policing and justice resolved'.
"People are talking to me about jobs and the economy; about health and education — those are the matters which are at the forefront of people's minds."
Mr Robinson re-asserts the party's support for devolving the powers, but only when there is broad support for that from the community.
He speaks of the "folly of those who would take us back to Direct rule knowing full well that that is Dublin rule" which would have hung over Northern Ireland had Stormont not returned.
"I just cannot understand," he says in a clear reference to Jim Allister, who he only names once in the half-hour interview, "how any intelligent person could take Northern Ireland down a road which they know would leave us helpless and ineffective, unable to dictate events or veto bad decisions."
He implicitly accuses Mr Allister of peddling unachievable populism in his calls for Sinn Fein to be removed from the Executive, adding: "It is the easy politics that some people prefer to opt for."
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
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