DUP Veteran Rounds On Ruane

There has been renewed criticism of the Sinn Fein Minister for Education today.

The North Antrim MP, veteran politician Ian Paisley has accused Caitriona Ruane of dragging her feet over the appointment of over 100 governors to grammar schools in Northern Ireland.

Speaking today, the DUP MP (pictured here) said: "The nine-month delay in appointments is scandalous and is down to the Minister not being bothered to do her job.

"She should ensure good and efficient accountability by issuing immediate appointment notices," he fumed.

"I am given to understand that over 100 people have been identified for appointment to various boards of governors around Northern Ireland and the Minister simply hasn't appointed them.

"This is another demonstration of bias against many grammar schools and their procedures by this ideologically driven Minister," he alleged.

"At worst she is guilty of continuing her ideological warfare against grammar schools, at best she is guilty of gross incompetence. Either way it doesn't augur well for her future performance in the new session of the Assembly," said the MP.

Yesterday, the DUP Education Spokesman and Chairman of the Education Committee, Mervyn Storey also targeted Ms Ruane and said that the current approach of the Stormont Education Minister to her departmental budget was putting front line jobs in the education sector at risk.

He called upon Ms Ruane to adopt a policy of constructive engagement to defend vital front line teaching jobs.

"Press speculation that up to 1,500 education posts could be lost is creating a great sense of anxiety within the community.

"People are looking to the Minister to see just what she proposes to do to protect these vital front-line positions," he said, yesterday. He claimed that despite repeated calls to prioritise her budget the Minister has failed to give any indication as to how she proposes to spend her budget allocation.

(BMcC/KMcA)