Fiery debate at Stormont fails to oust Givan
BRETT CAMPBELL, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
MINISTER SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE OVER CONTROVERSIAL ISRAEL VISIT
Stormont's Education Minister has survived a bid to oust him from the Executive over his trip to Israel, despite a majority of MLAs supporting a no-confidence motion during a fiery debate.
Paul Givan was accused of acting like a pantomime villain during the hostile Assembly sitting which saw tempers flare on all sides of the chamber yesterday.
At one point the chaotic proceedings were interrupted by pro-Palestine activists opposing what they described as “murder” and “genocide” in Gaza.
Protesters shouted “Shame on you, minister” from the public gallery as elected representatives had their say on the motion brought by People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll, who accused the DUP minister of failing to uphold his pledge of office and comply with the ministerial code of conduct by using departmental resources to share images of his visit to a school in East Jerusalem.
Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney branded the trip as an “Israeli state-sponsored propaganda stunt” and an “obscene act which caused deep offence”, while pointing out it has been roundly condemned by teachers' unions, students and “all right-thinking people across these islands”.
He added: “His participation was premeditated. He knew that the use of his departmental social media would provoke widespread outrage. That, too, was premeditated. In doing so, he chose to ignore Israel's sadistic depravity and genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Mr Kearney went on to accuse Mr Givan of being “a genocide denier”, which he described as “an amoral, inhuman, incredulous and grotesque position for anyone to adopt, but especially someone in public office”.
‘Grinning like a pantomime villain’
The SDLP leader of the opposition claimed Mr Givan was “grinning like a pantomime villain” during the heated plenary session.
Matthew O'Toole accused his opponent of breaching rules around Civil Service impartiality and failing to uphold his legal requirement to have at least one official present at ministerial meetings.
“Had Mr Givan simply embarked upon a tour as a private MLA, as a DUP representative as he first claimed he did, we probably would not have been here today,” he added, stressing that the social media comments commending Ofek school was the “core” issue.
Mr O'Toole rubbished Mr Givan's claim that his departmental permanent secretary had given the trip a “clean bill of health” as he compared the school trip to visiting an illegally occupied area of Ukraine with “one of Vladimir Putin's officials”.
He concluded: “If you had shame or sense, you would have been gone by now. Sadly, you have neither.”
Mr Givan dismissed the criticism as “an attempt at ideological purging” and claimed the “political lynching” had offered “a glimpse into a new Ireland”.
“Not a land flowing with milk and honey, but a land where unionists serve only at the pleasure and on terms dictated by nationalists and republicans, aided and abetted by the Alliance Party,” he added.
“It is a vision not of equality but of subjugation. This motion has not just targeted me, but has sent a chilling message to the unionist community that our convictions, our values and our right to engage with the wider world are to be policed and punished.”
The minister described the attempt to “exclude” him from public office for the maximum period of 12 months as a form of “political internment” as he again accused Sinn Fein of hypocrisy and of “glorifying past IRA violence”.
Mr Givan told MLAs he refuses to be “silenced or intimidated” by the motion or its backers, before Mothers Against Genocide demonstrators interrupted.
‘Hamas fanboy’
Firmly taking the side of her party colleague, DUP deputy leader Michelle McIlveen accused Gerry Carroll of being a “Hamas fanboy” and highlighted Sinn Fein's past interactions with Hamas and other terror groups from around the world.
She accused current MLAs Declan Kearney and Pat Sheehan of previously attempting to “legitimise” the proscribed organisation that carried out the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel as she took a swipe at the SDLP for supporting “pointless motions” in a bid for relevance.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein MLA and convicted IRA bomber Pat Sheehan accused the DUP of being incapable of calling “the slaughter of children” in Gaza “wrong” as he resorted to a football analogy to make the point that Mr Givan “has lost the changing room” and should quit.
“Where is the empathy? Where is the compassion? Where is the humanity from those who constantly bombard us with their Christian beliefs?” he added.
At one point the Assembly Speaker had to intervene to reign in a member of his own party who accused Mr Carroll of being an “anti-Semite”.
A total of 47 (58.8%) out of the 80 members who voted supported Mr Carroll's motion, including all of the 33 nationalists who took part plus 14 others: Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party and the SDLP.
The motion was opposed by the DUP, the Ulster Unionists and TUV MLA Timothy Gaston.
However, the motion fell because it did not have cross-community support.
Our MLAs excel at theatre and shouting, but shirk the tedious work of legislating
SAM MCBRIDE, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
COMMENT
DEBATE OVER PAUL GIVAN'S ISRAEL TRIP SERVED STORMONT'S DUOPOLY PERFECTLY AS ELECTION CAMPAIGN HEATS UP, LEAVING REAL ISSUES UNRESOLVED
Shouting is easy, but governing is hard. Demanding someone else do something is harder than doing something yourself.
Yesterday, many MLAs were in their happy place. On both sides as they debated Paul Givan's fitness for office, MLA after MLA gave every impression of righteous anger — and much of that anger was genuine.
But in many cases they were far more comfortable in this role than in their main paid job as legislators.
They were talking, arguing, insulting each other — and were good at it because they have considerable practice. What they've been rather less enthusiastic about is legislating.
Of the 10 bills which have become law over almost two years of this Assembly's life, one was to reverse a mindbogglingly stupid law (making hospital car parking free without building more car parks) they'd passed without proper scrutiny in 2022, one was to create a new MLA pay body expected to give MLAs big salary increases, two were to copy and paste Westminster policies, and three were routine budget bills.
Rarely does scrutiny of legislation see the chamber packed.
It involves the tedious but crucial business of governance; of making sure that the civil and criminal laws by which we are all bound will make society better, rather than leading to perverse outcomes.
Stormont is not unique in seeing a drop in interest in scrutinising legislation. The House of Commons now has a growing problem in this area.
As politicians increasingly seek a 60-second clip of a rousing speech they can post on social media, legislative scrutiny rarely provides the ideal content for an ecosystem which thrives on hatred, anger and righteous indignation over others' transgressions.
Yesterday, MLAs raised their voices, jabbed their fingers, rolled their eyes and made clear their unrelenting opposition to each other — even though the result was pre-determined and everyone knew so from the outset. Afterwards, they took to their phones to post soundbites and videos of how well they'd performed.
This time the split was between all of unionism on one side and the rest of the chamber on the other.
Independent Claire Sugden was the only unionist to have signed the motion which was debated yesterday, but she did not partake in the debate and did not vote. There were multiple incongruities, one of which involved Pat Sheehan — who bombed a cash-and-carry for the IRA — denouncing Israel for bombing civilians.
Practising for next election
While ostensibly this was a motion about Paul Givan's trip to Israel, for the DUP and Sinn Fein it was a pre-election debate for a vote which is still a year and a half away.
That campaign began several months ago and takes precedence over using the Assembly's shortened mandate to enact the slew of changes which many of these same politicians told voters required the urgent restoration of Stormont last year.
What happened yesterday suited Stormont's duopoly perfectly. Sinn Fein got to say it was doing everything in its power to remove from office a man who many of its voters loathe in relation to a trip to a country many of its voters believe is seeking to wipe out the Palestinian people. The DUP got to demonstrate its resolution in the face of this, telling its voters that it will stand firm in the face of ferocious criticism and doesn't mind defending unpopular causes, mindful that its voters are historically sympathetic to Israel.
None of this is to suggest that scrutiny of Givan is inappropriate or that those attacking or defending Givan are anything other than sincere.
There are legitimate questions about what precisely happened, with a lack of clarity about how involved in the trip the civil service was, or should have been.
But the result was known from last week. Power-sharing means that effectively only one person can remove a minister from one of the two big parties — their party leader.
