A Week in the Life of ...Margaret Ritchie MLA

A few weeks ago we decided to monitor the movements of our Minister to give our readers a little insight to – 'A peek at the Week' of Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA.

Friday the 20th June ended one week for many Civil Servants in the Department for Social Development (DSD), but tomorrow Minister Margaret Ritchie was looking ahead to another week of Ministerial activity. And as she is to be attending an official function as the DSD Minister she also had her trusted adviser from the DSD press office and her private secretary by her side.

It’s Saturday 21st June. A 40th anniversary at the Armagh City Hotel, and I don ’t mean a family wedding, it was more important than that. -

Back in 1968 MP Austin Currie squatted in a house in protest that only one out of 15 newly built houses was allocated to a catholic family. This protest was famously known as the ‘Caledon protest’. It is believed by many that the actions taken then to make a stand for civil rights led to government intervention to remedy civil rights abuses.

Minister attended this event to commemorate the Caledon protest and meet some of those who were involved, in her message she said:-

“Just as Caledon was a catalyst for change 40 years ago, our New Housing Agenda today can bring about a new beginning, addressing housing problems today and identifying solutions for tomorrow.”

As far as I know Minister managed a break from business on Sunday the 22nd.

It was a nice bright sunny Monday morning that awoke Minister on 23rd June. Doubtless she was tuned in to her favourite station and learned such trivia as; it was Patrick Viera’s 32nd birthday. Maybe, as she was about to turn her thoughts to work, she may have reflected for a moment as she was reminded that Maureen O’Sullivan famous local (Co Roscommon) actress had passed away 10 years earlier.

So now with her thoughts on the business of the day, it is likely that Minister was already prepared for the next news item. Today a NI Audit Office report was published. Minister was informed by the radio presenter that the Auditors were not happy with the way money given to the Warm Homes scheme was spent. Despite the adverse nature of the report Minister had already set the wheels in motion to give a Departmental response to the report to allow her to prepare for her first photo call of the day.

The Obel scheme at Donegall Quay which will be the ultimate landmark as part of the Regeneration of Belfast was the first port of call. Sited beside the Lagan Lookout, which it is expected to dwarf when completed, it will be very different to anything that Belfast has ever seen before.

Minister attended a photo opportunity at the site of the multi-purpose Obel building which is expected to provide 182 apartments, 144 bedroom hotel and 4,600 square metres of office, bar and restaurant space.

Later in the morning it was up the hill to Parliament Buildings for meetings and some Party business.

The afternoon was spent in the Assembly debating and voting on issues such as Child Maintenance, Approval of the Social Security Benefits Uprating Order and approval of the Occupational Pension Schemes.

Several more meetings and some Party business brought Minister’s day  to a close shortly after 10pm.

Tuesdays are traditionally a day of the week for Ministers to do a lot of administrative work  at Parliament Buildings. The 24th June wasn’t much different to the timetable her staff had become used to.  Catching up with paper work, taking time out with her officials to discuss various matters, and Assembly business takes up most of Minister’s Tuesdays.

The day began pretty much as the previous one had ended. A sub-committee meeting on Children and Young People took place at Parliament buildings. The final stage of Assembly Business on Child Maintenance was next on the agenda for the day.

A meeting on Liquor Licensing at Parliament Buildings broke up an afternoon of paperwork before Minister departed for the opening of an eye-care centre in the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast.

Minister continues to look for new ways of working. Better ways of doing things. So far she has spent time in the USA and London, today 25th June she heads on a long journey to Sligo Institute of Technology for a conference on Housing, Rising Tides, Community Re-generation.

A damp dreary Thursday 26th June greets Minister as she rushes towards her Ministerial car to keep the rain from her hair. Wind and rain batter the chauffeur-driven Audi as it reaches Belfast.

Todays agenda starts with a quick briefing about the up and coming meeting ‘the NIHE performance Review’. After a quick cuppa its off to the Reform Club to launch the Masterplan for the South West Belfast Quarter. This area covers the greater Castle Street and is one of a series of Masterplans throughout the City that Minister has encouraged since taking office.

Minister makes her speech about the Masterplan has a chat with several guests who were invited along and then its back to the Gasworks for a presentation from some of her senior officials at James House over lunch.

An update of latest news affecting her department and any other unfinished business is dealt with before Minister allows herself some quality time and heading home for the day.

Constituency work is usually the business for Friday. When appropriate though, this can sometimes be interrupted by special events or breaking news stories. Business for Friday 27th June continues as usual but will be cut short for the official launch of Community Safety Advertisements in Coleraine to which the Department gave a sum of money. Minister gave a speech and thanked the organizers for their kind invitation.

The look at Ministers week stops here but has likely continued on into the night as she makes up for missing her usual constituency work and catches up on some Party business with some of her colleagues.

As public representatives MLAs give up their lives to make the lives of others better. They may not always get it right, according to the Auditor General, but they put in long hours to deliver, be it for their constituency or the customers of their Department.