Parties called on to set out social policies

Politicians were today facing a grilling from members of the North’s voluntary and community sector.

As the Assembly Election campaign entered its first full week representatives of the parties were facing questions on how they planned to change the country for the better after the March 7 poll.

The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), which is hosting the question and answer session, has launched its own manifesto urging parties to ensure political stability or risk serious harm to the more vulnerable members of society.

Seamus McAleavey, chief executive of NICVA, said members had important questions to raise.

“Northern Ireland has fallen badly behind the rest of the UK in terms of its provision for the more stable, responsible government which is planning for the long term.”

He added: “NICVA wants to know how the parties plan to provide that government after the election, what their priorities are and how they will deliver.”

With house prices in the North rising faster than anywhere else in Europe, Conor McGale of Omagh Advice Centre said he hoped that first-time buyers would not find themselves frozen out of the market any longer.

“How will the parties slow down the market, and why is Northern Ireland so far behind the rest of the UK in terms of the funding of debt relief advice?” he said.

Lisa Fagan of Friends of the Earth which is representing a coalition campaigning for an environmental protection agency (EPA) in Northern Ireland claimed the province was a pollution black spot.

She said: “This is the only part of the UK and Ireland not to have a EPA and it’s no coincidence that just last week we were warned of huge fines from Europe for pumping raw sewage into the sea, and illegal dumping is rarely out of the news.”

With all sides under pressure to restore the power sharing executive, East Belfast community development officer Sonia Anderson claimed today’s debate was an excellent way to hold the parties to account as they prepared to return to Stormont.

“What are politicians going to do to ensure the suggestions and recommendations within the manifesto are used to influence decision making and that the issues it raises are kept on the political agenda,” she said.