'Dearth' of assembly business

Assembly members have criticised the NI Executive for a lack of legislation which they say has led to the cancellation of sessions, reports BBC NI political correspondent Martina Purdy.

For the second week in a row, the assembly met on Monday for one day.

The decision not to have a Tuesday sitting is apparently due to a lack of business.

The assembly's business committee simply couldn't justify a second day's sitting.

The Alliance Party's chief whip, Kieran McCarthy, who sits on the assembly's business committee, blamed the executive.

Kieran McCarthy: "We need legislation brought forward"

"At the last business committee meeting concern was raised as to why we had not any business coming from the executive and there was no reasonable excuse. It's very disappointing for us as members of the assembly," he said.

Mr McCarthy said he could not understand it.

"We need legislation in relation to improvements on the safety of school buses for instance," he said.

"Surely we are entitled to ask if we can prevent killing or knocking down of youngsters on a school bus.

"There was a report (on the issue) that went to the executive a while ago. I think it's just shameful."

'Promises not delivered'

Another business committee member, the Democratic Unionist Party's Ian Paisley junior, has also criticised the executive's failure to drive legislation.

But he stopped short of criticising the two DUP ministers. He said they were not to blame for the lull in proceedings.

Ian Paisley junior: "Executive not driving legislation"

He said 30% of the legislation passed so far came from the Department of Social Development, headed by minister Nigel Dodds of the DUP.

"They're certainly doing their job. But the reality is the premises in the Programme of Government are not being delivered by the other executive members who are supposed to be working as a team.

"And yet they can't even get a piece of paper before the business committee."

Reviews and consultation

Criticism has also come from outside the assembly.

The Irish News columnist, Brian Feeney, said it was the fault of the ministers if the assembly isn't meeting.

Denis Haughey: "Executive is working hard"

He said: "There's far too much travelling around. The ministers are going all over the place.

"Secondly, there are all these reviews and committees and consultants. And they just don't end up doing anything.

"Everything is put out to review, and then months later we're no further on."

'Temporary slump'

But the SDLP's Denis Haughey - a junior minister - said the criticism is unfair.

"If you compare our performance against the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament, we have put 23 bills through to the assembly in the same timespan they have put 29 bills through the Scottish Parliament.

"Now given the amount of disruption we've had - the long suspension and the turbulence in the political atmosphere here - I think it's a very admirable performance."

Mr Haughey pledged that there were a number of bills set to come through the house within the next month and that the slump in assembly business was temporary.

And he said the amount of slippage had been small. He said the executive had already implemented 24% of its programme pledges and that a further 50% were "well on the way to completion".

On Monday the assembly debated proposals on transport strategy from the minister of regional development.

Members also considered the Department of Environment's new bill on local government, which is supposed to ensure the councils deliver "best value" to the public.