Housing Executive work must continue

Billy Armstrong MLA, Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Mid-Ulster is deeply concerned at reports that the Housing Executive is stopping much of its work over the next two months, following a number of contacts being made to his office.

"I am deeply concerned at these reports of work being halted by the Housing Executive and I have already contacted the Social Development Minister to impress upon her the urgency of this problem.

"I am obviously aware that the credit crunch and the global economic downturn are impacting upon Northern Ireland, particularly upon the construction industry and the entire property sector. I am obviously concerned for those in the building trade in Mid-Ulster, as well as across Northern Ireland, and have asked the Minister what exactly is going on at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, specifically with regard to their budget, and their maintenance and heating programmes.

I appreciate that the Executive have been trying to secure funds and support projects to try to alleviate the effects of the global down-turn, but I would have thought that social house building and maintenance projects would have been just the type of projects which would fit the bill. Surely it would be preferable, by both the Executive and those in the building trade for money to be used wisely in providing the funds to ensure that these people are able to do the job that they enjoy rather than have to use the funds to pay them through benefits when they join the dole queue.

I cannot stress enough the need for the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont to act upon this serious news from the Housing sector."