September 2023
Investment conference
For decades, we were told that political instability was a switch off when it came to attracting international mobile investment. Not any more, it would seem.
The absence of an Executive and an Assembly didn’t bother the 200 delegates who attended the NI Investment Summit which had, as its curtain-raiser, the announcement of 1,000 new jobs by EY.
The visitors came from the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe and the US. Without long haul air links, many of them touched down in Belfast via Dublin Airport – something that won’t have gone unnoticed.
Doing their best to make them welcome were our Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, Business & Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, Princess Anne and Invest NI’s Mel Chittock. Doing some of the persuading with potential US investors was the gregarious Joe Kennedy, President Biden’s Special Envoy.
The event gave some of the most innovative companies here the opportunity to strut their stuff. Cutting-edge business and industry delivered their testimonies and, by all accounts, their pitch was well received.
Just think how much better it would have been if we had a First Minister and deputy First Minister sharing a platform to hammer home the message that we have a stable administration wedded to doing all it can to attract major new investment creating new high-value jobs.
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A public spat
It’s not often the political and diplomatic gloves come off but when they do, it makes for compelling viewing.
The brouhaha that played out on tv news bulletins featured the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris.
Leo said he could envisage a united Ireland in his lifetime. CHH hit right back by describing Leo’s comment was ‘unhelpful’.
Soft-spoken civil servants in Belfast and Dublin were left wiping the sweat from their brows as they worked overtime to repair fences. They don’t like it when there’s a public spat, even less so when it’s a case of much ado about very little.
They’re probably working on a public handshake that says all is back on track.
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PEACEPLUS leads to angry words
Then there was the dust-up over PEACE PLUS dosh. Once again, Taoiseach Leo was front and centre. Or, if you’re a Unionist, stealing a march on all the others at the big announcement in Belfast.
The €1.1 bn package covers Northern Ireland and the six southern border counties. Leo’s office essentially took ownership of the good news story by issuing a press release hailing the package – even though in the grand scheme of things, Dublin and Belfast’s contribution was minimal.
Outrage followed with indignation close behind. The problem was that 75% of the total was coming from the UK Government, yet Leo and European Commission Vice President, Maros Šefčovič, snatched the kudos.
Far from amused, unionist politicians led the charge and railed against the media ‘hijacking’ by Dublin and Brussels. Pretty ironic when you consider the political ‘A” listers were meant to be talking up peace and reconciliation.
Perhaps they should have asked how the cock-up occurred and where was the coordination and management of the news.
CHH didn’t look a happy bunny at the event.
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Staying in Europe
The Windsor Framework has enabled the UK to return to the EU fold, or at least part of it.
The country will rejoin the Horizon science research programme which will cost the taxpayer £2.6bn a-year. Hardly loose change! The hefty annual admission fee will enable British scientists to apply once again for grants from the £85bn programme.
Needless to say boffins are in seventh heaven! They relish the prospect of picking up where they left off after the door was shut to them in the row over Northern Ireland Brexit trading arrangements. They can again boldly go about unlocking what PM Sunak said was ‘unparalleled research opportunities.’
Soothing words have been exchanged between Brussels and London. You couldn’t imagine Liz or Boris pulling this off.
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Support your ‘paper
Public sector workers – nurses, doctors and Police officers – aren’t the only ones suffering from low pay and insufficient pay awards.
Journalists, too, are hurting. Scribes working for National World were on the picket line in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry. Their union, the NUJ, said strikers were relying on second jobs to boost incomes and some depended on food banks.
A 4.5% offer has been rejected as newsroom staff everywhere are told they have to do more with less. These are tough times for newspapers. The industry is in crisis with a daily battle to protect circulation levels and maintain advertising income.
I get my daily ‘fix’ of news on my mobile – ‘Irish News’, ‘News Letter’ and ‘Belfast Telegraph’ – as newspapers adapt and innovate to accommodate lifestyle changes. They’ve embraced technological opportunities to protect market share, but that’s nothing new.
We don’t want to see fewer titles and the only way to achieve that is if you buy the hard copy or subscribe to the app of your choice. That way, the people who write the news will continue to perform a vital function in our democracy.
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Lough Neagh
Top marks to the two Archbishops of Armagh for coming together to call for urgent action to address the choking toxic blue-green algae threatening Lough Neagh.
Archbishop Eamon Martin and Archbishop John McDowell didn’t mince their words.
How’s this for a bit of plain speaking: “We are facing an environmental disaster and, as church leaders, we worry that the issue is not being given the priority it deserves. Before Lough Neagh approaches the point of no return, a collective examination of the causes and development of a robust plan to save this unique and ancient ecosystem is needed.”
In a joint statement, they go on to say: “Our primary concern is that the response is too slow and is tied up in multi-agency bureaucracy. Whilst multiple stakeholders debate the remit of responsibility, Lough Neagh and those who live near and around it suffer.
“There is a clear need for decisive leadership. We must identify the causes of pollution and devise an Action Plan capable of arresting the decline.”
Their hard-hitting message needed to be said. They declared that society will not be forgiven for its inaction or inability to come up with workable solutions.
“Our appeal is that a Task Force comprised of experts and relevant agencies be formed immediately and instructed to submit a report outlining procedures and actions required to avert a disaster within a short timeframe.”
It’s not often we get intervention of this magnitude from the heads of the Catholic and Anglican Churches in Ireland. Let’s hope the NIO, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), NI Water and all our political parties should sit up and take notice.
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Legacy Act set for Court
The controversial Legacy Bill has been given Royal Assent in the face of universal opposition.
When it passed through the legislative process at Westminster, Victims Commissioner, Ian Jeffers, took a swipe at the Government in his post on ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
Mr Jeffers described it as ‘a sad day’ and added: “How the government can say they have listened and improved this Bill is beyond me. They rejected significant changes from the (House of) Lords and ignored the views of victims and survivors. This is not reconciliation.”
Victim’ groups are furious. All the political parties in Northern Ireland opposed the Act which they say will offer conditional amnesty and remove access to justice.
The Act will be challenged in the High Court with at least fifteen legal challenges. More than that, the Republic of Ireland government is considering taking an interstate case against the UK Government.
It may have passed into law, but that won’t be the end of the story.
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And finally…..
We’ve chalked up impressive wins against Romania and Tonga. Now, Ireland face their toughest test this Saturday evening when they take on the might of the Springboks in Stade de France.
So, sit back, belt up and make sure the beers are chilled for the encounter between the top two teams in world rugby. It will be a cracker!
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