SDLP Ramsey - People Support Margaret Ritchie's Housing Programme and are Wise to SF Sniping

People are wise to SF sniping at Margaret Ritchie and see it for what it is - pathetic party politics at its worst.
“Margaret Ritchie is squeezing every brick out of her totally inadequate budget. Because of the collapse in the housing market and the standstill in Housing Executive property sales, Margaret Ritchie has £80 million less this year than planned, and £100 million less than was expected for each of the next two years.

“Because of this, the Minister can not do everything that she had planned to do pre-recession. In response to the new situation, has prioritised new build houses and directed that new homes should be built on land already owned by the Housing Executive. There will be 1750 housing starts across the north over the next year, the highest number for many years. She is doing this so that we can get as many houses built as possible for the available money – to get families our of homeless accommodation and get builders back into work. Other priorities are warm homes and tackling fuel poverty.

“It is really pathetic to hear the constant party political sniping from epresentatives from Sinn Fein. Every week they have another go at the only SDLP Minister. They should remember – they and their DUP partners set the budget before the recession, and they have refused to change the budget since the recession. The people know who is doing the work and who is making good decisions. The people can see the total incompetence of the two main parties. It is clear on the doorsteps that many people regret giving so much ower to the SF/DUP bloc. They are failing children in education, they are failing on the economy, and now people have seen outreagous and ethically unfustifiable expenses claims. The people know which parties are working for the people and which parties are working on a themselves alone agenda.”

RAMSEY CALLS FOR END TO FIRECREW ATTACKS

RAMSEY CALLS FOR END TO FIRECREW ATTACKS

SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey has called on the parents of youths
attacking emergency services in Derry to take responsibility and hand
them over to the authorities.

He said: “A fire crew was attacked at Fahan Street on Sunday morning
as it attended the scene of a car fire. This follows an earlier attack
on a fire crew at Florence Street in the Waterside on Friday. This is
just unacceptable behaviour towards people doing an already dangerous
job.

“This is a problem that is tarnishing the name of these areas. What
would happen if fire crews were detained during these attacks and are
needed at a life and death incident elsewhere?

“The parents of these youths need to take some responsibility here.
There are groups of young people out at all hours carrying out these
attacks and the question must be asked why their parents are not
taking a stand on this.

“I call on everybody in both the Waterside and the Bogside areas to
help eradicate these anti-social attacks on our emergency services in
any way they can, be that handing information to the police about
these hooligans or taking responsibility if a family member is running
around the streets at night.”

Pat Ramsey has condemned the Petrol Bomb Attack on Mitchel McLaughlin's Home

SDLP MLA for Foyle Pat Ramsey has condemned the petrol-bomb attack on
the Bogside home of Sinn Fein MLA Mitchel McLaughlin.

Mr Ramsey, who lives close to Mr McLaughlin, said the attack was
cowardly and those responsible should be handed in to police:

“The SDLP condemns this behaviour and we send our support to Mr
McLaughlin at this time. We, as a party, are calling for the people of
the Bogside to be united so we can marginalise those who encourage our
young people to carry out these awful attacks.

“This behaviour has brought great shame to the people of the Bogside
and we must do all we can to stop these attacks in our community.

“The people in the community know who is at this sort of behaviour.
Parents should be vigilant to the whereabouts of their children and
pay particular attention to the times they are coming home at.

“We all have a responsibility to stop these attacks and those who are
responsible should be handed over because not only is it putting the
good name of the Bogside at risk but also the safety of its people.”

Pat Ramsey Joins With Community in call for Information on House Fire

“I have been contacted by residents of Dundreen Park who are deeply shocked at the house fire that is believed to have been started maliciously on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning . The police are treating the fire as suspicious.

“Residents are understandably angry that anyone might have deliberately set a house on fire, putting the lives of residents and emergency services personnel at risk. Thankfully no one was injured in the fire, but the householders lost valuable and personal possessions.

“While people hope that further investigations show that the fire was accidental, members of the local community have made it clear that they want anyone with information to give it to the police. Naturally, I would join with the community asking people with information to come forward.”

SDLP Calls for Road safety Improvements at Bogside Zebra Crossing

Pat Ramsey MLA and Chair of All Party Assembly Group on Road Safety Committee and Councillor Sean Carr recently met with a road safety representative to discuss the safety of the zebra crossing near FreeDerry corner. Speaking after the meeting Pat Ramsey said,

"People in the Bogside area are very concerned at the dangers around the zebra crossing near to free Derry corner. This is a very busy dual carriageway, close to complex junctions, with a lot of other distracting factors for drivers. There has been a number of accidents involving pedestrians and, as the people in the area arepainfully aware, there have been fatalities.

"I discussed the crossing with a representative of the Road Serviceand asked him to bring forward proposals to make the crossing safer.

"In the mean time I would appeal to drivers to take extreme care in this very busy residential area."