All Ireland Job Creation Bid Provokes SDLP

The Assembly is to focus on job creation today with the SDLP Enterprise, Trade and Investment Spokesperson Dr Alasdair McDonnell this morning attacking a Sinn Fein-inspired motion in favour of an island-wide initiative.

He said that an all-Ireland job creation strategy is dependent on Sinn Fein, along with the DUP, creating an adequate and detailed Programme for Government and moving infrastructural projects within their departments.

Dr McDonnell was speaking prior to a Sinn Fein motion in the Assembly on Monday calling for the creation of an All-island job creation strategy.

That motion has been backed by Sinn Fein's Enterprise Spokesperson, Phil Flanagan, who said: "The main item on most people's agenda is the lack of jobs. This is something that the Executive in the North and the Dublin Government need to work much more closely on.

"We are calling for the establishment of an all-island job creation strategy, under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council. This would be chaired jointly by both Enterprise Ministers on the island - by Arlene Foster in the north and by Richard Bruton in the south.

"This strategy would focus on areas of high unemployment across the island," he added.

"It is no coincidence that the areas closest to the border suffer from even higher incidence of unemployment and lack of services then other areas. Unemployment and emigration is an island wide problem and therefore it requires an island wide solution."

However, as the debate got underway, the SDLP South Belfast MP said in response: "I fully welcome any discussion on job creation, particularly on an all-Ireland basis, but the public will not be fooled by Sinn Fein's meaningless words on the issue, the public want action."

Attacking those behind the motion he added: "Sinn Fein and the DUP have drafted a Programme for Government that is woefully inadequate.

"We have large infrastructural projects sitting idle within the Northern Ireland Executive, within Sinn Fein led departments.

"To implement an all-Ireland strategy Sinn Fein and the DUP need to use the tools already at their disposal to create jobs and marry that into an all-Ireland strategy. They're not doing that," he insisted.

"Their Draft Programme for Government has an absolute lack of any meaningful commitment to developing partnerships between the Executive and the government in the [Irish] Republic. Their lack of all-Ireland strategy is in black and white in that document.

"It also has no detailed job creation strategy; or details on how changes with Corporation Tax would have on any investment strategy; no strategy for the agri-food sector; meaningless references to tourism strategy, a complete lack of detail on urban regeneration and a disappointing lack of commitment to the Green New Deal to name a few."

The senior SDLP figure added: "Many of these are under control of Sinn Fein ministers.

"The SDLP has a detailed Programme for Government that has job creation as its top priority. This will rebalance the economy, lower corporation tax and create thousands of jobs through foreign investment, as well as tourism, construction and the green economy.

"Our proposals allow for more investment in our roads, schools and healthcare on an all-Ireland basis," he said.

Attacking the two-party majority 'ruling coalition' he concluded: "Sinn Fein and the DUP would be better served doing likewise. All-Ireland job creation is being strangled by our lack of an adequate Programme for Government."

(BMcC/GK)