Role of Assembly being ‘squeezed’, says Mark Durkan

The SDLP’s Mark Durkan believes the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly is being “squeezed” and there is far too much emphasis on the decision-making powers of the Executive.

The Foyle MP - who stood down from the Assembly towards the end of last year- says people across the North want to see the Assembly “doing more”.

He told the ‘Journal’ this week: “People have a lot of questions about the worth and value of devolution. The democratic structures at the Assembly could be improved to allow MLAs to have much more effect and challenge on the system.

“What we have at the minute is a set-up which allows civil servants to believe that, once they catch ministers to sign on for something, nobody else’s opinion matters and that the Assembly won’t challenge it. Assembly scrutiny has to mean something. Unfortunately, we’ve moved well away from this.

“Increasingly, we have a position where people say that, because the Executive agrees something, it should not be discussed in the Assembly.

“In the last Assembly, an attitude developed, particularly in Sinn Fein and the DUP, as if the Assembly is accountable to the Executive and not the other way around; almost as if it is up to the Executive to impose its will on the Assembly.

“If we had the Assembly discharging the sort of role envisaged in and mandated of it in the Good Friday Agreement, I think it would be better for everyone. The Assembly needs to exercise all its functions. People seem to forget the Assembly is the budgetary authority in the North - you wouldn’t think it to listen to the last Budget debate. The Assembly’s role in the Budget has been absolutely filleted.

“The role of the Assembly is being squeezed. We increasingly hear people talking about our institutions in terms of the Executive. Yes, it has a hugely important role and job to do but it is not the totality of democracy.”

See Tuesday’s ‘Journal’ for in-depth interview with Mark Durkan.