Greens call on Paisley jnr to go

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7248850.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The Green Party has called for the resignation of Ian Paisley jnr as a junior minister at Stormont.

At their conference in Belfast on Saturday, delegates heard claims he has become a deep source of embarrassment for the DUP.

Party leader John Gormley, who is the Republic's environment minister, said it was time for the party in the north to match its success in the south.

He underlined his opposition to a nuclear power plant at Londonderry.

The proposal has already been dismissed by Derry City Council.

Mr Gormley said there was unease about how transparent government in Northern Ireland was.

"In the absence of an effective political opposition at the Northern IrelandAssembly, there is a certain amount of scepticism about the prospects for atruly open, transparent and accountable executive," he said.

He said Ireland had missed an opportunity in failing to invest properly in windenergy and the same potential must not be lost for tidal power.

"I spoke about wind power in the early 1980s and it was pooh-poohed," hesaid.

"The Danes and the Germans didn't have the same attitude and made theinvestment and became world leaders, even though their resources were not afraction of ours.

"We have these resources in our seas and elsewhere and we need to tap intoclimate change and energy efficiency needs to go centre-stage in northernpolitics."

The party's only Stormont MLA, Brian Wilson, said the Executive had failed todeliver on policies to boost the environment.

Lack of progress on an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and withdrawal ofmoney for renewable energy questions the devolved administration's commitment tomeaningful change, he added.