Final Sdlp Newspaper 2011
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1 Ready to vote? Inside: Water crisis Tuition fees The economy Jobs Transport
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Transcript of Final Sdlp Newspaper 2011
1
Ready to vote?Inside:
Water crisisTuition fees
The economyJobs
Transport
2
Representatives
Representatives
Who are my public representatives?
Your MLAs for South Belfast
Conall McDevitt MLA
393A Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7EWTel: 028 9068 3535Fax: 028 9068 3503
Alasdair McDonnellMP MLA
120A Ormeau RoadBelfastBT7 2EBTel: 028 9024 2474Fax: 028 9043 9935
Representatives
BalmoralCllr Niall [email protected]
Cllr Bernie [email protected]
Claire [email protected]
CastlereaghCllr Brian [email protected]
LaganbankCllr Pat McCarthy07711 [email protected]
We need your support!
Cllr Peter O'Reilly 07748 [email protected]
Kate [email protected]
3
A welcome from South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt
The SDLP is continuing to move forward with a shared future through the demo-cratic process with inclusion of all sides of the community.
We have faced challenges in the last year, notably the dismal handling of the water crisis which disrupted thousands of lives across North-ern Ireland.
Ongoing spates of dissident violence have also had a devastating impact on everyone living in this part of the world, regardless of their political background.
This archaic way of thinking only serves to drag us all back to a time of division, segregation and violence and those who commit these coward-ly and self-defeating acts have no support in our community.
We live in a society here in Northern Ireland that continues to be divided along sectarian lines but they are not the only divisions within our region. It can be argued that the socio-economic gap among those who have and those who have
not is wider than it was in the 1970s.Our children’s education is now at risk from
increased university fees, yet furthering the socio-economic gap which continues to divide us.
We are cur-rently lead-ing the way in the Assembly against a hike in student fees to protect education for future genera-tions.
As a society we need to establish an equal vision and move away from petty differences and tribal boundaries.
Are you registered to vote?
To check if you are registered to vote or to apply for a proxy or postal vote contact the
SDLP office on 028 90 68 3535 or alternatively you can visit the Electoral Office website at www.
eoni.org.uk.
Register now to vote in the 2011 Assembly and Council elections!
Follow Conall on Facebook facebook.com/conallmcdevitt
Claire [email protected]
It is crucial that you are on
the electoral register to be able
to vote and ensure your voice is heard
4
The mishandling of the NI Water crisis at the beginning of this year brought many areas of the north to a stand-
still,
leav- ing fami-lies without water, flooding homes and costing business-es hundreds of thousands in lost trade.
Mr McDevitt has led criti-
cism of
Regional Development Minister Conor
Murphy and Northern Ireland Water’s handling of the crisis.
“Conor Murphy spent most of 2010 telling us he was taking politi-
NI Water: What next?
cal responsibility for Northern Ireland Water.”
“He dismissed SDLP propos-als for a severe weather interde-
partmental task force to coordinate the Executive’s response as ‘unnecessary
bureaucracy’. Yet he seems unwilling to take any political responsibility for what has happened,” he said.
SDLP South Belfast Councillor Bernie Kelly also criticised the Min-ister for “a much overdue change to the struc-
tural governance of Northern
Ireland Water”. “The
recent water crisis should
not have been the cata- lyst that pro-pelled the Minister into action. If he had
acted sooner, maybe the inci-dent could have been handled so much better,” she said.
At its peak the crisis left 60,000 homes across Northern Ireland without a water supply.
Following an assembly ques-tion by Mr McDevitt, it also emerged that disgraced former chief executive of NI Water Lau-rence MacKenzie, who resigned following the crisis, was grant-ed a resignation payment of £91,000.
Mr McDevitt criticised Conor Murphy’s decision to allow a weighty severance deal to the former chief executive.
“The Minister said on sev-eral occasions that he would not support any large payout, yet it appears from the figures released to me that Mr MacKen-zie got his full contractual enti-tlement,” he said.
Following an article in Scot-land’s Daily Record in Janu-rary this year, further details emerged that MacKenzie had been convicted of embezzling £2,000 from a church in his
As thousands of homes face costly repair across the country and families try to piece together their lives following the chaos of burst pipes and flooding over the Christmas holidays, South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt argues it is time to solve the water problem
5
native Scotland in 1982. The for-mer NI Water boss left his home town of Thurso shortly after.
