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Breaking news and hard-hitting talk - Stephen Nolan gets you talking about the big stories of the day. Call Stephen on 03030 80 55 55 (standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply), text 81771 or email nolan@bbc.co.uk.

BBC Radio Ulster

The Nolan Show: Is it time to stop the spending at Stormont?

Stormont

26/10/2017

Is it time to stop the spending at Stormont?

BBC Radio Ulster - The Nolan Show, Is it time to stop the spending at Stormont?

Civil servants using ministerial cars, ongoing costs of MLA salaries and that Stormont canteen - do we need to say enough is enough?

Parliament Buildings sits silent on the hill. The business of government limps on in the buildings surrounding it on the Stormont estate. But with pressures on health, education, infrastructure and all the other budgets, is it time to look at the cash being spent on Stormont itself. Yesterday it was announced that 150 people are being temporarily redeployed. But the canteen continues to be subsidised... MLAs are still being paid. And this morning it's been revealed that civil servants are using chauffeur-driven ministerial cars - sometimes just to get them from one building to another. In other cases for trips in top-of-the range cars to Derry and Dublin. With all of the concerns about cash is it time to take action? Is it time to simply mothball Stormont and stop the spending in the absence of a deal? Is the façade of government - without actual power sharing - really worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pounds? Chris got the views of Bumper Graham from the trade union NIPSA and Colin McGrath from the SDLP.
 
Also on the programme, Bombardier, the aerospace firm, is planning to cut another 280 jobs at its Northern Ireland operations, the Unite union has said. Last year Bombardier cut 1,000 jobs in Northern Ireland, which was about 20 per cent of its local workforce. Meanwhile the oil field services firm Schlumberger is proposing to close its Newtownabbey plant next year putting more than 200 jobs at risk. Chris got reaction from Davy Thompson from Unite Union.
 
And, his scowl and withering remarks were things to be feared in Lord Sugar's boardroom. Now Nick Hewer appears as a slightly friendlier face as he puts the nation to the test on Channel Four's Countdown. He spoke to Chris in our big interview today.

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