Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill already not answering MLAs’ questions on time
Despite promising a new era of transparency and respect for the Assembly’s role in scrutinising the Executive, Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill are already failing to answer basic questions within Stormont’s own time limit.
One of the examples of the dysfunctionality within Stormont Castle is the 2007-2017 incarnation of devolution.
The New Decade, New Approach document talked about a new era of transparency and inclusion at Stormont, in which the Executive would be “transparently and collectively accountable to the Assembly and to citizens”.
However, although Stormont has only been back for just over a fortnight, there are already 25 written questions to the first and deputy first ministers which have not been answered within the time limit.
Most of the questions are from Jim Allister but some are from other MLAs, including former justice minister Claire Sugden.
When asked why the questions were not being answered, a spokesman for The Executive Office told the News Letter: “We are at an early and intense stage of re-establishing fully functioning processes across all our activities.
“We regret the delay and will endeavour to respond to the MLAs concerned as soon as possible.”
Mr Allister responded by saying: “I am disappointed nothing has changed when it comes to the first ministers failing to observe the stipulations of standing orders on prompt replies to Assembly questions.
“This was a problem in the last Assembly and, clearly, it persists. I suspect this is largely because the first ministers can’t agree the responses. Dysfunctionality rules.”