NI Water has since confirmed that future applicants for the post of chief executive will be subject to a background check and asked to disclose any previ-ous criminal convictions.
Mr McDevitt, who is SDLP-spokesperson for Regional Development, is now fight-ing for financial compensation for those worst affected by the water crisis.
“The Minister has granted NI Water a general indemnity from having to pay any compensation. He has left tens of thousands of householders without any right to claim compensation,” he said.
“Consumers will be shocked to hear that the Minister has written off any recourse for those whose homes and liveli-hoods have been ruined because of these failed governance struc-tures and their right seek com-
South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt is continuing his campaign to reduce the speed limit on urban residential areas from 30mph to 20mph.
Mr McDevitt is planning to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to the Assembly to implement legislative change in the region and believes the change could help save lives.
“Many of our streets are being used as “rat runs” by drivers in a bid to beat the traffic, and many drivers are speeding down these residential streets without adapting their driving to the change in environment,” he said.
Figures have shown that a pedestrian hit by a car at 30mph will have a one in five chance of being killed. If the speed is dropped to 20mph the chances of death drop signifi-cantly to one in 40.
“We need to ensure that our streets are a safe and shared space, whereby pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike can enjoy access to these roads without compromising their per-sonal safety”.
In June last year it was discovered that no fixed penalty notices for speeding had been issued by police in the last three years on many of the roads connecting the Malone Road to the Lisburn Road.
Mr McDevitt is hoping a change in legisla-tion will mean a considerable drop in serious road accidents across the north.
Speed
“20mph is enough“
Above: Belfast residents fill up bottles with drinking water
pensation through the courts,”“There has clearly been a
communication breakdown between NIW and DRD”.
With cuts in the Regional Development budget of £48 mil-lion, which will have devastat-ing implications for NI Water, Mr McDevitt has vowed the SDLP will continue to fight for
the rights of the consumer and to ensure the crisis is not repeated.
An investiga-tion underway to determine the short comings during this win-
ter’s water fiasco has already faced harsh criticism among the SDLP and UUP.
The man appointed to over-see Conor Murphy’s handling of the crisis, Phil Holder had previ-ously applied for the position of chairman of NI Water.
The former chair of the Com-mittee on Standards in Public Life, Sir Alistair Graham, said the appointment was “totally inappropriate”.
"Conor Murphy has left tens of thousands of householders
without any right to claim
compensation"
Read the latest from Conall at www.oconallstreet.com
6
SDLP says no to fee hike
Conall McDevitt has vowed to ‘keep up the momentum’ against an increase in university
tuition fees.In spring of last year, the
South Belfast MLA began a petition in opposition to The Russell Group’s proposal that students should have to start paying back their student loans earlier and at a much higher interest rate.
The petition, which includ-ed 10,000 signatures, was pre-sented to the NI Assembly on November 1 2010 by SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey, along with a motion calling for a cap on student fees and loans.
However, Mr Mr McDe-vitt expressed disappoint-ment that less than half of the Sinn Fein Assembly team were there to support the SDLP motion.
“It was a very disap-pointing turnout after such a lot of grandstanding on the issue from Sinn Fein”.
Despite the motion being rejected Mr McDevitt said the petition signed by students and parents across the north “truly signified the sincere opposition to an increase in student fees and interest rates”.
“NUS-USI is intent on keeping this campaign going. They will have our support”.
“There is an elec-tion com- ing up and I hope many working fami-lies study carefully which par-ties are standing with them on this issue and which are not,” he said.
In January he criticised Minister of Employment and Learning, Danny Kennedy for seemingly making a ‘speech of surrender’ and conceding that student fees would increase.
With it looking increasingly likely that the north will face the same increase in university tuition fees, Conall McDevitt along with fellow party members is standing firm behind the students of tomorrow and rejecting proposals which could see fees rising as high as £9,000 a year
To become a member of the campaign search “Oppose Russell Group Proposals for Student Loans“ on Facebook
"I would definitely be going to university but now I would have to think twice. Now that the fees may go up to 9,000, that's well over twice the cost, that shoots up to 30,000 over three years. I'd probably study music technology or maybe politics. I know a lot of people who are now thinking twice about it. It's going to create a class divide"
Oísin Jayat is 17 and attends Lagan College, Belfast.
