Pat Doherty.
Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP says that the British government can no longer shirk its responsibilities in the talks process and must bring forward a realistic financial package to enable the Assembly Executive to deliver on behalf of the people it is elected to serve.
The local MP said: “The current financial crisis facing the Assembly Executive is a result of the British government’s austerity cuts agenda and swingeing year-on-year cuts to the block grant. Its wider ideological driven agenda is to hollow out the welfare state and shrink the public sector and publically funded services to the beyond the bone.
“Given the added pressures on the Assembly budget in trying to address decades of neglect, greater levels of deprivation and legacy issues from the conflict, the social fabric of society in the north risks irreparable damage if this Tory led administration determine to continue on its course of imposing its charter of despair on our people here.
“Further to this the British government continue to renege on outstanding issues such as the Pat Finucane Inquiry, the Bill of Rights and Acht na Gaeilge.
“Sinn Féin has been continually calling upon the Assembly parties to unite in active opposition to this disastrous Tory Cuts agenda and there is now welcome unanimity among all the political parties that the financial offer made by David Cameron and his British government was derisory.
“However, one thing is becoming abundantly clear and that is regardless of whatever progress is being made on other talks related issues by the local parties, the Executive cannot function and deliver on behalf of the people it is elected to serve unless the British government provide a realistic financial package to enable it to do so.”
