Ferghal McKinney
Westminster candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Fearghal McKinney, said the construction downturn is having a particularly sharp impact on areas which traditionally supplied large numbers of building workers. He said: “A couple of years ago, fleets of vans would leave South Tyrone at six in the morning, heading east or south with building workers. There are fewer vans now and there are very few alternative job opportunities in the area. “All the leading economists are calling for public-sector building projects to be brought forward, and the SDLP demonstrated last year that the money could be found for the Executive to boost the economy and get people back into work. “It’s not just a matter of big road projects. There is a standing backlog of schools maintenance work worth nearly £200 million, with work ranging from a few thousand pounds to half a million in value. This is work that must be done some time, but could be done now. The important thing is that maintenance projects are spread out across nearly every area in every county, and many are at a technical level which would suit small builders and individual tradesmen. “Building is far and away the fastest way to inject a boost into the economy and it has the added benefit that the bulk of every pound spent stays in the local economy. The building workers of Dungannon and South Tyrone can’t wait two years or more for a general economic pickup. They are looking to the Executive to do something for them, and it could be done easily.”