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SDLP says no to fee hike
As a practicing politician, I see it as my job to articulate an eco-nomic agenda which creates a fair and socially just society,
where there is equality of opportunity for all the citizens of Northern Ireland.
Efforts must be focused on devel-oping a long term vision and a serious agenda for change and making sure that real change happens.
The great difficulty that we have across all of our economic sectors in Northern Ireland is not based on a lack of ideas; they are out there and they are in great abundance. The difficulty local business people feel deeply frustrated
by the inaction and inertia of govern-ment, and by that I mean the Executive and the Assembly.
An economic strategy must be delivered that is focused on removing bureaucracy and barriers and makes it easier for people with good ideas to turn them into wealth and job creation.
To do this we need to talk to people out in the community. We need to talk to business leaders; we need to talk and more importantly we need to listen and we need to involve them. It is only then that we will be in a position to produce fresh ideas and new priorities.
Alasdair McDonnell MPSDLP South Belfast MLA
The Department of Enter-prise, Trade and Investment needs to put new green in-dustries and green jobs at the heart of its industrial strategy in 2011.
Minister Arlene Foster should undertake a significant reassessment of our use of re-newable energy and prioritise the activities of the energy di-vision in her department.
Between 93% and 95% of our energy needs are being met by imported fossil fuels. This makes no sense either econom-ically or environmentally.
The SDLP supports the Green New Deal, a cross de-partmental approach to low-ering carbon emissions and cutting our dependency on the fossil fuels that eat up our re-sources.
Facing a future of rising energy prices, we risk serious economic and social failure un-less we act swiftly to reduce that dependence.
Green industry at core of the economy
Environment
London based law firm Allen and Overy are to set up in Belfast in a move which will create 300 new
jobs.The decision by this suc-
cessful global company to set up a base in Belfast is testa-ment to the high skills and tal-ent that people in our region have to offer.
The creation of 300 jobs in different areas of our legal sec-
Law firms brings 300 new jobs
Jobs
tor will give hope to the ever-increasing number of people who are out of work at the moment and this maximiza-tion and diversification of jobs will strengthen our economy.
On behalf of the SDLP, I would like to pay tribute to all those involved in encouraging Allen and Overy to invest in our wonderful city and hope that their move will be a cata-lyst for other companies.
120a Ormeau RoadBelfast BT7 2EB
Oísin Jayat is 17 and attends Lagan College, Belfast.
The economy:Alasdair McDonnell
believes we need to get
past the bureaucracy
Follow Alasdair on Facebook facebook.com/alasdairmcdonnell
8
Conall McDevitt has called for young people in the Holylands area to continue to respect
their neighbours and the city during this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Mr McDevitt stressed that residents in the Holylands area should not have to suffer due to the actions of a small minority.
“Given the disrepute that has been unfairly put on the entire student body in previ-ous years as a result of the actions of a few troublemakers, I would urge students to take advantage of the organised entertainment put on by the student unions,” he said.
Last year, the annual fes-tivities passed off without major incident in South Belfast thanks to the combined efforts of organisations such as the PSNI, Belfast City Council, the universities, student unions, and the Holyland Interagency Group.
Mr McDevitt also welcomed the addition of new surveil-lance systems in place and said he was “satisfied that every-thing was being done to ensure the celebrations this year rec-ognised Ireland in a peaceful way”.
“I am very happy to see the CCTV in operation in the Holyland area. It will provide a necessary deterrent to any-
The Orange Order should be more respectful of residential areas and focus on creating wel-
coming celebrations of their culture and faith in neutral spaces during the July 12 cel-ebrations, according to Conall McDevitt.
The South Belfast MLA has firsthand experience of the impact the annual marches have on communities through-out the area.
He believes there is a gap in what the Orange Order says and what actually happens at ground level.
“Every year our little street
pays a high price for being on the Belfast 12th of July’s parade route,” he said.
“When they leave their lit-ter behind and use your walls as latrines, it feels like a viola-tion. I have been contacted by many people who feel the same way”.
South Belfast Council-lor Niall Kelly called on the Orange Order to improve mar-shalling at the yearly event as well as increasing the number of portaloos and litter points avail- able to ensure min- i-mum disrup- tion.
