Minister Poots should de-list Maze buildings - Elliott

Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott, has repeated his call for the de-listing of the listed buildings at the Maze site. Having previously called on Arlene Foster to act when she was Environment Minister, Mr Elliott now said that Minister Poots should act where his party colleague had failed.

In a statement the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "In July 2007 I issued a statement calling on then Environment Minister Arlene Foster to de-list the buildings at the Maze. She failed to do so, and her inability to act has fuelled the speculation that the site could be used for a terrorist shrine, a long term aim of republicans who like to romanticise about the troubles."

The reality is that this entire issue could be knocked on the head if Minister Poots took the necessary course of action and de-listed the buildings with immediate effect. Then we could begin the process of working towards their demolition. The wider community certainly wouldn't miss them. They are physical reminders of a horrendous part of our history, and they aren't exactly ascetically pleasing to look at. Indeed, the people who would probably like to see the buildings disappear the most are the people who live in Lisburn and the surrounding area, Mr Poots own constituents."

"This notion about the need to keep the Maze is nonsense. The only part of the community who want it are republicans, and the DUP appear to be quite happy to let things sit lest they "rock the boat" with Sinn Fein."