To do otherwise would be to essentially return to majority rule because the majority could eject from office all those from minority parties.
In this instance, unionist support for Givan meant the motion to remove him was never going to secure the necessary cross-community support.
As soon as yesterday's vote unfolded in the way everyone present knew it would, MLAs poured out of the chamber — even though the next item on the agenda was questions to the Deputy First Minister, which is normally one of the better attended items of business.
By the time Justice Minister Naomi Long was answering questions an hour later, just four of Sinn Fein's 26 (not counting its principal deputy Speaker) MLAs were present — and the same number when Finance Minister John O'Dowd was answering questions. By then, just four of the DUP's 25 (not counting the Speaker) MLAs were present.
By then, lots of MLAs had already sorted their online content for the day.
MLA anger masks the assembly’s impotence
JOHN MANLEY, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, November 11th, 2025
ANALYSIS
IT HAS been remarked that almost every day at the Northern Ireland Assembly is like Groundhog Day.
There’s often a dispiriting predictability to how proceedings play out, with little new ground ever broken and few indications that the abrasive exchanges in the chamber ever alter an opponent’s entrenched opinion. Meanwhile, our public services lurch from one crisis to the next, while the region’s infrastructure deficit deepens by the day.
Yesterday’s well-attended no confidence vote in Education Minister Paul Givan played out very much as anticipated. Even before the assembly’s business office agreed to facilitate the debate and vote, we knew what the outcome would be.
The rules that have been in place since devolution was first restored 27 years ago in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement mean all assembly motions must have cross-community support. Failure to gain the backing of a majority of both nationalist and unionist designations means a motion falls, no matter how strong support may be on one side of the house.
The expectation of a foreseeable outcome was underlined by the fact that a week previous we’d already had a dry run of the no confidence debate, courtesy of an SDLP urgent question about Mr Givan’s Israeli government-sponsored “fact-finding mission”.
Nonetheless, it was felt the gravity of the issue, namely the use of departmental resources to promote an otherwise political venture on behalf of a government accused of genocide, warranted greater explanation and accountability.
The framing of the debate in terms of questioning the minister’s credibility was always going to be divisive but in the current climate MLAs of all hues need little encouragement to retreat to their trenches.
‘There may yet be consequences over junket’
Crossing the ‘Green Line’
Yet there was also a genuine and legitimate desire for Mr Givan to be honest and transparent about a trip that was controversial for a number of reasons, including his crossing of the ‘green line’ into an area that the UK government does not recognise as Israeli territory.
The details that really matter – the review by his permanent secretary that gave the minister a “clean bill of health” and British government guidelines on ministers from devolved administrations visiting occupied territories – have yet to be made public, so MLAs are effectively left to speculate and infer that things weren’t done by the book. Heat, not light, was therefore the order of the day.
The DUP argued the obvious point – why bother wasting time with this motion when you know the minister’s going nowhere? Valid yes, but an approach that would very possibly render 99% of assembly business pointless.
Mr Givan’s party was also keen to highlight its own issues with Sinn Féin Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald’s decision to instruct Invest NI officials not to get involved in trade talks between the UK and Israel.
There were also attacks on “comrade” Gerry Carroll’s support for the Palestinians and the parties who’d supported his petition, especially Alliance, who it was claimed had joined a “pan-nationalist pile-on” targetting the education minister.
The whole gamut of phrases downgrading the debate were aired: “grandstanding”, “Punch and Judy politics”, “show trial”, “performative pantomime”, “sham fight”… the list went on.
Anybody watching the assembly for the first time would get the distinct impression that the DUP never stoops to rhetoric and only ever engages in debates with tangible outcomes.
On the other side, the accusations levelled at Mr Givan varied from immorality to unlawfulness.
A protester was escorted from the oft-forgotten public gallery after heckling the minister as he spoke.
It is abundantly clear the education minister’s Israel visit and accompanying departmental press release have reignited smouldering anger, whether it be over his attitude to integrated education or the narrow focus of his school uniforms bill, widely regarded as ineffective.
But while punches weren’t pulled, few got close to their intended target.
If anything, the debate served only to highlight the inadequacy of the assembly, a forum constrained by rules a majority of MLAs tacitly support; its shortcomings laid bare by impotence.
There may yet be consequences for Mr Givan over his ill-advised genocide-washing junket, though the past week only illustrates the ineffectiveness of the assembly chamber for dealing appropriately with such matters.
Politics as Pantomime in lead up to Festive Season
Niamh Campbell, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
Stormont's Education Minister has survived a bid to oust him from the Executive over his trip to Israel, despite a majority of MLAs supporting a no-confidence motion during a fiery debate.
Paul Givan was accused of acting like a pantomime villain during the hostile Assembly sitting which saw tempers flare on all sides of the chamber yesterday.
At one point the chaotic proceedings were interrupted by pro-Palestine activists opposing what they described as “murder” and “genocide” in Gaza.
Protesters shouted “Shame on you, minister” from the public gallery as elected representatives had their say on the motion brought by People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll, who accused the DUP minister of failing to uphold his pledge of office and comply with the ministerial code of conduct by using departmental resources to share images of his visit to a school in East Jerusalem.
Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney branded the trip as an “Israeli state-sponsored propaganda stunt” and an “obscene act which caused deep offence”, while pointing out it has been roundly condemned by teachers' unions, students and “all right-thinking people across these islands”.
He added: “His participation was premeditated. He knew that the use of his departmental social media would provoke widespread outrage. That, too, was premeditated. In doing so, he chose to ignore Israel's sadistic depravity and genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Mr Kearney went on to accuse Mr Givan of being “a genocide denier”, which he described as “an amoral, inhuman, incredulous and grotesque position for anyone to adopt, but especially someone in public office”.
The SDLP leader of the opposition claimed Mr Givan was “grinning like a pantomime villain” during the heated plenary session.
Matthew O'Toole accused his opponent of breaching rules around Civil Service impartiality and failing to uphold his legal requirement to have at least one official present at ministerial meetings.
“Had Mr Givan simply embarked upon a tour as a private MLA, as a DUP representative as he first claimed he did, we probably would not have been here today,” he added, stressing that the social media comments commending Ofek school was the “core” issue.
Mr O'Toole rubbished Mr Givan's claim that his departmental permanent secretary had given the trip a “clean bill of health” as he compared the school trip to visiting an illegally occupied area of Ukraine with “one of Vladimir Putin's officials”.
He concluded: “If you had shame or sense, you would have been gone by now. Sadly, you have neither.”
Mr Givan dismissed the criticism as “an attempt at ideological purging” and claimed the “political lynching” had offered “a glimpse into a new Ireland”.
“Not a land flowing with milk and honey, but a land where unionists serve only at the pleasure and on terms dictated by nationalists and republicans, aided and abetted by the Alliance Party,” he added.
“It is a vision not of equality but of subjugation. This motion has not just targeted me, but has sent a chilling message to the unionist community that our convictions, our values and our right to engage with the wider world are to be policed and punished.”
The minister described the attempt to “exclude” him from public office for the maximum period of 12 months as a form of “political internment” as he again accused Sinn Fein of hypocrisy and of “glorifying past IRA violence”.
Mr Givan told MLAs he refuses to be “silenced or intimidated” by the motion or its backers, before Mothers Against Genocide demonstrators interrupted.
Firmly taking the side of her party colleague, DUP deputy leader Michelle McIlveen accused Gerry Carroll of being a “Hamas fanboy” and highlighted Sinn Fein's past interactions with Hamas and other terror groups from around the world.
