Less Funding To Help The Visually Impaired Live Independently?

Why do the visually impaired receive less funding to help them live independently compared to other disability groups? Mark Durkan took on this difficult question explaining that the problem was that funding of this kind had previously gone through health services and this has now been acknowledged as flawed. He argued that the early work [...]

Is Everyone With Specialist Needs Catered For?

People with autism living in rural areas are finding it more and more difficult to get the specialist treatment that they desperately need. Raymond McCartney spoke passionately about the need to ensure that all funding is ‘closely scrutinised and equality proofed’ and said that it was imperative that there are sufficient specialist therapists in all [...]

More Spontaneity In Assembly Sessions

How can Plenary sessions become more interesting? A member of the Derry audience pointed out how difficult it is to maintain an interest in watching Plenary sessions. The panel agreed that this was a problem. David Ford lamented the ‘dull speeches, dull questions and even duller answers’. Gregory Campbell pointed out that it is difficult [...]

Are Issues For The Partially Sighted Being Addressed?

Why are the 48,000 blind and partially sighted people of Northern Ireland receiving hospital appointment cards in small, faint print? Good news from Raymond McCartney who confirmed that the Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, has made a commitment to address this issue. The possibility of Assembly publications being produced in large print, Braille and audio for [...]

Temperatures Rise Over Water Charges

When water charges are introduced, will this be reflected in a reduction of domestic rates? Gregory Campbell confirmed that water charges will be visible and separate from domestic rates while David Ford expressed his dismay that the time spent deferring the new charges haven’t led to a new system which will fairly determine how much [...]