NI Conservatives’ spokesman on the economy, Johnny Andrews, has described Peter Robinson’s comments on the Republic of Ireland’s bad bank, Nama - which he accused of hampering the Northern Ireland economy - as “a bit rich”.
“If you look at the performance of the First Minister and the executive at Stormont, there are far more pressing reasons for a lack of significant growth”, Johnny explained. “Robinson and other ministers have consistently failed to deliver the help which private sector businesses have been asking for, meanwhile he is lashing out at Nama. The executive has refused to use the tools which it has at its disposal effectively, to create jobs and it has failed to put enterprise at the heart of its decision making.”
“NI Conservatives call upon the First Minister to ensure that the economic plan agreed with David Cameron’s government is enacted immediately. The investment summit organised at the G8 is being held in the second week of October. Ahead of that conference, let’s see the executive use its increased borrowing powers, let’s see capital projects, for which the chancellor provided an extra £132 million, start immediately and let’s see plans drafted up to implement at least one enterprise zone, to act as a hub for new jobs and growth.”
“The executive could also start to campaign for the full devolution of Air Passenger Duty, lifting the constraints on Northern Ireland’s struggling airports, which cause tens of millions of pounds worth of business to go south. It is all very well for Peter Robinson to lambast Nama, but what about the powers which his own executive has to revitalise the economy, yet has been unwilling to use. Let’s see the First Minister show a renewed emphasis on enterprise and jobs, before he casts around elsewhere, for someone to blame.”