She accused current MLAs Declan Kearney and Pat Sheehan of previously attempting to “legitimise” the proscribed organisation that carried out the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel as she took a swipe at the SDLP for supporting “pointless motions” in a bid for relevance.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein MLA and convicted IRA bomber Pat Sheehan accused the DUP of being incapable of calling “the slaughter of children” in Gaza “wrong” as he resorted to a football analogy to make the point that Mr Givan “has lost the changing room” and should quit.
“Where is the empathy? Where is the compassion? Where is the humanity from those who constantly bombard us with their Christian beliefs?” he added.
At one point the Assembly Speaker had to intervene to reign in a member of his own party who accused Mr Carroll of being an “anti-Semite”.
A total of 47 (58.8%) out of the 80 members who voted supported Mr Carroll's motion, including all of the 33 nationalists who took part plus 14 others: Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party and the SDLP.
The motion was opposed by the DUP, the Ulster Unionists and TUV MLA Timothy Gaston.
However, the motion fell because it did not have cross-community support.
New Standards Commissioner headed PSNI unit linked to surveillance of two journalists
CONNLA YOUNG, Irish News, November 11th, 2025
THE assembly’s new Standards Commissioner headed a PSNI unit linked to the surveillance of two award-winning journalists, although he denies having any involvement.
Retired PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Wright took up the part-time Commissioner for Standards role at the Assembly last Monday.
Mr Wright was responsible for the PSNI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) between 2016 and 2018.
In a recently published review into PSNI surveillance of journalists and lawyers, London-based barrister Angus McCullough KC found police were involved in a “wholesale” process of ‘washing through’ journalists’ numbers against PSNI records.
In his report, Mr McCullough added that evidence presented during an Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) last year “seems to suggest that the practice was continuing on a six-monthly basis as at November 2017” – the period when Mr Wright was responsible for ACU.
ACU sits within the PSNI’s Professional Standards Department (PSD), which is responsible for investigating misconduct.
Mr Wright headed the PSD from November 2023 until the start of this month.
Unlawful surveillance
Last year, the IPT found that the PSNI carried out unlawful surveillance on two well-known investigative journalists, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney The then-head of ACU described the practice in a statement to the IPT as being “a routine anti-corruption procedure carried out by ACU.”.
The tribunal looked at allegations that the journalists were subjected to unlawful surveillance by the PSNI over their 2017 film about the 1994 Loughinisland atrocity.
Six Catholic men were shot dead in the UVF attack, which was found to involve collusion.
In 2018, both journalists were arrested as part of a probe led by Durham Constabulary, known as Operation Yurta, into a leaked document used in the film.
A note of a meeting on November 17, 2024, made by a Durham Constabulary officer, was disclosed during the IPT process
The McCullough review confirmed it had “access to and reviewed” an unredacted version of the note, which referred to “defensive operations”.
In his recent report, Mr McCullough revealed that the PSNI carried out two identified ‘defensive operations’, named Operation Settat and Operation Puddening, which involved the cross-checking of hundreds of journalists’ numbers between 2011 and 2024.
New assembly commissioner for standards Stephen Wright
The ‘wash through’ practice was only ended by the PSNI in May last year.
Mr McCullough confirmed in his report that a sergeant in PSD confirmed he was “proactive” in conducting “defensive operations by cross-referencing billing with police telephone numbers on a six-monthly basis”.
In May last year, the then head of ACU described the practice in a statement to the ITP as being “a routine anti-corruption procedure carried out by ACU.”
Mr McCullough said “these details constitute personal data and it may be questioned whether the ‘washing through’ of these details to be checked against internal PSNI systems was lawful by reference to data protection legislation”.
Questions asked
When Mr Wright’s nomination to the Standards Commission was announced, The Irish News posed a series of questions to the Northern Ireland
Assembly Commission about his involvement in and knowledge of defensive operations and ‘wash through’.
The commission responded that the “matter raised is not one for the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission to respond to”.
Questions were also put to the PSNI, which was asked if Mr Wright “had any involvement in, or knowledge of, PSNI ‘wash through’ or defensive operations involving journalists”.
The PSNI did not provide a direct response, referring specifically to Operation Settat.
“During his time within Anti-Corruption and Vetting, Chief Superintendent Wright was never aware of Op Settat,” a spokeswoman said.
“He was not briefed on any such operation nor did he approve or direct the continuation of this operation or the commencement of any other equivalent operation.”
In his review, Mr McCullough said that despite the ending of Operation Settat and Operation Puddening the monitoring of journalists appears to have continued.
“It is also apparent that this practice continued between the currency of those named operations, although it is not possible to ascertain the frequency of this”.
In its response, a PSNI spokeswoman said: “The McCullough Review has outlined that there are no records to indicate that such defensive operations other than Op Settat in 2011 and OP Puddening in 2020 to March 2023 were actually conducted.”
The spokeswoman also said that Mr Wright provided support to Mr McCullough as head of PSD “during the period of the review ensuring that Mr McCullough and his team had full co-operation from the PSD staff and access to any and all material that was relevant and which was requested for his inquiry”.
The Assembly Commission was also asked if Mr Wright was involved in, or has any knowledge of, Operation Yurta while he was attached to the PSNI’s Anti-Corruption Unit.
In response, Mr Wright said: “I can confirm that I was not involved in Operation Yurta while attached to the PSNI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) between August 2016 and December 2018.”
The commission was also asked if Mr Wright “was involved in, or has any knowledge of, ‘wash through’ practices conducted by the ACU over the same period”.
In response, the commission said: “Please refer to the statement issued by PSNI in October 2025, in response to your previous enquiry.”
In that response, the PSNI made no reference to ‘wash through’ practices.
Last month, the PSNI commissioned London-based barrister John Beggs KC to review the McCullough Report to identify if there was any “misconduct or criminality”.
PSNI ‘gave priority to paramilitary probes over child protection’
CONNLA YOUNG CRIME AND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, November 11th, 2025
THE PSNI gave priority to paramilitary and serious crime investigations over the protection of children on the internet, a Police Ombudsman investigation into prolific predator Alexander McCartney has found.
An ombudsman report published yesterday has also stated that the PSNI cybercrime teams did not have the capacity or capability to manage the online risk posed by online abuser McCartney.
The Newry man was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years behind bars last October after being convicted of offences including unlawful act manslaughter, inciting children to engage in sexual activity, and making and possessing indecent images of children.
In May 2018, Cimarron Thomas from West Virginia, in the USA, killed herself after refusing McCartney’s demands to involve her younger sister in online sex acts.
Cimarron’s heartbroken father, Ben, also took his own life 18 months later, not knowing what had caused his daughter to end her life.
McCartney was initially arrested more than two years before Cimarron’s death, in February 2016, after indecent images of children were found on his mobile phone.
Aged just 17, he was interviewed by police before being released on bail.
Delays in producing evidential reports about some 1,100 indecent images of children found on his phone and other devices seized at the same time meant that he was not interviewed again until more than two years later, in May 2018. Cimarron took her own life just five days before this interview.
Alexander McCartney pleaded guilty to manslaughter and 180 other charges linked to the online abuse of children
During the same period, and while he was on police bail, McCartney was involved in abusive online communications involving at least seven other children.
‘Insufficient’ police resources
Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume has now said “delays in police enquiries had been due to insufficient resourcing amidst a growing backlog of digital devices requiring examination in connection with online child abuse”.
In 2021, the PSNI asked the Police Ombudsman to investigate its handling of the McCartney case.
An internal review also raised concerns about the timeline of the investigation, risk management processes and oversight of McCartney’s bail conditions
The National Crime Agency, in a report commissioned by the PSNI, highlighted the resources available to the Child Internet Protection Team (CIPT) were “currently insufficient to manage the number of referrals in a timely manner”, which resulted in risks to victims and the wider community.
