Byrne: A5 project being ‘Long-fingered’ by Department

This week West-Tyrone SDLP MLA Joe Byrne has accused the Department of Regional development of long-fingering the A5 project, following £150 million of A5 money being used on other projects around Northern Ireland.

Mr Byrne said “The revelations of the A5 money being spent on other roads projects came about following a statement for the Finance Minister Simon Hamilton. Following the Minister’s statement I questioned him stating the Treasury allocated money was project-specific and earmarked for the project, and if the project was still an Executive commitment?”

“Unfortunately the Finance Minister disagreed and stated the money that comes as part of his budget was not specifically earmarked for the A5 project. He also stated he believed it was better for the Minister for Regional Development to take forward consultation on the outstanding environmental aspects of the project. Despite this the Minister stated the A5 was an executive priority.”

“If so why are there so many questions that remain unanswered? How long will this consultation last? Why is it taking so long to carry out the environmental assessment? When will the building work actually begin? These are questions the people of the west deserve answers to. This is the wests greatest opportunity to improve our economic merit through improved infrastructure. Now the Department is long-fingering the project with this environmental impact assessment excuse. Any further delays are simply unacceptable.”

Byrne welcomes Dairyman project

SDLP MLA has welcomed the roll out of the Dairyman project which was discussed during the Agriculture and Rural Development committee meeting this week.

Mr Byrne said:

“I very much welcome the Dairyman pilot project for Northern Ireland which involves an EU sponsored research project involving 9 Dairy farms across Northern Ireland.

“The aims of the project are to carry out analysis and evaluation of the productivity and performance of milk cow herd regarding both economic factors and environmental issues.

“The project involved important and valuable work done by officers from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) assisted by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

“Given that milk quotas are being abolished in 2015 this project is timely and important for the dairy industry going forward.

“The 9 participating farmers are to be congratulated for their willingness to engage in the project and AFBI must be commended for managing its delivery.”

SDLP: Build-up of rubbish destroying natural beauty spot

This week the SDLP have called on authorities to take action over the build of rubbish along the banks of the River Foyle in Strabane, destroying the natural beauty of the area.

Speaking on the issue was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “This is a problem that many residents have raised to us recently. Following a visit by me and other SDLP Representatives we were shocked to see the extent of the problem. The amount of rubbish lying on the banks of the Foyle is embarrassing to say the least. We visited the banking just adjacent to the Strabane Canal, a beautiful location spoiled by all the litter washed up on the banking. Imagine what visitors and tourists would think at such a sight.”

“It appears that the rubbish is washing up at this point of the river but is being dumped in further up-stream closer to the Strabane/Lifford border and perhaps even further up. The SDLP will be lobbying the various agencies involved with maintaining our rivers, including the Rivers Agency and the Department of the Environment to have this rubbish taken away and disposed of properly.”

Also commenting on the issue was SDLP Representative Liam Stewart who said “We in the SDLP feel this sort of problem must be dealt with at the source. We will be contacting Strabane District Council and the PSNI to see what measures can be taken to apprehend those dumping rubbish into our rivers. This sort of criminal activity destroys the environment and hits ratepayer’s pockets.”

Byrne: Common Funding Formula could spell disaster for some schools

SDLP MLA for West Tyrone Joe Byrne has said the common funding formula will mean that over 80% of primary schools in the Western area will be budget losers.

Only some larger schools in socially deprived areas will gain financially because the main criteria being used to determine budgets is the number of free school meals pupils attending a school. Mr. Byrne said

“Unfortunately too many schools are losers and only some gain financially. ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul’ is no way of allocating funding to primary schools in particular. Many schools in West Tyrone will be badly affected.

“There has to be meaningful consultation on this exercise. The deadline of Friday 18^th October needs to be extended and properly informed public meetings should take place.

“The Omagh meeting was badly attended because people did not know about it.  Only four Councilors and four Education officials were at the meeting held in Omagh Library on Wednesday 9^th October. Meaningful consultation is required to ensure all children are given an equal chance.”

SDLP call for clean up of Strabane Canal

This week the SDLP in Strabane have called on Strabane District Council to clean up the local canal walkaway following it becoming very dirty and run down in the last number of months. This is following a major investment in the Lower Loughs Project where thousands of pounds of rate payer’s money were spent on refurbishing the area.

Speaking on the matter was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “This is a problem that really has to be seen to be believed. This was brought to our attention following a number of residents who use the walkway, complaining of the dirt and rubbish they must avoid when using the route. I and a number of party representatives visited the canal walkway to see for ourselves the extent of the problem. Upon arrival we were met with not only dog fouling but cattle muck as well. The amount of it covering the walkway was truly shocking and we had to weave our way around it to complete the walk.”

“A little further down the route we came across the culprits. On the walkway we met a number of cows grazing and laying on the path. We find this unacceptable that when you are out for a walk with children or a family pet you are met by a herd of cattle. We would be concerned in case a child or pet would be hurt if one of the animals got spooked. I would call on the council to take action and ensure cows are kept off the path and the muck is cleaned to keep this walkway enjoyable for residents.”