The Twelfth
one looking to cause trouble this coming St Patrick’s Day,” he said.
“It will also help the com-munity at large and the police to combat the rise in crime, some of which has been vio-lent, in this part of the city”.
The South Belfast MLA said he was looking forward to colourful celebrations during this year’s event.
Call for peaceful St Patrick's Day celebrations
Greater respect and organisation needed
Above:Revellers in Belfast City centre enjoying the St Patrick’s Day festivities
Above: Twelfth of July parades in some areas have caused local residents grief
Council helps improve the lives of the elderly
Residents in the area close to the King’s Hall have scored a victory after Belfast City Coun-
cil banned the open-air festival Planetlove.
The Licensing Com-mittee at the City Hall made the decision on February 22 fol-lowing ongoing complaints from
Planetlove event banned from King's Hall
9
The Twelfth
Belfast City Council is extremely keen to engage the older people of Belfast in civic life
through various projects and schemes, such as hosting its fourth annual Senior Citizens Convention in September.
As Chair of the Council’s cross party Reference Group on Older People, I had the hon-our of opening the recent tea dances held in the Ulster Hall in the lead up to Christmas.
I believe it is important for older people across the city to get out and about and keep active. It was fantastic to see hundreds of older people brav-ing the harsh winter condi-tions to attend these increas-ingly popular events.
In addition to social events in the city, as part of the vol-unteering in Europe initia-tive Belfast City Council has teamed up with local authori-ties in Madrid to send six old-er people from Belfast to take part in an eight week exchange program.
Another initiative for older residents in South Belfast is
the Good Morning project.Supported by the council,
the scheme is helping to allevi-ate the problem of social isola-tion among the elderly by help-ing them stay connected and allowing officers to check on their health and well being.
Belfast City Council is con-tinuing to work in partnership with other agencies in the city to improve the lives of older citizens and it is vital that we engage and embrace the older people in the our community.
Council helps improve the lives of the elderly
Bernie KellySDLP South Belfast Councillor
I recently had the pleasure of attending the launch of the Lyric Theatre’s dramatic first season in City Hall last month ahead of the grand opening on May 1.
Belfast City Council has contributed funding to this £18million project which will result in a first class theatre situated on our doorsteps in South Belfast.
As former Chair of the Arts committee in Belfast City Council, I am proud to have been involved in this initiative. The Lyric will play a central role in the cultural and economic development of Northern Ireland.
The spectacular new Lyric re-opens on May 1 with a gala performance of The Crucible by Arthur Millar. Other highlights include Martin Lynch’s Dockers and The Painkiller, starring Oscar nominee Kenneth Brannagh.
Residents in the area close to the King’s Hall have scored a victory after Belfast City Coun-
cil banned the open-air festival Planetlove.
The Licensing Com-mittee at the City Hall made the decision on February 22 fol-lowing ongoing complaints from
Planetlove event banned from King's Hall
Anti-social behaviour
local residents and has said it would not approve similar out-door events in future
I had previously met with representatives of the venue on
a number of occasions to express these con-
cerns. I hope this
will bring res-pite for citi-zens in South Belfast.
393A Lisburn RdBelfast BT9 7EW
Renovation complete on historic theatre
Above:Bernie Kelly struts her stuff at the Ulster Hall
Lyric theatre
Older people:Bernie Kelly tells uswhat the council is
doing to help
Follow Bernie on Facebook tinyurl.com/berniekelly
10
C onall McDevitt has con-tinued in his efforts to seek justice for survi-vors of historical insti-
tutional abuse at the inaugu-ral taskforce meeting.
The South Belfast MLA met with survivors along with Amnesty International repre-sentative Patrick Corrigan on Feb 1 to consider the nature of a future inquiry into institu-tional abuse.
The interdepartmental taskforce, which includes sen-ior representatives from sev-eral key departments, was announced in December last year.
Mr McDevitt said he was pleased with the progress made so far and added the next step required was a full inquiry along with a formal apology from the Executive.
“Nothing but a full inquiry will satisfy those who have had their childhoods taken from them. The taskforce will have to address the issue of redress
for the survivors as well as moving immediately to meet their specific needs,” he said.
“This is a significant step forward for the campaign how-ever survivors will be disap-pointed that there is no com-mitment at this stage to an apology”.