Mr Hume has highlighted insufficient investment that would have produced investigative delays.
He also said that the specialist CIPT was not given parity with other investigations.
“In addition, the PSNI’s Cybercrime Centre, which conducts digital forensic examinations on behalf of other teams, used a prioritisation process in which terrorism and serious crime offences received priority, negatively and disproportionately impacting on the examination of devices being submitted to it by the Child Internet Protection Team,”
Cimarron Thomas took her own life in May 2018 following online contact with Alexander McCartney he said.
Targeting girls in Digital Space
“However, McCartney’s targeting of young girls is a clear example of violence against women and girls in the digital space.
“As this case demonstrates, it can have devastating consequences and should carry equal weight in terms of the prioritisation of digital forensic examinations.”
It has now emerged that serial offender McCartney was arrested four times between 2016 and 2019.
The Police Ombudsman has provided a detailed breakdown of his offending during that time.
The ombudsman report also found “significant pressures among all PSNI teams responsible for investigating online offending involving children and indecent images” pointing out that in 2018 the force’s Cybercrime Centre, which was staffed by around 60 officers, was asked to examine 935 computers and 284 mobile phones.
The Police Ombudsman has also found there was “insufficient police resources to effectively manage McCartney’s bail conditions”.
“The lack of resources available to the CIPT led to a culture where officers imposed superficial, ineffective and unsupervised bail conditions upon suspects and offenders,” Mr Hume added.
Little-Pengelly defends decision to decline inauguration invite
JOHN MANLEY, Irish News, November 11th, 2025
EMMA Little-Pengelly has defended her decision not to attend today’s inauguration of president-elect Catherine Connolly.
The deputy first minister announced on Friday that she would be unable to attend the ceremony at Dublin Castle, citing commitments at remembrance events in Parliament Buildings and at Windsor with King Charles.
Her party leader Gavin Robinson, who has also declined an invitation, insisted the decision was not a snub.
Questioned by reporters at Stormont yesterday, the East Belfast MP said he had received an invite from the taoiseach’s office last Thursday.
“I personally responded to him on Friday to indicate the whilst I recognise the significance of this event for his nation, I trust that he, in turn, recognises the significance of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – and that’s just how it is,” he said.
Mr Robinson said Taoiseach Micheál Martin had accepted his reasons for declining the invite.
The DUP leader said Ms Little-Pengelly was “gracious enough” to say that she looked forward to welcoming president-elect Connolly to Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.
“You don’t need to make more out of this than it is,” Mr Robinson said.
It has also emerged that assembly speaker Edwin Poots has declined an invitation to the presidential inauguration lunch due to commitments at Stormont.
Carál Ní Chuilín, the assembly’s principal deputy speaker, will instead represent the regional legislature at an event that is separate from the swearing-in ceremony.
A spokesperson for the assembly said the speaker’s office had received an invitation to the lunch on Friday evening.
“However, there is a standing commitment in the diary of every speaker on 11 November to lead the assembly’s annual act of remembrance on Armistice Day,” the spokesperson said.
“Therefore, the speaker has asked the principal deputy speaker to represent the Assembly at the inauguration lunch.”
During questions in the assembly chamber yesterday, Ms Little-Pengelly was asked by Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole why none of more than 150 DUP elected representatives were able to attend the inauguration.
The deputy first minister said the Dublin ceremony began at “11am on the 11th of November”.
She described it as “an unfortunate clash” and said she had outlined the reasons for her non-attendance in Friday’s statement.
“Of course, who the party decides to send is a matter for the party,” she said.
“I’m standing here as deputy first minister, but I would advise, and no matter whether you’re a councillor, an MP or an MLA, this is a very, very significant date.”
Ms Little-Pengelly also defended her record on reconciliation, saying she had attended a “wide range of events” and demonstrated a “generosity of spirit”.
“I can advise the member that in everything that I do, I strive to try to do that, to represent everyone across Northern Ireland, should that be from condemnation of acts of violence right through to trying to build a better and brighter future for everyone across Northern Ireland,” she said.
President Connolly to represent all the traditions of the Irish nation
MICHELLE O’NEILL FIRST MINISTER and SINN FÉIN LEAS UACHTARÁN
PLATFORM
Irish News, November 11th, 2025
“ On this inauguration day, as President Connolly takes her solemn pledge to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland, we are reminded that fulfilling this promise will require new ways and means from those of partitionist minds and systems. Ireland is rapidly changing – it should be embraced as a moment of opportunity
TODAY’S inauguration of the new President of Ireland marks a moment of renewal and hope for our entire island. It is an occasion that belongs to every community across this shared home of ours.
Presidential inaugurations are about continuity but also change. They remind us that each generation must redefine what Ireland means – and who it includes. The presidency, as a unifying symbol, invites us to reflect on the kind of Irish nation we are becoming – confident in our diversity and ambitious for the future. We are on a national journey beyond the old limits of the past.
We also pay tribute to President Michael D Higgins, who, throughout his public life, has been a passionate political voice for working people, a poet and gifted writer, a renowned academic and a tireless champion of human rights. He has served Ireland with distinction, dignity and heart, promoting all that is good in Ireland – our people, our creativity, our culture, and our democratic values. He understood the struggles faced by the people, and where he saw unfairness, inequality or injustice, he named it – and demanded action.
For those of us in the north, the presidency has always represented something deeper than a constitutional office. It speaks to an idea of belonging – one that transcends borders and traditions.
Many communities across the north have long looked to Áras an Uachtaráin for a sense of belonging and as a connection point to the Irish nation. Partition has caused division, but today, in a time of peace, we continue to build a new Ireland and a shared future.
President Connolly recognises that the presidency is a unifying symbol. It speaks to the hearts of people throughout the whole island. In her public life she has championed inclusion, fairness, and community. She will be a president who will bring the country together, who will be inclusive of all traditions, including our unionist neighbours on the island, and actively represent Irish citizens in every part of Ireland.
This must be the last election where Irish citizens in the north cannot vote to elect their president.
We are living through a period of momentous and positive change. The Good Friday Agreement generation is now coming of age – a generation that has known peace, expects progress, and believes in the power of co-operation.
From peace to unity
Our national journey is moving now from peace to unity, through a peaceful, organised and planned transition, opening a new chapter in British-Irish relations.
The prospect of a new, agreed Ireland – one built on consent, equality, and mutual respect – is not something to fear but to prepare for. It represents the natural evolution of the peace process and the legitimate democratic expression of the people of this island.
Relationships across this island have never mattered more. Every day we see the benefits of cooperation – in healthcare, education, tourism, energy, and trade. All-Ireland partnership is not a slogan but a statement of what works – communities working side by side to build prosperity, equality, and opportunity.
The presidency, by its nature, represents the best of who we are as a people. As a voice for inclusion, equality, and humanity, the president embodies the values that unite us. The President of Ireland shares a deep connection, affinity and empathy with the Irish abroad. The office reminds us that Irishness is not a narrow definition but a living inheritance – broad, generous, inclusive.
As First Minister, I look forward to engaging with President Connolly and working together to advance reconciliation and strengthen relationships in our society, across Ireland, and between our islands.
My efforts are towards building a society where respect and reconciliation are at the heart of public and community life. Working across party lines, I am providing leadership, with others, that reflects the will of the people to move forward with compassion and courage – to deliver for families, and to ensure politics makes a real difference in people’s everyday lives.
On this inauguration day, as President Connolly takes her solemn pledge to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland, we are reminded that fulfilling this promise will require new ways and means from those of partitionist minds and systems.
Ireland is rapidly changing – it should be embraced as a moment of opportunity. We have a chance to build a fairer and united Ireland – one that reflects the hopes of all its people and the potential of every community – especially our young people.
