No guarantees on long-term future of Invest NI
Sinn Féin Vice President, West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty has said that there
should
be 'no guarantees' about the long-term future of Invest NI given its
failure
to meet minimum targets to tackle inequality through strategic
investment
West of the Bann and in Border counties.
Mr Doherty said:
"Sinn Féin have exposed the bias of Invest NI that favours of the more
affluent
East Coast and parts of Belfast over areas West of the Bann and
Border
communities. The current planned investment strategy replicates
failures
of the past.
"Invest NI is part of the problem. The failure to meet even minimum targets
to
tackle and eradicate inequality is unacceptable.
"The British government has clear commitments to deliver on the equality
agenda.
This means that there can be no excuses. Attempts to exempt
so-called
'high level' policy from the equality agenda are also unacceptable
because
it is exactly these polices, particularly in relation to investment
strategy,
that should be the instruments of change.
"The British government, its direct rule ministers, the government
departments
and their agencies need to recognise that they must go back to
the
drawing board in ensuring that they live up to their commitment to
deliver
on the equality agenda.
"We have seen progress on demilitarisation in recent days, we still need to
see
progress on policing and we also need to see equality commitments
delivered
upon.
"Sinn Féin have consistently argued that future investment strategy should
be
driven forward within the all-Ireland framework. We have argued for the
creation
of a single all-Ireland body subsuming both Invest NI and the IDB
to
drive forward economic development through a balanced inward investment
strategy
and support for the growth of indigenous business.
"There should be no guarantees about the long-term future of Invest NI. Sinn
Fein
have exposed its investment bias and there is a strong rationale for
movement
towards a single economic development agency for the island." ENDS