Uncertainty over council plans condemned

Roy Beggs MLA, Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson on the environment, has criticised both the DUP and Sinn Fein for the apparent breakdown in plans to streamline Northern Ireland's 26 local Councils.

"When a Minister has to write to the First and Deputy First Minister to warn them that the streamlining of councils could be on the point of collapse unless they reach agreement, it is yet another sign of how dysfunctional the DUP/SF leadership of the NI Executive has become," the East Antrim MLA said.

"The Local Government Boundaries Act was pushed through the Assembly last year by the DUP and Sinn Fein. It outlined the 11 new local Government areas and severely tied the hands of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner. It is now apparent that the DUP are belatedly unhappy with the outcome of the original deal that they brokered, and are trying to adjust the Belfast/Lisburn boundary.

"The fact that Mr Poots is also a Lisburn councillor leaves him open to accusations of self-interest and he should resign as a councillor forthwith to remove this obvious conflict of interest, as his predecessors, Sam Foster and Arlene Foster, did on becoming Environment Minister.

"The Ulster Unionist Party tried to bring forward substantial amendments to the legislation directing the boundary commissioner which would have seen a settlement more reflective of local communities and more acceptable to everyone, but were ignored by the DUP/SF pact.

"If Minister Poots is determined to go to the polls so be it! It's a very brave DUP representative who would urge two elections after the Euro result and the debacle over Policing and Justice!"

Ulster Unionist Councillors' Association chairman, cllr Trevor Wilson, has expressed his disgust at this latest "shambles".

"There is a clear pattern emerging; most of the significant reform packages that are under the responsibility of either the DUP or Sinn Fein are in log-jam or are breaking down. In the Department of Education the ESA has stalled, in OFMDFM the Shared Future Document appears to have been buried, Planning Reform is also long overdue and into the midst of this the DUP wants to devolve policing and justice.

"The blunt reality is that nothing short of a root and branch review of how the Executive works under the leadership of the DUP/SF First and Deputy First Minister is necessary before we can contemplate passing on any more powers to such a body that clearly can't deal with the powers it's got already."