The new president will have a vital role in shaping the new chapter – in speaking to the conscience of the nation and reminding us that unity begins with dialogue, generosity, and vision.
I offer my warmest congratulations to Uachtarán Catherine Connolly and her family on this special occasion. It is a day to celebrate how far we have come and to look forward with optimism and purpose to the future.
Executive 'does not have £100m sitting about' for Casement Park
JONATHAN MCCAMBRIDGE, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, November 11th, 2025
DEPUTY FM SAYS STADIUM DELAYS WERE 'NEVER A POLITICAL ISSUE'
The Stormont Executive does not have £100m “sitting about” to bridge the funding shortfall over the Casement Park redevelopment, Emma Little-Pengelly has said.
The Deputy First Minister told MLAs it was her understanding that the GAA is not currently willing to put any additional funding towards the rebuild of the west Belfast stadium.
Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium have been mired in uncertainty because of the major funding shortfall.
In the summer, the UK Government allocated £50m to support the redevelopment of the currently derelict GAA venue.
While that added to around £120m that has been pledged by the Stormont Executive, Irish Government and GAA, it was still not enough to bridge the gap to cover the cost of the rebuild.
SDLP MLA Justin McNulty raised the issue at ministerial questions, stating people were “fed up” with years of delay.
The Deputy First Minister said the delay was “never a political issue”.
She said money currently committed to the project is “not sufficient against the plans the GAA have”.
She said: “I understand the GAA are not willing, at this point, to put any additional money, from their perspective, into the project.
“That will leave a significant shortfall in relation to the aspiration and costs versus what is on the table. That is a challenge for people to look at, including the GAA.
“I look forward to seeing what the GAA proposals are in relation to that.”
Alliance appeal for ‘cross-departmental leadership’
Alliance Party MLA David Honeyford said there needed to be “cross-departmental leadership” to deliver the project.
Ms Little-Pengelly responded: “The project was not delayed by the Northern Ireland Executive, it was not delayed because of political disagreement, it was not delayed because of the DUP.
“There were lots of local issues in relation to planning.
“And the costs of the project have increased significantly, leaving I think many people would assess to be well in excess of £100m of a shortfall on that project.
“The Executive does not have £100m sitting about for this specific project. There are many pressures within the system.”
She said the vast majority of capital funding likely to be available over the next 20 years was “already fully committed against a range of projects”.
Ms Little-Pengelly also appealed directly to Michelle O'Neill yesterday to lift a block on economic development at the former Maze prison site to unleash its “incredible potential”.
She told MLAs that she believed parts of the site could be developed while discussions continue on dealing with “difficult” legacy issues.
The derelict paramilitary prison only compromises part of the huge 347-acre site near Lisburn that falls under the remit of the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation, which was established in 2011.
While there has been some development — most significantly the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society becoming an anchor tenant and moving the annual Balmoral Show to the venue — the wider transformation of the site has been stalled for over a decade.
The full regeneration plan hit the buffers in 2013 when former DUP first minister Peter Robinson blocked efforts to build a peace centre as part of the redevelopment of the sprawling grounds which once housed the high-security jail and were gifted to the Northern Ireland Executive by the UK Government.
The prison held paramilitary inmates during the Troubles and was the location for republican hunger strikes in 1981 in which 10 died, including Bobby Sands.
Mr Robinson's move came amid unionist concerns about the symbolism of building a peace centre on the site of the prison. A political impasse has continued since.
At ministerial question time yesterday, Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis asked the Deputy First Minster about progress on the site.
Ms Little-Pengelly, whose Lagan Valley constituency contains the sprawling site, said the issue had been “a source of real frustration for me”.
The DUP politician said: “I don't agree with the Sinn Fein position that nothing can happen on that site until you get your way in relation to the listed buildings.
“I think the listed buildings are a very sensitive issue. There is the potential for a huge amount of hurt depending on what happens there, particularly for victims and survivors.”
Ms Little-Pengelly said former Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness “made clear that nothing, or very little”, could happen on the site in terms of economic development unless there was an agreement on the listed prison buildings.
She added: “I would appeal to Sinn Fein, I would appeal to my colleague in this office [First Minister Ms O'Neill], to lift that restriction and allow that economic potential on a main Belfast to Dublin corridor to go ahead while discussions continue in terms of dealing with those difficult issues and legacy issues from the past.”
'Pink Ladies Ulster' group give knuckledusters out at anti-migrant protest
ALLISON MORRIS, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
WOMAN IS ARRESTED AFTER BELFAST CITY HALL DEMONSTRATION AND FILE SENT TO DPP
An all-female far-right group founded in England has started a branch in Northern Ireland, handing out pink knuckledusters to crowds gathered at a protest over the weekend.
The Pink Ladies Ulster Women First Northern Ireland (PLUWFNI) are mimicking the Pink Ladies UK group, who are often seen at protests outside hotels housing migrants in England, dressed in distinctive bright pink outfits.
On Saturday afternoon, around 80 people held an anti-immigration protest outside Belfast City Hall organised by the group. Some of those in attendance let off pink smoke flares. Posters included 'Ban all Illegals' and 'Ballymena says no illegal migrants'.
Following the protest a woman was arrested, questioned and released pending further investigation.
Male activists
While the protest was billed as being organised by women for women — with a pink banner saying 'Women Standing Together' — it was attended by well-known male activists, including Stephen Baker and former UVF bank robber and far-right live streamer Mark Sinclair, who calls himself 'Freedom Dad'.
Baker addressed the crowd with Sinclair live streaming Saturday's event.
As the protest was coming to an end one woman, a female activist who live streams under the banner of 'Patriotic Media', led a chant of “F**k Islam”.
Also at the protest was a man who livestreamed the protest outside Justice Minister Naomi Long's house last month but who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The Pink Ladies Ulster group operates out of a closed Facebook page but is promoted by Baker.
He posted on Facebook: “Here, it is folks, a page for women of Ulster/ Northern Ireland. This group has been created for all women to come under one name.
“This group is for women only to grow a strong movement within their own communities spreading across this great province.”
Women at the event were handed 'goodie bags' of items that included a pink knuckleduster in the shape of a cat.
It is illegal to have a knuckleduster either in public or private in Northern Ireland. It is also illegal to sell, buy, or import knuckledusters.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “Police were aware of a planned protest in Belfast city centre on Saturday afternoon, 8th November. Officers were in attendance to ensure public safety, facilitate the right to peaceful protest and to help minimise disruption to the wider community.
“Police are reviewing all evidence gathered and enquiries into the matter are ongoing. A woman in her 50s was interviewed by police today, Monday 10th November, in relation to this protest. A file will be sent to the Public Prosecution Service.
“Police are aware of these items and enquiries are ongoing. A person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, (proof of which lies on him), has with him in any public place any offensive weapon shall be guilty of an offence.
“The legal definition states that an offensive weapon is 'any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, or intended by the person in possession of it for such use, having it with him for such use by him or by some other person'.”
Judge warns ‘long enough’ wait for family with Reavey case to go ahead
ALAN ERWIN, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
A MAN suing over alleged security force collusion with a notorious loyalist paramilitary unit who murdered his three brothers is to have his case dealt with next month, a High Court judge pledged yesterday.
Mr Justice Rooney vowed that Eugene Reavey’s civil trial over killings carried out by the Glenanne Gang 50 years ago will not be delayed by police resourcing issues.
He told senior counsel for the PSNI: “I’m not letting you off the hook… the case is going on and that’s just it.”
