Pat Ramsey will move a motion in the Northern Ireland Assembly next week calling on the Minister of Finance to Personnel reconsider his stated position on the implementation of the ‘Independent Review of Policy on the Location of Public Sector Jobs and for the issue to be discussed at the next Executive meeting.
Speaking from his constituency office Mr Ramsey said
“Decentralisation of public sector jobs, as recommended in the Bain Report, would distribute jobs and wealth more fairly throughout the north. It would go a long way in providing a long term economic boost to the West in particular.
“At the minute, most public sector jobs and related spending happens in and around the Belfast area. That means that the Belfast area has a huge and continuous injection of public money that benefits the local economy through wages and through public sector spending.
“In addition to high levels of public sector jobs and spending Belfast and towns close to it also have the highest levels of private sector investment in jobs.
“Meanwhile, areas outside of the Belfast drive to work region have very high levels of unemployment and the lowest levels of public sector investment and lower levels of private sector spending. This is in addition to serious underinvestment in transport and University education. The result of skewing investment to the east is long term disadvantage for areas in the West in particular.
“In the long run, Derry and the west need long term investment in University and transport infrastructure so we can compete for jobs, but those investment – if they happen - will take at least a decade to have a real impact. Decentralisation of public sector jobs would have an immediate impact.
“This is about balanced regional development, it is about equality”
“The Executive could decide to do decentralise jobs and make a real positive difference - so why don’t they?”
ENDS
Motion reads as follows
That this Assembly notes the significant social, regional development, economic and long term environmental benefits of a programme of decentralization of public sector jobs; calls on the Minister of Finance and Personnel reconsider his stated position on the implementation of the ‘Independent Review of Policy on the Location of Public Sector Jobs’; welcomes the Minister’s recognition that it requires an Executive decision and calls on the Executive to discuss the issue at its next meeting with a view to taking immediate action to fully implement the Review’s recommendations by assessing options for decentralising public sector jobs within all Government departments and public sector agencies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
