News
18th December 09
12/18/2009
Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has spoken of his "shock and anger" after learning that only 3½% of the people appointed to public posts in Northern Ireland this year came from County Fermanagh.
Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has spoken of his "shock and anger" after learning that only 3½% of the people appointed to public posts in Northern Ireland this year came from County Fermanagh.
In a statement, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone representative said: "Between the 1st April 2008 and the 31st March this year there were a total number of 1634 public appointments made in Northern Ireland. Of this number only 58 of the appointees, approximately 3½%, currently live in County Fermanagh. This is the same total number of posts that went to people who don’t even live in Northern Ireland. Putting it simply, it is absolutely scandalous."
"It has always been perceived, if not openly acknowledged, that Fermanagh and indeed the wider Western part of Northern Ireland has suffered from a lack public appointments. While some of this would be understandable given that Belfast is in the east of the country, the fact that the representation has reached such a poor level, particularly in Fermanagh, is extremely aggravating. You only have to compare the level of representation of County Down, which gained 449 or 27% of appointees, with Fermanagh to see that there is a real need for a shake up. Otherwise the West will continue to lose out and suffer from a lack of representation in many of the major posts which have a bearing on the decision making process in Northern Ireland."
"It is vital for any country to have a certain level of local representation otherwise people become disconnected from the appointment process. That is why the figures for public appointments are not only aggravating but also deeply worrying, and I will be calling of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to take action to address this situation immediately."
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