The UVF unit at the centre of the action is believed to have been responsible for up to 120 deaths in a sustained killing spree during the mid 1970s. Based at a farm in Glenanne, Armagh, the gang allegedly contained members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Defence Regiment. Mr Reavey’s three brothers, John Martin, Brian and Anthony, were shot dead by masked intruders at the family’s home in Whitecross in January 1976.
He is suing the police and Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a claim for misfeasance in public office.
The case is part of a wider group of litigation brought by relatives of victims and those wounded in the series of Troubles-era murders and attempted murders.
Up to 10 folders of non-sensitive material have been disclosed to Mr Reavey’s legal team in advance of the trial, where liability is disputed. But at a review hearing yesterday issues were raised about the PSNI’s ability to provide sensitive documents for the action on time.
Citing work required in multiple other legacy cases, Mark Robinson KC told the court: “My client is seeking to progress all of these matters forward, but constrained by the lack of resources.”
It was stressed, however, that Mr Reavey has spent decades waiting for justice.
His barrister, Desmond Fahy KC, said: “He is not getting any younger, none of those associated with this case are getting any younger.”
Backing those submissions, the judge confirmed the trial will go ahead in December.
“(The family) have waited long enough,” Mr Justice Rooney added.
Outside court Mr Reavey’s solicitor, Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law, insisted there should be no further delays.
“Eugene and his family have waited 50 years for those that perpetrated these acts to put their hands up and admit their responsibility. They can’t wait any longer,” he said.
“The facts of the case are well known, and those who were responsible are well known.
“The PSNI and MoD should apply common sense and give the family the justice they deserve.”
Attack on war memorial 'symptomatic of increasing sectarianism'
GARRETT HARGAN, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
Community workers in Londonderry's Fountain estate have said an attack on their First World War commemorative display “appears symptomatic of increasing sectarianism in the city”.
Over the weekend, hundreds of crosses were erected on a grass area in the Fountain along with banners ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
Some of those crosses were damaged and a banner was stolen, with young people later sharing an image of themselves with it on social media saying, 'Boys still active'.
That appears to be a reference to bonfire season when young people from both loyalist and republican areas of the city engaged in the tit-for-tat stealing of flags and other items to burn.
Among those items was a historic Apprentice Boys flag.
The PSNI said it is aware of theft and of criminal damage caused to a display in the Fountain, believed to have occurred some time over the weekend.
“This is being treated as a sectarian hate crime, and we are making enquiries,” they added.
Members of the North West Cultural Partnership said they are all “extremely saddened and disappointed that the latest attackers on the Fountain decided to target our display that was erected on Saturday. A display that recognised the 756 souls of all religions and backgrounds from the city that lost their lives in the Great War”.
A statement added: “The initiative was part of our War and Peace project with volunteers from the Maiden City Garrison Fife and Lambeg Drumming Group and Fountain Men's Shed.
“On Saturday evening, the poppy banner was damaged then taken down yesterday for safe keeping.
“However, this didn't prevent culprits returning at some point last night to steal part of the exhibition and flaunt it on social media. Members of the Men's Shed were on hand this morning to repair the damage to the crosses.
“Unfortunately, this appears symptomatic of increasing sectarianism in the city which we as an organisation are trying to address. Given the number of visiting tourists and those on social media who provided positive feedback over the weekend, it is also a poor and embarrassing image for the city.”
Police have appealed to anyone with information, or relevant footage that could assist our enquiries, to call us on 101 and quote reference 847 of 10/11/25.
You can also submit a report online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Man given 14-month sentence for part in disturbances in south Belfast in summer of 2024
ASHLEIGH MCDONALD, Irish News, November 11th, 2025
A CROWN Court judge yesterday warned that anyone who involved themselves in religious or race-related rioting “can expect an immediate custodial sentence”.
Judge Patrick Lynch KC issued the warning as he jailed a 43-year old man for a charge of encouraging or assisting a riot in south Belfast last August.
Gary Richardson from Rowland Way in Belfast was handed a 14-month sentence, which Judge Lynch divided equally between prison and supervised licence.
Belfast Crown Court heard parts of the United Kingdom experienced public disorder with racial undertones following the murder of three girls and attempted murder of a further 10 youngsters who attended a dance class in Southport in July 2024.
On Saturday, August 3 last year, an anti-immigrant rally was held in the centre of Belfast and following this, a crowd began making its way to the Islamic Centre on University Road.
A short time later, public disorder broke out in the Donegall Road/Sandy Row area which saw police come under attack and several businesses being targeted.
During yesterday’s sentencing, prosecuting barrister James Johnston told Judge Lynch that Richardson did not “actively participate” in the riot by throwing anything at police lines.
What he did do, the Crown say, was call over a group of masked youths who were rioting in the Sandy Row area.
Police came under attack during rioting in the Donegall Road/Sandy Row area of south Belfast in August 2024.
A tin of paint
After gesturing to the group, the youths followed Richardson to a side street off Sandy Row – and after re-appearing, one of the group was carrying a tin of paint.
Saying Richardson “was taking them to somewhere where he knew such articles would be available”, Mr Johnston added “it cannot be said by the prosecution that the tin of paint was actually thrown at police”.
Richardson was arrested on August 23, 2024 and when he was in the holding cell, he was heard saying ‘the government can fix this’ and ‘this wouldn’t have happened if the government just stopped letting these people in’.
During an interview with police, Richardson denied the charge and said he only attended as a bystander.
Despite this, he subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of ‘doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting other persons to commit an offence, namely riot, intending to encourage or assist the commission of the offence’.
Mr Johnston also revealed that after Richardson’s mobile phone was examined, this indicated his “willingness” to be involved in a similar demonstration planned in Derry.
Defence barrister Sean Mullan said the background to the riot in Belfast was the Southport attack which led to demonstrations and protests across the UK.
Regarding the demonstration in Belfast last August, Mr Mullan said Richardson was part of an initial “peaceful” protest in the University Road area and that later on “matters did take a turn for the worst” with youths involved in disorder in the Sandy Row area.
Stressing that Richardson was not involved in throwing any missiles at police, Mr Mullan said the extent amounted to him doing an act capable of assisting or encouraging the riot.
The defence barrister said Richardson “was at pains to point out he is not a racist individual and does not hold racist views” and now realises and accepts what he did was wrong.
Mr Mullan added that his client has held down a job as a forklift driver for 20 years.
Judge Lynch said that whilst Ricardson’s offending was at “the lowest level”, the incident with the tin of paint was a “deliberate act taken by the defendant”.
He added that after Richardson’s phone was examined, this would suggest he had “racist opinions”, despite what he told a Probation Officer to the contrary.
Also noted by the Judge was Richardson’s “modest” criminal record of one prior conviction as well as a lack of issues regarding addictions or mental health.
Warning that those who involved themselves in religious or race-related riots “can expect an immediate custodial sentence”, Judge Lynch imposed the 14-month sentence.
Former banker told he had to declare interests
SAM MCBRIDE, Belfast Telegraph, November 11th, 2025
NAMA OFFICIAL SAYS CUSHNAHAN WAS MADE AWARE BOTH IN PERSON AND WRITING
Frank Cushnahan was told both in person and in writing that he had to declare potential conflicts of interest, Nama's head of compliance has told the former banker's trial in Belfast.
However, Cushnahan's lawyer told jurors that even if it is argued that his client had a “moral obligation” to disclose when he stood to gain financially from matters being discussed in his role as a Nama adviser, he did not have a legal duty to do so, as alleged by the Crown.
Central to the case against the former senior business figure is the allegation that he deliberately and improperly concealed what the prosecution alleges was a multimillion-pound benefit to himself if Nama's Northern Ireland loans were sold to a company which he was advising.
Frank Hugh Cushnahan (83), of Alexandra Gate in Holywood, is charged with fraud by failing to disclose information and fraud by false representation.
