Byrne hails ‘positive’ meeting with Taoiseach

SDLP Chairman and MLA Joe Byrne has spoken of the need for the Dublin Government to fulfil its role as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement and lend its full backing to the PSNI, Parades Commission, a meaningful reconciliation process and off course the A5..

‘’Strabane, as a regional town sitting on the border, needs to see some significant Government investment support over the next year in order to redress the economic neglect and curse of unemployment. As an SDLP MLA for West Tyrone, I will continue to highlight the neglect of Strabane over recent decades since partition.

The people of Strabane, particularly the young, need to see evidence that the Stormont Executive and its Ministers are listening and willing to deliver investment and job opportunities for the people of Strabane and district.

Strabane is a regional town and, along with Lifford in Co Donegal, needs to benefit from joint Government action with a major cross-border project which heralds a new beginning for North-South Cooperation at a local and practical level. 

The Three Rivers Project is in effect a Golden Opportunity for the Strabane and Lifford catchment area. In addition to the retail proposals the promoters have stated its job creation potential regarding incorporating a purpose built, State-Of-The-Art Employment Park.

It is crucial at this time that the Government authorities invest in the Riverine Project, and thus trigger the private sector investment being proposed for the three rivers initiative. Given that the Three Rivers is essentially an edge of town cross border North South Project it needs support from central and local Government agencies, including DOE planning.

This type of project can greatly facilitate an opportunity for decentralisation of a Government Office, and provide a strong example of having balanced regional level across the North, particularly to a western Town like Strabane that needs a strong positive signal by Government authorities on both sides of the border.

The Special EU Programmes body which has signalled grant aid support for the riverine project must be welcomed and endorsed as the trigger mechanism to bring about the necessary private sector investment which is required in this area.

The SDLP have always supported practical North/South Cooperation, and we see this project as a possible flagship project for Strabane and district. The potential of this development must be realised and welcomed, particularly when the construction industry is in need of capital projects to get started.