Stormont Executive failure to meet shows disregard for public

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 27th Aug 2008

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA has said that the Stormont Executive continues to be in crisis and said the DUP and Sinn Fein are displaying total disregard for the public by continuing their failure to meet over the summer.

The Opposition MLA said: "The Stormont Executive is doing nothing to solve the crisis which currently exists. It is a crisis of the Executive parties' own making. What do people generally do when there is a crisis and major disagreements? They talk to each other!

"This Executive has not met for over two months now, and will not meet until mid-September. This is a total disgrace. The Executive is in chaos but the parties involved won't even meet to talk to each other. What does that say about them?

"The DUP and Sinn Fein have been flippant and lazy about the crisis they are in. That attitude is simply not good enough. The DUP and Sinn Fein are showing total disregard for the public. People want them to get down to work. The honeymoon is long over and they need to start talking and working together or else there may soon be a divorce.

"The public are the ones who suffer because of Sinn Fein and the DUP's intransigence. Chaos and confusion still reigns on the 11-plus, the Maze site has weeds growing by the day on it and the planning backlog is growing and growing. All this is happening while the Executive fails to meet. This is simply not acceptable."

ENDS