First and deputy First Ministers reject assertion they are ‘controlled’

Northern Ireland’s First and deputy First Ministers have rejected a claim they are “controlled” when it comes to agreeing to the redevelopment of the site of the former Maze prison.

The derelict jail, which held paramilitary inmates including 10n republican hunger strikers who died during 1981/2, sits on a 347 acre site near Lisburn.

While some development has taken place, including the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society becoming an anchor tenant and moving the annual Balmoral Show to the venue, there has been no agreement on a full regeneration plan.

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson described the stalemate as “a blot and a failure on the Executive Office”.

As Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly appeared before the Stormont Executive Office Committee, Mr Dickson claimed they are “controlled externally in respect of all of this”.

“I appreciate that you’re both subject to political vetoes over that, people that instruct you what to do have said no,” the committee vice chair said.

“It’s a blot and a failure on the Executive that the Maze/Long Kesh has not progressed.

“If you cannot resolve the issue, could you at least then admit that you can’t resolve the issue, and could you give the issue over to some form of dispute resolution or mediation so that we can move on and genuinely deliver the prospects of that site.

“I’m not blaming you personally for this as an Executive Office, because I think you’re controlled externally in respect of all of this.”

Ms O’Neill responded saying she took “exception to you saying that we are controlled by someone outside this room”.

“I think that’s rather unfortunate,” she added.

“I believe in the potential of the site, and like you, I think that there’s enormous economic potential, historical potential, reconciliation potential, but the reality is that there will need to be a political agreement in terms of opening up the site.

“There’s sensitivities around it all. I’m not going to give up on that, I think that is something that we should continue to work towards.”

Ms Little-Pengelly also expressed concern at the “allegation of control”.

“You don’t clearly know me very well if you think anybody can control me,” she said.

She said she wanted to see the economic potential of the site, but spoke of the challenges.

“I think it’s very difficult to see what we do with the listed buildings that meets the expectations of Sinn Fein as a party, the First Minister, but also can be done in a way which doesn’t cause significant upset to the many victims and survivors,” she said.

“But I do think in the meantime we should be unlocking that economic potential.

“The position of former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness was to say no to any further activity on that site, pending agreement on the politically sensitive list of buildings.

“I have said publicly I would like the First Minister to lift that veto and to allow the potential of that major site, not just for the people of Lagan valley, but I think it could be a site of regional significance, to allow that economic activity to go ahead and start to change the narrative of that site, which I think in the future, can well make it much more possible to find a future for those listed buildings.”

Meanwhile, DUP MLA Philip Brett, who also sits on the committee, expressed concern at the comment by Mr Dickson.

“I just want to put on record my objection to previous comments made in relation to my party colleague, the joint head of government and the deputy First Minister, that she is in some way instructed or controlled,” he said.

“The deputy First Minister is a strong, independent woman who’s very capable of making her own decisions.

“I believe if I had made that comment, I might have found a complaint being sent to the (standards) commissioner accusing me of being misogynistic.”