Assembly Suspension Has Stifled Inward Drive

One of the reasons Coleraine is continuing to suffer from under investment in manufacturing and industry is because of the continuing suspension of the Assembly, Ulster Unionist MLA David McClarty has claimed. Expressing his deep regret at the impending loss of 70 jobs at the Farm Fed chicken processing plant in the town, Mr. McClarty, a former member of the Assembly’s Trade and Investment Committee, said the suspension of the Stormont administration had greatly reduced the drive for inward investment. “Farm Fed is a key employer in Coleraine, a town where the industrial base has been eroded considerably over the past two decades,” he said. “The firm has an excellent reputation for the quality of its produce and it has provided secure employment for hundreds of people over a long period of time but now it is experiencing difficulties and there will be little in the way of job opportunities for the employees who will be made redundant. “When the Assembly was in sitting, we were making considerable progress in selling Northern Ireland to the world as having good investment potential. “But since suspension there has not been the same focus under Direct Rule and I believe the impetus has been stifled. “This sad news from Farm Fed serves as a warning that there must be a reawakening on all sides to tackle the problem of job creation in the area.”

08 Apr 2005 by Editor 0 comments