Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick

Are you missing out on NHS Healthy Start? Many families in Northern Ireland are and we want to change that! #NHSHealthyStart @NHSHealthyStart

@arleneseesit @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan They are two completely different issues. I won't continue this debate. Take care.

@C_Fitz_ @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan So you didn’t respect any of those who stood beside an irresponsible deranged President of SF who started a war with multiple murders within Ireland. If elected persons had followed your thinking the death toll would greatly exceed 3500.

.@NualaMcAllister on the money with @BBCNolan. She explains we have a Minister who is responsible for fuel poverty - smoozing with a president who is responsible for an illegal war which has saw the cost of fuel soar and thousands of households in NI plunged into further crisis.

@timcairns @FionaQuigs I've reflected on this thread. I always welcome respectful debate. I believe that we want the best for people, but come from different places ideologically & politically. If you want to discuss policy in NI in a longer form give me a shout. Take care.

@C_Fitz_ @FionaQuigs I draw my view in part, on the evidence of this thread

Of course there is a positive story here. NI represented at the highest level in America. Making connections, building relationships, opening doors for investment. I know people don’t want the old political order and way of diplomacy disrupted. This is how it works. But what plane seat did they travel in, sure let’s make that the downer

@timcairns @FionaQuigs That's your view. Many academics are critical of the current stream of policies coming from DfE and across gov - critical perspective is developed from academic evidence and scholarship. I am confident that my views are based in evidence. Your attempts to undermine are petty.

@C_Fitz_ @FionaQuigs Paul’s proposals are quality, don’t agree with them? I’m afraid you are stuck in a little bubble and unable to even take a glimpse outside it, which for an academic isn’t great

@timcairns @FionaQuigs You are simply trying to perpetuate your own views onto us. It's nothing to do with the party. It's to do with the quality of the policymaking - which leaves much to be desired.

Yes it is disappointing when people hate policies just because of the party the minister comes from. But alas that’s where we are, a bit like people complaining when folks go on trade missions just because of the party they are from. We might actually be making progress here! Fab!

@timcairns @FionaQuigs What a disappointing response to a genuine point.

@C_Fitz_ @FionaQuigs Yes great to see Paul Givan bringing forward proposals to raise academic standards….oh wait…..everyone’s against that because…DUP, yeah we hate the DUP. Back to the drawing board

@timcairns @C_Fitz_ At least the Republic of Ireland worked on their education attainment levels & and inequality at the same time as their inward investment strategy - we have largely ignored this.

@FionaQuigs @timcairns You said this better than I did, Fiona. Exactly.

@timcairns @C_Fitz_ for those interested, here's the source of those stats that NI is outpeforming the rest of the UK, even London, in the jobs market, because of access to the EU Single market. x.com/gylesnamopalee…

@timcairns You are not listening. I am not seeing the benefit for those young people who do not have high level qualifications. The Gov in NI has been going for well over 25 years and we're still broke.

So you think open door access to the top of the largest economy in the world every year does not provide a clear benefit. Ok….. let’s get on to the Irish government while we are at it and saying they’ve wasted their time leveraging America to become the 3rd wealthiest economy in the world.

@timcairns Continued negotiations on the future of the Local Growth Fund for one thing. I've seen little in the way of positive opportunities for young people who don't have high level qualifications from jollies to the states - Emma attended 15 events - and whats the outcome - not clear.

@C_Fitz_ So specifically what was achieved for those young people by people who sat at home? We’ve heard from Emma what she believes she achieved, so what did the ones at home achieve? Finally found the £81million to save us £30 in implementing a Brits electric scheme?

@timcairns Sitting at home and tackling the pressing issues I've outlined would have suited them better. Where's the leadership here? I'm working w/young people who are about to lose access to an employment prog. that works - I'm sick of seeing young people suffer from poor government.

@C_Fitz_ So sitting at home achieved……. I will wait. Hard to see anything positive about sitting at home and doing nothing

@timcairns There is no solution and 100s of jobs are on the line. Their is a cost of fuel crisis - which will push more people into poverty, caused by a needless war. The optics of this trip are terrible - it shows the huge gap between political reality & everyday life for the majority.

@timcairns It's not about the plane seat. it's much wider. Even where there is investment - we know that it's not reaching the people who need it most. The end of the month will see huge cuts to the Local Growth Fund. Even less support for those who desperately need support.

There is no "positive story" here.

Did Stormont Ministers travel to the Washington in business class? @endamcclafferty asked the dFM about the value for money of sending four Stormont Ministers to the US during a cost of living crisis. The dFM said it was value for money and she attended 15 events in 4 days.

@arleneseesit @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan I respect those, who didn't stand beside a irresponsible, deranged president who has started an illegal war - much more than those who did - and smiled through it. There's absolutely no sign they made 'their disapproval known.'

@C_Fitz_ @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan If those who don’t know what was said think they could have handled the situation better they should have gone to Washington and made their disapproval known. When you aren’t in you can’t win. You probably would n’t win but you will have made your point clearly.

@arleneseesit @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan I'm quite sure those pictured smiling like chesire cats beside the US President, were not burning his ear about the implications of the war on working class people.

@C_Fitz_ @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan We can be absolutely certain who wasn’t doing it, those who didn’t bother to go. Those who can do, those who gripe get elected by Alliance voters.

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@arleneseesit @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan Who was doing that?

@C_Fitz_ @NualaMcAllister @BBCNolan Nuala McAllister griping to Nolan won’t change anything, not one person can believe it. Going to Washington to explain the implications of his war on working Americans & Europeans might have some effect. It will certainly register protest in a way which griping on Nolan won’t.