What has the Assembly ever done for us?

Internal tensions in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister have recently been in the media. Publicly this is between Peter Robionson and Martin McGuinness who cannot agree on how to convince Downing Street to give an adequate budget for policing and justice.

First thing to say is the budget for policing and justice will be found. But at what cost?

Every few days we hear about financial pressures on education and health with reductions in services and bed closures likely to be only the start.

Policing and justice are not the only issues being held up. There are a substantial number of issues - over 35 - that are being delayed at Executive level.

With all of this background I started a conversation on Facebook (which is still ongoing) to ask people what successes the Asswembly has had. The aim of this is to keep a balance with the gloom and doom. The following list has been cobbled together from submissions to date and are not all mine:

Free perscriptions
Reduced hospital waiting lists
Development of the Cathedral Quarter
Funding to make school buses safer
Air Route Development Fund - developing direct flights to US and elsewhere
Ability to independently protect NI beef exports during various BSE crises
Fuel Poverty Strategy - Winter Fuel Payment
Free Travel for the elderly
Small Business Rates Relief
New Bus and Train fleet
Public Accounts Committee - holding public agencies to account
Protection of HomeStart Services
Promotion of Renewable Energy

Please feel free to add to list on facebook or here. But just remember when the media and politicians are full of gloom and doom some real successes have been delivered for the people on the ground.

To our politicians - as you can see above you can do good! Do not get side tracked on silly arguments. Delivering for the people who put you there is what is important now more than ever. In this election year please remember what the people giveth the people can take away.