The taskforce was setup to recommend terms of reference for a public inquiry into abuse. This follows the publication of the Ryan Report in May 2009
The SDLP has welcomed news that councillors are to provide traders in South Belfast with
£25,000 to assist their busi-nesses.
SDLP Balmoral Councillor Niall Kelly met with other councillors from across South Belfast to show support for local traders.
“There was a general consensus that the money which was to be allocated from a budget under spend should be used to stimulate economic activity and provide some form of assistance to our local traders,” he said.
“I hope that over the course of the next twelve months the council will be available to provide more assistance and support to local enterprises as they are the key to our economic recovery”.
South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt, who has worked closely with the Lisburn Road Traders Association, warned that high rent and rates could serve as a deterrent for new businesses moving into the area.
“In the current economic climate it is essential that businesses are encouraged and supported,” he said.
Business
which detailed the abuse suf-fered by thousands of victims over several decades.
Mr McDevitt, who has led the campaign on behalf of survivors of institution-al abuse in the north has said he will con-tinue to cam-paign on the issue.
Above: Conall McDevitt MLA and Claire Hanna meet with abuse survivors
Taskforce on abuse finally gets underway
Council business boost
11
As council candidate for the greater part of the Lisburn Road if elected I will work to ensure that Belfast City Coun-
cil takes action to maintain the diversi-ty and vibrancy of the commercial areas of the Lisburn Road.
Business owners face a further rates rise this year, a cause of concern to many who are already in difficulty. In the current economic context Belfast City Council and central government-must do more to ease this burden.
Land and Property Services has blamed the high levels of small busi-nesses going into liquidation or bank-ruptcy because of the recession.
This sharp rise has occurred because
the LPS has informed the council that there is a £3.5million shortfall in the rates it expects to collect when com-pared with the actual figure.
I believe this will impact tremen-dously on the traders based on the Lis-burn Road. Along with the city centre the Lisburn Road area as well as much of South Belfast is considered one of the most attractive and sought after shop-ping precincts in the city.
However, as small traders contin-ue to face skyrocketing rental costs as well as burdensome rates, we have to tackle the problem head on to ensure small businesses don’t get pushed out of what has long been a thriving and well respected shopping area in the city.
Claire HannaSDLP Belfast City Council candidate
I believe some parts of Wind-sor ward need a radical facelift. As one of the most vibrant and ethnically
diverse wards in Belfast it also boasts some of the most desir-able houses in the city.
There are however some parts that require attention.
Some of the streets to the west of the Lisburn Road have an imbalance between rented and owner occupied properties.
Lisburn Road properties dilapidated
Housing
Landlords have not been able to get tenants for their houses in multiple occupation, in some cases they are falling to rack and ruin and the dete-rioration is affecting the qual-ity of life of their neighbours.
I believe abandoned houses should be sold and landlords should be asked to comply with minimum standards of proper-ty maintenence.
393a Lisburn RoadBelfast BT9 7EWTel: [email protected]
Follow Claire on Twitter@clairehanna
A proposed boundary review of the Malone Conversation area will involve excluding cer-tain parts of the Windsor ward from the area, including parts of Windsor Avenue and Derry-volgie Avenue. I urge residents in the Windsor area to make their views known on this pro-posed review.
While a review is now ap-propriate, I am concerned that the cohesion and integrity of the area might be fragmented by the removal of conservation status. The SDLP will also be putting their own submission forward.
Under the proposed local government reforms, council-lors will be given substantive decision-making powers in re-lation to planning, as opposed to merely consultative rights which is the case at present.
If elected, I will spare no ef-fort to keep Balmoral green, clean, quiet and safe. We need councillors who are vigilant and informed on planning mat-ters.
Boundary review to exclude key areas
Planning
Above: One of the many shops on the busy Lisburn Road forced to close its doors
Lisburn Road
Businesses facing the
squeeze
Business
Above: Conall McDevitt MLA and Claire Hanna meet with abuse survivors
Taskforce on abuse finally gets underway
Council business boost
12
Regional Development spokesperson Conall McDevitt has slammed Minister Conor Mur-
phy’s proposed DRD budget plan which will mean massive spending cuts in public trans-port and road maintenance.
The South Belfast MLA said the DRD budget, which will see an £85million reduc-tion in road maintenance and a £58million reduction in pub-lic transport, will do nothing to help grow the economy.
