EFFORTS should be made to record the achievements made by the Stormont Assembly over the past year – despite the legacy of "bad decisions" under direct rule, DUP MLA Nelson McCausland has said.
The North Belfast representative was speaking following comments made by Ulster Unionist MLA Fred Cobain, who said there was frustration in Parliament Buildings at the lack of radical thinking and legislation coming out of the Executive.
He said t
hat “all sensible people” would recognise that it would take time to turn around policies introduced under direct rule.
“Under the direct rule regime the government was introducing bad policies and deliberately making bad decisions,” said Mr McCausland.
“That has left us with a legacy of bad decisions and we cannot expect that situation to be put right in a matter of months.”
He went on to point out some of the headway that had been made by the executive, including the effects the budget had had on local homeowners.
“Every home owner in Northern Ireland is more than £1,000 better of than they would have been under direct rule as a consequence of the content of the budget unveiled by the Finance Minister Peter Robinson,” Mr McCausland claimed.
“We have just had an investment conference at which our country was showcased to the world’s foremost economic power.
“As a result of the decision made by DCAL Minister Edwin Poots, there will not be an Irish Language Act and we have ended the disparity in funding between Irish and Ulster-Scots.
“Loyal Order events will be receiving more funding as a result of the reform of community festivals funding. Our older people will now enjoy free access to the public transport system,” he added.
The full article contains 293 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
