SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has lambasted the leadership of the Executive for its inexcusable silence during an international crisis which has sent household energy and fuel costs rocketing.
He said that the Executive has for weeks failed to offer any meaningful leadership to a public struggling with increased costs, relying only on calls to the UK Government for action while failing to offer any concrete plans to disburse household support with money made available.
While the public have fretted about increase costs, Ministers have busied themselves with occasional photo opportunities – but said nothing substantive about how or when the £17 million made available to the Executive to support families with heating oil costs would be disbursed.
Matthew O’Toole MLA said:
“The Executive’s radio silence at a time of crisis has been inexcusable. People in Northern Ireland are the most reliant on both vehicle fuel and home heating oil in these islands, but Ministers have had little to say other than writing letters to London and the occasional photo opportunity or dinner.
“At a time when Ministers and MLAs are getting a healthy pay rise despite continued poor performance, it will prompt anger and incredulity that local Ministers cannot even make progress in delivering a package of support with the funding that has been made available to them.
“Next week, Stormont will return – as no doubt will the tired sham fights between the two main parties who have collectively failed to offer leadership at a time of acute crisis for ordinary families. It is another damning indictment on our failed politics in need of fundamental change.”
ENDS
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