“It’s the budget of a minis-ter who has no vision for our region. It does nothing to sup-port economic recovery and will in fact make transport in our region worse,” he said.
Minister Murphy’s budget proposes to reduce the number of bus services while signifi-cantly increasing bus and rail fares.
Mr McDevitt believes the spending cuts will ultimately lead to a limited transport sys-tem along with many employ-ees out of work.
Council candidate Claire Hanna added, “There will be fewer buses on the streets of Belfast and on all rural roads.
The people who will lose their jobs are those who work in public trans-
port,” she said.
Millions to be cut in public transport
Conall McDevitt continued by saying, “The Minister is also proposing to seriously cut disabled transport. These cuts will make many disabled people prisoners in their own home and set disability rights in this region back ten years”.
The South Belfast MLA also expressed concern about the huge negative impact the proposed budget plan will have on the environment.
“Cutting back funding for public transport means cutting back on the alternative to the car. That is the only poten-tial policy outcome that can be drawn from the draft budget.
Walking and cycling funding will be absolutely decimated,” he said.
“The Minister has spoken often about prioritising sustainable transport but he needs to move beyond
that and start investing in it”.South Belfast councillor
Bernie Kelly also warned that decreased spending on roads maintenance could lead to flooding and could also make roads more dan-gerous due to less money.
“"The people who will lose their jobs are those
who work in public transport"
13
I believe it is time for the Roads Ser-vice to tackle the ever increasing Finaghy traffic problems which affect both residents and commuters.Streets such as Grangeville
and Diamond Gardens have become some of the biggest “rat runs” in Belfast.
Hundreds of cars are driving dangerously and continuously using these small residential roads with a blatant disregard for the safety of the residents, especial-ly small children.
The first step to addressing the problem is installing a right hand turn filter arrow on Finaghy Crossroads so
that cars coming up the Lisburn Road can turn right on to Finaghy Road.
Doing this would substantially decrease the number of cars who use
Grangeville and Diamond Gardens as a shortcut.
Along with this meas-ure there is also a need for improved traffic calming measures in the streets. I have recently requested the Roads Service to car-
ry out a full traffic survey of the area and come back to me with a number of options that I will then put forward for public consultation. I hope this will help residents and traders in the area.
Niall KellySDLP South Belfast Councillor
Representatives from the SDLP have submitted a peti-tion to the Assembly calling on the Minister of Agriculture and the Rivers Agency to take responsibility for the undes-ignated water courses which run through the Ardmore and Ashton area.
Every year severe floods in the area cause continuous misery to local residents. In the last year there has been an ongoing turf war between the Roads Service, the Rivers Agency and the Department of Agriculture.
It appears everyone is pass-ing the buck and no one is tak-ing responsibility. I believe it is time that these undesignat-ed water courses are adopted by the Rivers Agency so that the vital work to prevent the annual occurrence of flooding can begin.
This ambiguity between different government depart-ments is causing continuing difficulty and must be sorted.
Flooding problems need addressed
Rivers
The determination of res-idents in the Finaghy area, working alongside local councillors has
been responsible for a massive reduction in anti-social behav-iour in the area.
Looking back to the sit-uation which residents in Orchardville and Ardmore faced a couple of years ago in relation to anti-social behav-iour from the Emerald Road-
Residents and council tackle noise
Anti-social behaviour
house, previously the Deven-ish Complex, I see an area which has been transformed.
This transformation was brought about by the hard work of the residents of this area and people, like my pre-decessor Carmel Hanna, who made it clear to the licensee that they were not prepared to tolerate noise and anarchy on their doorstep.
Cllr Kelly outside the Emerald Roadhouse
40 Grangeville GardensBelfast BT10 0HL
Traffic woes:
“"Ensuring the residents of South Belfast
have a smooth traffic system is
essential"
Councillor Niall Kelly
speaks out
Follow Niall on Twitter@niallkellysdlp
14
Gritting
South Belfast needs access to more grit boxes to help tackle the increasingly icy conditions we are experiencing during winter
months, according to MLA for the area Conall McDevitt.
Mr McDevitt also believes that the Executive should set up an inter-departmental task force to plan measures for coping with extreme weather events to avoid a repeat of the debacle last Christmas.