His co-accused, former solicitor Ian George Coulter (54), of Templepatrick Road in Ballyclare, faces two charges of fraud by false representation, and charges of making or supplying articles for use in fraud, removing criminal property, and transferring criminal property.
Both men deny all the charges.
Yesterday, on the 15th day of the trial, the jury in Belfast Crown Court heard from Breda Macnamara, who had been Nama's compliance officer when Cushnahan started as a paid Nama adviser more than 15 years ago.
Email warned Cushnahan to avoid conflict of interests
Jurors were shown an email to Cushnahan from June 25, 2010, in which Ms Macnamara set out that he had a legal obligation to disclose conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest in relation to his membership of Nama's Northern Ireland Advisory Committee.
She said this involved obligations under three separate pieces of Irish legislation.
She told the court that she would normally do training as soon as possible with new members, “but I needed them and wanted them to be aware — right from the start, to protect themselves — of what their legal obligations were”.
Ms Macnamara said the purpose of the rules was “to ensure you put the organisation first, rather than putting yourself or anyone close to you first”.
She informed Cushnahan that the Nama Act, the legislation which established the Republic's 'bad bank', made clear what should happen if he had a conflict of interest.
It said that if that happened, when the matter was raised, he couldn't' “influence nor seek to influence a decision”, “take no part in any consideration of the matter”, leave any meeting where the matter is being discussed, and could not vote on it.
After that “interim summary”, she said she gave him in-person training in Dublin in November 2010.
In January 2011, Ms Macnamara asked Cushnahan to make his annual declaration of interests, in which he set out multiple potential conflicts involving business, government links and charitable roles — something the prosecution allege shows that he knew what declarations should have been made, giving significance to his failure to declare that he allegedly was in line to benefit from about £5m of a 'success fee' if the deal went through.
Under cross-examination by Frank O'Donoghue for Cushnahan, Ms Macnamara was pressed on how she'd defined a conflict of interest.
He put it to her that the Nama Act defined the term in relation to making a disclosure where someone has “a pecuniary interest or other beneficial interest”, which Mr O'Donoghue said “is slightly different to 'putting the organisation first'”.
Ms Macnamara said the whole concept of a conflict of interest was much broader.
Moral obligations
However, the barrister said if it was being argued that this extended to “a moral or fiduciary obligation” beyond what was in the legislation, “that's separate to the legal duty under Section 30” of the Nama Act, which he said is the key piece of legislation relied on by the prosecution.
Ms Macnamara said that the training was to protect Cushnahan, and she assumed he had a basic understanding of conflict of interest requirements, but he needed to know that the legislation involved “extremely penal” consequences if he breached Irish law.
Taking her to Cushnahan's declarations of interest, he read multiple references to roles with the Office of First and Deputy First Minister (OFMdFM).
Mr O'Donoghue said she would have realised from reading the form that he was “linked” to the OFMdFM, which was at the heart of Northern Ireland's devolved government.
The witness said: “Yes.”
The barrister said: “He was clearly disclosing his linkage to the devolved government institution in Northern Ireland.”
Mr O'Donoghue said that once his client left his Nama role, which he did on November 8, 2013, he wasn't bound by the legislation.
The witness accepted that was the case.
Mr O'Donoghue said that meant that if Cushnahan had a conflict of interest on November 9, 10 or 11, “he had no obligation to make any disclosure… he was not bound in any way by Section 30 of the Nama Act”.
Ms Macnamara confirmed that was her understanding.
The trial continues.
Unionist MLA says it is appropriate for him to attend Connolly inauguration
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA, Belfast News Letter, November 11th, 2025
Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken has said it is appropriate that he attends the inauguration of Catherine Connolly as the new Irish president.
Mr Aiken will be the only elected unionist politician from Northern Ireland attending Tuesday's ceremony in Dublin Castle.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and DUP leader Gavin Robinson were invited but unable to attend due to Remembrance Day commitments.
Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O'Neill will attend the ceremony.
Mr Aiken, a former UUP leader, said: "I'll be attending events in Dublin today to mark the inauguration of the new Irish president.
"As our closest neighbour it's appropriate to show the Ulster Unionist Party approach to improving north/south and east/west relations."
The MLA said the event would be a good opportunity to "foster all-island" relations.
Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken has said it is appropriate that he attends the inauguration of Catherine Connolly as the new Irish president
He added: "I've regularly attended events in the Republic of Ireland and will continue to do so, reflecting our party's belief in respectful engagement and constructive dialogue.
"The Irish president is the head of state of a democratic nation, and we will pay due respect to both the office and the individual, just as we would to the President of the United States , Ukraine , or any other democratic leader.
"As a veteran, I will be wearing my poppy with pride and look forward to meeting fellow veterans while in Dublin .
"I will continue to represent the unionist perspective with clarity and conviction."
DUP did not snub new Irish President, Catherine Connolly says Gavin Robinson
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA, Belfast News Letter, November 11th, 2025
DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly confirmed last week she could not attend the event in Dublin on Tuesday because of a clash with Remembrance Day events.
The unionist party has since confirmed it will not be sending any representative to Dublin Castle when Ms Connolly is sworn is as Ireland's 10th president.
Mr Robinson faced questioning about why the party was not able to send someone else to the ceremony.
He told reporters: "It is not a snub. I was personally invited by the Taoiseach.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson speaks to the media at Stormont yesterday
"I received the invitation on Thursday last week, I personally responded to him on Friday to indicate that whilst I recognised the significance of this event for his nation, I trust that he in turn recognises the significance of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
"That is just how it is and I think he has accepted that.
New President would be welcomed to North
"I think the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland have accepted that, but just as the deputy First Minister was gracious enough to say that she looks forward to welcoming the newly elected President of the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland , as will be right in due course, that will extend to my colleagues as well."
Mr Robinson added: "We don't need to make more out of this than there is, there is a clash and that clash has been accepted by the majority of people."
"I don't think anything will be gained by people trying to add some grist to the mill or make this an issue that it is not."
The issue was raised during ministerial question time at Stormont later on Monday by SDLP Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole .
Addressing Ms Little-Pengelly, he said: "Many people feel that your party, which is the lead party in unionism, is now embarked on a journey, perhaps not by design, of fear, grievance and anger."
The SDLP MLA asked the deputy First Minister to confirm that the DUP would "move back towards some vague progress towards reconciliation".
Ms Little-Pengelly said: "I can advise the member that in everything I do, I strive to do that to represent everyone across Northern Ireland.
"I do believe the Irish Government, the Taoiseach and others understand completely the importance of the 11th of November.
"I recognise it is a huge personal day for the incoming president, I have sought to have a personal call with her in recognition of that very significant personal achievement."
Sinn Fein MLA Orlaithi Flynn said: "Regrettably what a lot of people will hear from right across our communities is going to be a sense that your refusal to attend is not fulfilling your duties, your cross-community duties."
Ms Flynn said it was in "stark contrast to the leadership" shown by Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O'Neill when she attended a remembrance event in Belfast on Sunday.
Ms Little-Pengelly said: "I think that is a very unfair characterisation of this.
"I am not going to get involved in such a serious matter in what is an attempt at political point scoring."
Political unionism fighting seriously below its weight ... future lies in United Unionist Party
By David Burnside, Belfast News Letter, November 11th, 2025
A United Unionist Party would top the poll at the next assembly election, putting its leader into the position of first minister, says David Burnside.
With a population of under two million people, Northern Ireland has three unionist parties: the DUP, UUP, TUV, and a number of independents.
