This week West-Tyrone SDLP MLA Joe Byrne has questioned the
Minister of Finance and Personnel, Sammy Wilson, regarding the economic merit
of Government Departments decentralising to various areas of Northern Ireland.
Mr Byrne said “In the
Chamber during Question Time I asked the Minister for Finance and Personnel,
Sammy Wilson, does the Minister still favour the economic merit of Northern
Ireland having some decentralisation.”
“In response to my question The Minister said it was up to
individual Ministers to decide what their Departments most needs and what
opportunities are available. If there is to be a relocation or dispersal of
jobs, this is usually best done when a new function comes on to the books
rather than looking at existing functions. However, there may well be occasions
when existing functions can be relocated. As far as the Minister is concerned,
that is a responsibility not for The Department of Finance and Personnel, or
the Executive, but for individual Ministers.”
“I have been an advocate for decentralisation for many years,
and I believe it is time Central Government began to invest in areas outside of
Belfast. Many areas, especially in West-Tyrone, have long suffered from
discrimination of investment by Central Government since partition.”
“This answer also reveals to me that the decision to send 800 DARD jobs to Ballykelly, despite Strabane topping a poll of where these jobs were most needed, was a political decision made solely by Sinn Fein and the DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill without even a business case being created. The people of Strabane deserve a proper, transparent answer to why this decision has been made.”
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