SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin
Ms McLaughlin has raised multiple concerns about the administration of Invest NI, particularly around its failure to address regional economic inequality.
Said the Foyle MLA: “I hope any review of Invest NI will look at the issues I have been raising constantly over the past few years.
“Invest NI has the potential to help transform communities across the North and further growth and economic prosperity, but all too often we see the areas in greatest need ignored, with the funding concentrated in small pockets.
“There are three serious questions hanging over Invest NI. The first is its approach to regional equality and ensuring that investment and job creation are spread on an equitable basis across NI.
“More needs to be done to support the North West in particular, but also other areas with above average unemployment and economic inactivity, like North and West Belfast.
“That leads to the second issue, which is what can Invest NI learn from the South’s IDA – which is both more effective in attracting inward investment, while also dispersing that investment across a wider geographical area.
“The IDA has also been praised for being more effective than Invest NI in using inward investment to boost wider economic productivity and the development of indigenous enterprise.
“The third issue relates to the operations of the organisation. I have had more complaints against Invest NI and how it goes about its business than I would have expected.
“Some of those I forwarded to the NI Audit Office to look into.
“Those complaints have led me to have my own serious concerns about Invest NI, its administration and how it deals with complaints,” added Ms McLaughlin.
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