The DUP, formed by Ian Paisley in the 1970s, has been a thorn in the flesh of the old monolithic Ulster Unionist Party, which was formed to oppose Irish Home Rule and established the Northern Ireland state and parliament at Stormont. Once a strong opponent of the Belfast Agreement, it now sits in government with Sinn Féin.
The TUV, which took the DUP seat of North Antrim from Ian Paisley Junior and is led by one of the best political operators in the province, Jim Allister MP, is capitalising on unionist resentment of our treatment by Westminster, with Labour and Conservatives supporting a border down the Irish Sea.
Serious shortfall in electoral potential
Political unionism is fighting seriously below its weight. Support for the Union at a 70-80% turnout is probably around 60% of the electorate, but the three parties poll at least 15-20% less in assembly and parliamentary elections.
The pro-nationalist front of southern nationalist parties, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, is now joined by Alliance and the Greens, who are lined up against unionism.
There is an opportunity, two years away from assembly and local government elections in 2027 and a general election in 2028, for unionism to get its act together and form a new United Unionist Party.
Many unionists will never join the DUP, and many DUP members would never vote for the Ulster Unionists, and the TUV is a siren voice against the protocol and the Windsor Framework; still, it will never replace the DUP and UUP.
All these parties have little to separate them on policy for education, the NHS, and the economy. On moral issues like gay rights, they should be dealt with on a personal conscience basis with no party discipline or whipping.
The United Unionist Party name is available through a pretty straightforward process with the Electoral Commission. A party board needs to be set up, a management committee comprising representatives from all three parties should be established, and the Electoral Commission can oversee a consultative process after the party is registered.
If there is a will from the leadership of the three parties – Gavin Robinson, Mike Nesbitt and Jim Allister – the new United Party could be operational by next summer. The unionist people on the ground want unity, but leadership must come from the top.
Unionist leaders need to once again believe in "United We Stand, Divided We Fall”.
We need wins against the republican nationalists' rewriting of history. A United Unionist Party would top the poll at the next assembly election, putting its leader into the position of first minister and winning more ministers in the executive and damage, if not halt, Sinn Fein’s campaign for a border poll.
A loose coalition of three parties like the UUUC of the 1970s does not meet the present criteria for electing a first minister from the largest party at Stormont.
At Westminster, one united party would have more influence with Labour, Conservative and Reform.
Combining resources would allow funds to be allocated to unionism promotion in the UK, in both the Commons and the Lords, and abroad, especially in the US.
Legacy hypocrisy
United unionism needs to take on the Irish Republic for hypocrisy over legacy. It was a Fianna Fáil government under Charlie Haughey that helped finance the formation of the Provisional IRA. It was the Irish Republic that refused to extradite republican murderers to stand trial in the UK. And it was the Republic that allowed the Provisional IRA to run training grounds and arms dumps during the Troubles and turned a blind eye to Garda rogue officers who conspired with the IRA to murder Northern Ireland judges and senior RUC officers.
For the southern government to have the cheek to bring a case against the UK at the European Court of Human Rights is shameful.
The truth about the past needs to be told and not rely on propaganda being spewed out daily by the pan-nationalist front.
Moreover, the historical record shows that successive Dublin governments have consistently failed to acknowledge their complicity in facilitating republican violence throughout the conflict.
Unionists can't rely on the British government of any colour to promote and defend the Union as they would in Scotland. We are second-class citizens within our own country.
Replacing disunity and infighting with a new, strong united party would encourage a new party like Reform not to divide the electorate in the forthcoming Westminster elections, to the delight of republicans and nationalists.
If unionist leaders would only sit back and think strategically, a United Unionist Party would be a no-brainer. They should put country and cause above party, end the division that has split unionism for the last 50 years, and halt progress toward a new border poll, which the people don't want and would destabilise political institutions at Stormont and threaten the return of the Troubles.
l David Burnside is a former UUP MP and MLA for South Antrim
'Scandal' that new Police Ombudsman will earn more than the UK Prime Minister
By Adam Kula, Belfast News Letter, November 11th, 2025
Two UUP MLAs have declared it "scandalous" that the new Police Ombudsman will be paid more than the Prime Minister.
However, Jon Burrows and Doug Beattie also hailed the fact that moves are now under way to re-write the rules around the ombudsman's employment, so that politicians in the future will be able to suspend them from office.
The Executive Office has confirmed to Mr Burrows that a Bill allowing this is in preparation.
All this comes after the Executive Office announced on Monday that the process for finding a replacement for the outgoing Marie Anderson has now begun (something which falls to the first and deputy first ministers).
Jon Burrows and fellow UUP MLA Doug Beattie have criticsed the salary of the new Police Ombudsman but welcomed moves to create a power for the office-holder to be suspended.
Ms Anderson has been in post since 2019 (barring two periods of paid absence) and during the summer she announced that she intends to retire in December.
She takes a salary of between £145,000 and £150,000 according to the annual reports from the ombudsman's office.
However, the salary for her replacement will be higher; the post has been advertised with a salary of £173,854.
This takes her pay higher than that of Keir Starmer, whose office as leader of the UK commands a salary of £172,153 (although Sir Keir voluntarily takes a lower salary of £166,786).
In a joint statement, Jon Burrows MLA and Doug Beattie MC MLA said: “It is scandalous that the Police Ombudsman will be paid more than the Prime Minister.
"And unlike the Prime Minister, the ombudsman can’t be removed if they’re doing a bad job.
No power to suspend Ombudsman
"Our scrutiny exposed that there is no power whatsoever to suspend the office-holder even if they were charged with a serious crime.
"This is absurd and an anathema to natural justice given the power the ombudsman wields."
This is a reference to the fact that the Police Ombudsman spent over two years under investigation on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office (she was ultimately not charged).
The UUP has said that one of the things which the saga revealed is that are no powers in place to suspend an ombudsman.
7061946Quizzed on what they are doing about this, the first and deputy first ministers have now written to him to say: "We have met with officials to consider how best to introduce a power to suspend office holders under our appointing authority.
"Work is now ongoing to enable Bill instructions to be prepared leading to the introduction of primary legislation providing for the suspension of all office holders who have been appointed under statute."
Mr Burrows' and Mr Beattie's statement continued: "Since we have exposed this gap, we have pressed the justice minister and the Executive Office to remedy this urgently, and it has now been confirmed that the [Executive Office] are addressing this.
"This demonstrates the value of Ulster Unionist scrutiny and leadership.
"There are many other reforms required to ensure that the ombudsman as an organisation improves its performance, speeds up its investigations, and commands confidence in both the police and the public as a fair and effective investigator of complaints.”
Asked when and why it was decided to up the ombudsman’s salary, the Executive Office referred the News Letter to the Department of Justice, which in turn said: “The Police Ombudsman is paid in line with point 5.2 of the Judicial Salaries pay scales.
"The Judicial Salaries pay scales are increased in line with the Senior Salaries Review Board’s (SSRB) recommendations.”
The SSRB is a seven-strong panel that reviews salaries of public officials across the whole UK.
The Police Ombudsman’s office told the News Letter it “has consistently shown that it carries out fair and independent investigations into police conduct”.
It said: “We report publicly on occasions when officers break the law or breach their Code of Ethics. Equally, when they have done nothing wrong, we say so.
"Yesterday’s report on the Alexander McCartney case is just one example.
"Although there were significant delays in bringing him to justice for horrific crimes, we identified no police misconduct given the serious pressures officers had been under due to under-resourcing.
"The PSNI said it fully accepted the findings and ‘the lessons that must be learned’.
“It’s also important to note that the Police Ombudsman is held to account by a number of independent bodies.
"These include, among others, the Minister for Justice and her department in relation to matters of governance and resourcing, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Criminal Justice Inspectorate, and the Information Commissioner.”