“Furthermore we believe the placement of more dog fouling bins would help keep the amount of dog litter in the area to a minimum. I would also encourage any dog owners to ensure they have the means to properly dispose of dog litter with them at all times. I will be raising these concerns with the relevant authorities and asking for some benches to be placed along the route for people to sit and enjoy their surroundings.”

SDLP call for speed limit to be extended past local school

This week the SDLP in Strabane are calling on DRD Roads Service to extend the 30 miles per hour speed limit further out the Liskey Road, and past the old Strabane Grammar School in order to ensure the safety of all pupils and staff. 

Speaking on the matter was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “This is an issue the SDLP in Strabane feel very strongly about. For many years those who attended Strabane Grammar and now Strabane Academy, had to deal with exiting onto a dangerous road with no speed reducing measures. This road is particularly dangerous with the number of sharp bends and blind corners; this coupled with the national speed limit is a recipe for disaster.”

“We are calling on DRD Roads Service to bring the 30 miles per hour speed limit further out the Liskey Road to include the School. We believe this should have been the case from the start. We can’t figure out how this has been allowed for so long. Is it a case that we must wait until someone is badly hurt for this to be rectified?”

“Moving the speed limit to include the school is a very simple step that will ensure the safety of everyone using the facility in the future, and I hope this will be carried out as soon as possible.”

SDLP: Spraying weeds not enough to tackle problem

This week the SDLP in Strabane have called on Roads Service to do more than “just spraying weed killer”, to tackle the weed problem in the Strabane District.

Speaking on the matter was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “Tackling Strabane’s weed problem has been one of the Strabane SDLP’s main priorities. We have been lobbying constantly to ensure that Strabane and the surrounding areas weeds are kept under control. We have argued continuously that problems like weeds, that make an area look dirty and un-kept, have a detrimental effect on potential investment, tourism and jobs.”

“Our office has been inundated with complaints from around the district regarding weeds and after or lobbying DRD Roads Service have been out and sprayed them with weed killer. Unfortunately it has come to our attention that this only results in the vast majority of weeds turning brown. This still leaves the town looking very dirty. We are now calling on Roads Service to physically remove the weeds with a brush and spade.”

Also speaking on the issue was SDLP Representative Liam Stewart who said “We have seen the problem all around Strabane and other areas where the weeds have only been turned brown by the weed killer. Especially bad is along Meetinghouse Street and Townsend Street where I have seen bushes that have been there for years growing along footpaths. These need to be physically removed to prevent them growing back. We will be lobbying Roads Service to have this work carried out throughout the district.”

SDLP welcome works to Bradley Way/Railway Street Roundabout

This week the SDLP in Strabane have welcomed the works to the Bradley Way/Railway Street roundabout, believing these road works will make safer a roundabout that many residents and visitors to Strabane felt was dangerous.

Welcoming the works was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “It is great to finally see this work being carried out on this roundabout. The SDLP in Strabane have been contacted on a regular basis by residents and visitors to Strabane who use this roundabout, saying how many near misses there have been and a fear someone could be badly hurt in the future if nothing was done.”

“Many people believed the problem lay around the visibility of other cars when entering and exiting the roundabout. This was due to a couple of lanes creating a blind spot because of their initial design. DRD Roads Service has now carried out road works to elevate this problem for drivers. I can say from using the roundabout myself, these works have made it a lot safer.”

“The SDLP in Strabane hope this will safeguard the health and safety of motorists using this roundabout for the future.”

SDLP call for action over crumbling steps in Drumrallagh

This week the SDLP in Strabane have called on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to carry out repair works on the steps, which allow public access to Drumrallagh Estate in Strabane.

Speaking on the issue was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “This was an issue that was brought to our attention while we carried out a door-to-door survey in the Drumrallagh and Fountain Terrace areas. Residents pointed out that the steps and adjoining wall were in a very bad condition. A lot of the cement and plaster has started to fall off and now it is left the whole area looking very untidy.”

“We are calling on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to carry out a complete refurbishment of the steps, to repair the broken wall and to repaint the railings that have begun to rust and are quite dangerous for anyone who runs their hand along it. It would be a major concern of ours as this may lead to someone getting badly injured if they were to slip, especially coming into the winter months.”

Also commenting on the matter was SDLP representative for the area Liam Stewart who said “Growing up quite close to Drumrallagh, myself and many others have used these steps on a regular basis. The steps are in a bad condition and are only going to get worse with the cold weather. We will be lobbying the Housing Executive for repair works to tidy the steps and more importantly ensure safety.”

SDLP welcome repair works to Lisnaragh Road in Donemana

This week the SDLP in Strabane have welcomed the repair works currently being carried out on the Lisnaragh Road in Donemana.

Welcoming the repair works was SDLP Strabane District Councillor Patsy Kelly who said “It is great to see the repair works being carried on the Lisnaragh Road in Donemana. The SDLP have been lobbying for these works to be carried out for quite some time. Our office has been contacted on numerous occasions by residents who were fed up with the condition of the road previously and the damage that was being done to cars. These works will now fix that problem and make the road safer for users.”

Also welcoming the news was SDLP Representative for the area and Donemana resident Steph Boyd who said “As a resident it is great to see these works finally near completion. The Lisnaragh Road is a busy link between Donemana and Plumbridge. I hope that the concerns of residents will be satisfied when this work is finished.”