Lord Mayor To 'Build A Better Belfast'

Belfast's newly-appointed Lord Mayor, Councillor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has pledged to "build a better Belfast" during his time in office.

The Lord Mayor was speaking as he unveiled his 'Vision for Belfast' document.

"In all of my work, I pledge to remain relentlessly positive about Belfast, its people and its future," Councillor Ó Muilleoir said.

"Today I am revealing my vision of how I can use the office of Mayor to build a better Belfast. I ask for your help in making my vision a reality. First and foremost, that means building the peace and working hard to bring our people together.

"It also means striving to create jobs. And of course in all our work we have to ensure that our working class communities enjoy a greater share of the peace dividend," he added.

The Lord Mayor's Vision will include:

- Leading a technology trade mission from Belfast to Silicon Valley USA later this year

- Hosting a business mission to Belfast from New York early next year

- Introducing 'Future Belfast Fridays', when engagements will focus on building confidence in the economy

- Working with the Somme Association and the Royal British Legion to explore ways to pay respect to dead of the First World War

- Appointing a Poet Laureate for Belfast

- Hosting a Civic Forum on the crucial issue of tackling poverty

- Hosting a Belfast Day on Sunday, 29 September 2013 to celebrate the diversity of Belfast

- Promoting the Irish language as "a shared treasure of all"

The Mayor's new vision was unveiled at an event at Belfast City Hall yesterday, which was attended by representatives from the community, business, arts and culture, trade unions and tourism sectors.

Speakers who endorsed the content of the Vision document included business leader Terence Brannigan, tourism chief Howard Hastings, trade union leader Peter Bunting, chairman of the Somme Association Dr Ian Adamson, and CEO of Arts & Business Mary Trainor-Nagele.

(IT/MH)