REBUILD
THE ASSEMBLY - OR BURY IT
What
do the people of Northern Ireland really feel about the
suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the fourth
time?
Should
it be resurrected and, if so, under what conditions?
These
are some of the questions currently being asked on 1,800
doorsteps around the province as part of the 2002 Northern
Ireland Life and Times Survey - a joint project between
Queen's University and the University of Ulster.
In
last year's survey 65% of people thought that the Assembly
should have the most say on how Northern Ireland was run.
Only 17% of respondents favoured direct rule.
This
year's survey will also gauge public opinion on a number
of other vital issues including: ·
- How
European do Northern Ireland people feel?
- What
do they think of the EU? How does it affect their lives?
What are their rights and how do they feel about how
decisions are made in Europe.
- Do
women play a big enough part in local politics?
- What
are the rights of children now that plans have been
drawn up to appoint a Commissioner for Children and
Young People?
- What
is the state of community relations between Catholics
and Protestants and among the different ethnic groups
in the province.
- How
do working women cope balancing the demands of a job
with running the household? This is part of an International
Social Survey Programme being conducted in more than
30 countries world-wide.
A
team of 40 interviewers are conducting the survey which
will be completed by December 31.
One
of the survey organisers Dr Gillian Robinson, Director
of ARK, said:
"There
will be particular interest in public reaction to the
suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the fourth
time in four years.
Previous
surveys have shown that public opinion is firmly in favour
of devolution, but with this suspension probably lasting
much longer than previous suspensions, will there be a
change in attitude?
On
a wider political front, now that the Republic of Ireland
has ratified the Nice Treaty opening the way for 10 additional
countries to join the EU, do Northern Ireland people feel
they are part of mainstream European life or merely existing
on the fringes? In any case we are still bound by decisions
made in Brussels."
