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BBC
18 Jan 2012
David Ford was appointed justice minister following the 2010 deal
Alliance Party leader David Ford has welcomed a commitment from the NI first and deputy first ministers to make the position of justice minister as secure as the other Executive posts.
At present, the minister can be removed by cross community vote.
Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness have said they now intend going to the assembly soon to extend the present justice arrangements beyond May.
Mr Ford was appointed justice minister after a deal in 2010.
Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness will also write to the secretary of state for Northern Ireland asking him to introduce legislation at Westminster to ensure the tenure of the justice minister is consistent with other ministers.
In the meantime, they will publish a letter to the speaker indicating they will commit the DUP and Sinn Fein to ongoing support for the justice minister being appointed by cross community vote for the entire period of this assembly term.
The two ministers are also asking officials to make arrangements to prepare the necessary legislation to abolish the Department for Employment and Learning and transfer its functions.
It is understood this could happen as early as June.
In response Mr Ford, said he was encouraged that Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness had addressed a number of concerns raised in his party’s response to the proposals.
He said a final decision on whether Alliance will continue in the justice ministry beyond May would be taken by the party council “in its own time and in light of the content and timing of the Westminster legislation that is being sought by the first minister and the deputy first ministers”.
Mr Ford’s appointment as justice minister was a compromise to ensure justice powers could be transferred to Stormont from Westminster in April 2010.
As a result, the SDLP lost out on a second ministry, while the Alliance was able to gain one.
By Liam Clarke
Belfast Telegraph
Thursday, 12 January 2012
David Ford is considering resigning as Justice Minister in response to Sinn Fein and DUP plans to scrap the Department of Education and Learning (DEL).
The Alliance leader has said he will ask Alliance’s ruling party council for guidance on the issue before making a decision.
“That is clearly a key issue that is there to be discussed. We have to consider everything,” he said.
Parties have been given until Monday at 5pm to respond to the OFMDFM proposal, but Mr Ford says his party will not meet this deadline. Instead, he will take at least a fortnight to respond so that he can seek the views of his party council, whose next scheduled meeting is in March.
“They (Sinn Fein and the DUP) are asking for responses by Monday but if we need a special meeting of party council that will take about a fortnight,” Mr Ford said, adding: “There is no need for the suggestion that this needs to be wrapped up in three or four days. That is playing silly games.
“What you have now is a political carve-up to deprive us of our entitlement.”
The proposals appear to specify that Mr Ford should hold the justice ministry till the end of the Assembly term.
By Liam Clarke
Belfast Telegraph
11 January 2012
Justice Minister David Ford is expected to remain in his post for at least another three years after agreement was reached during all-party talks at Stormont last night.
The three largest parties have agreed that the Alliance leader should retain the ministry until the next election in 2015 or 2016, but this should be balanced by the abolition of Alliance’s other ministry, the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL).
This position was spelled out in a statement by the First and Deputy First Minister late last night and welcomed by the Ulster Unionists.
The three parties want DEL’s functions split between the Department of Trade and Industry, held by the DUP, and the Department of Education which is in Sinn Fein hands.
That would reduce the present 11 ministries to 10 and end the anomaly whereby Alliance, with just eight MLAs, holds two ministries — as many as the combined total of the UUP and SDLP, who have 30 assembly members between them.
When justice was devolved in 2010, Alliance was the only party trusted by both the DUP and Sinn Fein to hold such the brief, which covers policing, courts and prisons.
Mr Ford’s appointment originally contained a sunset clause of May 1 this year, by which time a decision must be made on how to proceed.
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