“A task force could look at investment in mechanical snow-clearing and the use of farmers as occasional contractors, which is a common solution across Europe. It could also clear away legal obstacles which are still preventing
sensible solutions for pavement clearing,” he said.
The South Belfast MLA also believes use of modern alternatives to grit such as liquid de-icer, used in some areas of Scotland and the US could help prevent the chaos seen last
winter.
Conall McDevitt MLA has welcomed the pro-posal for a technical aid strategy in Uganda.
The SDLP assembly mem-ber is vice-chairperson on the All Party Group for Interna-tional Development who along with their British and Irish counterparts have proposed a strategy to aid the under-developed north-east area of the country.
The technical aid will seek to export local expertise, such as soil management, mental health care, conflict resolution and other skills which we spe-cialise in here in Northern Ire-land.
The proposed strategy will not require cash-funding, instead time and resources will be used to send out experts into the field in Uganda, help-ing to train and educate.
Balmoral candi-date Claire Hanna said many young
people in Uganda
have been “disproportionate-ly affected by the conflict and many have been caught up in para-militarism.”
“As a society emerging from conflict, Northern Ireland is also in a position to share learning from its own experi-ences,” she said.
Uganda itself has had problems with sectarian con-flict for many centuries and is
New proposed strategy to aid Uganda
only now beginning to develop a new identity on the world stage.
The strategy will launch alongside a ‘Ceremony of Acknowledgement’ in March, whereby the APG will honour the commitment of nominated volunteers who have made sig-nificant lifelong contributions to international development.
Above:Conall visits Uganda in 2009 to join a team of traders to help build a primary school
"We need an overall
improvement in regards to
how we handle the problem
of increasingly icy winter
conditions"
Alternative solution for dealing with icy roads
15
The forthcoming election must be about making Northern Ireland work.
The budgets which Sinn Fein and the DUP are proposing will put the
north on the dole. Over 9000 public service jobs will go with many more lost in the private sector. Over 100 school builds will not proceed and hospital waiting lists will get longer if we don’t start taking devolved government seri-ously and start making decisions that benefit the many rather then the few.
We have had seventy years of bad govern-ment in this region. It gave us political policing
and gerrymandering. The last thing we need now is slush fund politics and more cronyism.
The next Assembly needs more balance. A stronger SDLP team will bring solutions to water and education and a new politics to Stor-mont.
We want to create a people’s water compa-ny to make the necessary investments in our water and sewerage infrastructure. A mutual company which puts customers first.
In government we will work hard to break the stalemate in education. We won’t let out-dated ideology get in the way of what is best for our children. Guided by international best practice we have made proposals which will ensure no child ever has to sit a trans-fer test at eleven whilst also guar-anteeing that educational excellence
Gritting
remains at the heart of all our schools.Through practical cooperation across Ire-
land we can save millions for both jurisdic-tions. Money that can be invested in schools, hospitals and our transport infrastructure. That’s why we want a better budget for the north. One which includes new revenue from local sources to plug the gap left by Tory cuts. A strong SDLP would challenge Sinn Fein and the DUP’s surrender policy to the UK Treas-ury.
Northern Ireland can remain divided and forever a failure or as a region we can make the positive decision to work together in the common interest.
My nationalism is in no way diluted by a commitment to making the north work, nor should anyone else’s unionism. Those of us who are serious about Irish Unity need to explore honestly what that means. You can’t unite Ireland by continuing to divide the north. That’s why the time has come for a generation of nationalist politicians to step forward and make our region work. I want to be part of that
movement.
New proposed strategy to aid Uganda
Above:Conall visits Uganda in 2009 to join a team of traders to help build a primary school
Alternative solution for dealing with icy roads
Follow Conall on Twitter@conallmcd
A final thought
from
Conall McDevittSouth Belfast MLA
"Northern Ireland can remain divided and forever a failure or as a region we can make the positive
decision to work together in the common interest"
16
Fix my street campaign!
If you wish to report an issue with your
street that you'd like fixed - big or smallplease contact any SDLP representative
Your SDLP Balmoral team
Conall McDevitt Bernie KellyClaire Hanna Niall Kelly
Published by Conall McDevitt MLA, 393a Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7EWDesigned by John Mulgrew and written by John Mulgrew and Tom Finney
www.johnmulgrew.co.uk / [email protected]
See page 2 for details
