DUP MP claims SFcandidate Ó hEáragatecrashed shoot

The deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Minister for the Department of Agricutlure and Rural Development Michelle O'Neill, and East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell this week visited the site of the new DARD headquarters at Shackleton, Ballykelly. Also present where MLA's Adrian McQuillan, Cathal Hassan, and George Robinson, the Mayor of Limavady Alan Robinson Councillors Dermott Nicholl, Edgar Scott and James McCorkell, and representatives of local community groups. INLV0815-019KDR

Speaking in the Assembly this morning, Tuesday, June 23, he said: “I tabled a question for written answer to the Minister of Agriculture [Michelle O’Neill] and received a reply in the past few days.

“It was in relation to an invite that she had extended to an event at the proposed DARD headquarters at Ballykelly camp. I had asked her whether invites were sent out to local community associations and local representatives. She said that they were. I indicated to her in a subsequent question that it appeared that an unelected representative from another constituency, who was a Westminster candidate a few weeks after the event, was present at the event and, in fact, was photographed beside her and the deputy First Minister. Yet her reply says that no such person was invited either by the Department or by her. I just wonder whether you, Mr Speaker, could investigate the accuracy of the reply and give advance notice to other Ministers to avoid such gatecrashing in the future.”

The Speaker, Mitchel McLaughlin replied: “The Member has got his point on the record. I suspect that he knows very well that it is not a point of order.

“Ministers take responsibility for the content of their own answers. It is not a matter for the Speaker. The circumstances of that particular event, as a result of you putting it on the record, permits the Minister and her departmental staff to consider the accuracy of the information that they transmitted. Let us move on.”