Journey to redress decades of neglect and inequality must be fully underpinned.

West Tyrone Sinn Féin Election Candidate Barry Mc Elduff says that it is only through the permanent restoration of all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and the delivery by the British government of real and meaningful Peace Dividend that locally elected and accountable representatives can begin in earnest to redress the decades of neglect and inequality directed against areas west of the Bann like Omagh and Strabane Districts.

Barry Mc Elduff said,
“Few would disagree with the proposition that if all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement had of being allowed to operate uninterrupted and to develop to their full operational capacity since 1998, that the journey to redress the decades of neglect and inequality directed against areas west of the Bann like Omagh and Strabane would be now well advanced.

“However, since the British government unilaterally brought down the Good Friday institutions at the behest of political unionism, we have been subject to a particularly vindictive Direct Rule Administration regime.

“This Regime has now overlaid the historical legacy of neglect and inequality in our areas with the attempted imposition of totally unjust and punitive policies against every man woman and child here whether it be through: Rural Planning dictate PPS14; the asset stripping and stealth taxes crusade through water charges and rate hikes; or through the drastic cuts to public expenditure in health, education and other public services.

“It is only through the permanent restoration of all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and their operation on a fully functioning basis, including the All-Ireland dimensions, that locally elected and accountable representatives can begin in earnest to redress the decades of neglect and inequality directed against areas west of the Bann like Omagh and Strabane and to reverse the punitive policy crusade of the Direct Rule Administration Regime..

“Moreover, the British government must be made to pay for the legacy of neglect that it has presided over here so that the restored institutions are equipped with the resources to pave the way for positive and meaningful socio-economic change.

“Sinn Fein has been therefore demanding in negotiations with the British government, that to address all these issues that it provides to the restored institutions a real Peace Dividend of £10 billion over 10 years, additional to other measures such as the £16 billion Investment Strategy.