Presently Northern Ireland has numerous pressing issues, it’s difficult to know where to start or in which order to address them. That being said, I believe a great deal could be solved at the stroke of a civil servant’s pen. Firstly the traffic to and from Belfast is a nightmare.
The popular (alleged) remedy for it is to build and widen more roads so that half of the country is in a constant state of tarmac-laden flux, although ultimately this approach will not work.
This is coming to light across the world in regions that have been dealing with traffic chaos since the 1970s eg the Department of Transport for California admitted as much. What is perhaps worth considering is how to reduce the dependence of people west of the Bann on jobs in the greater Belfast area.
Our politicians think that the only solution to improve employment opportunities is to throw hundreds of millions of pounds at pet projects. Surely a more effective remedy would be to spend the equivalent amount of money taken by pet projects (eg Bellaghy’s Heaney centre), by-passes, roundabout art (eg Castledawson) and road widening schemes and use this money as business rate relief for every village under a certain size in tandem with a ban on demolishing pre-war buildings. The number of people who drive one to two hours on a commute from the countryside to Belfast for a £12 to 15k a year job who would rather run their own business must surely run into the thousands if not tens of thousands. However, Northern Ireland’s rural business rates are up there with London’s. This makes business untenable. Ergo businesses pack up. The rates then have a shortfall. So rates go up. More businesses fall. Which means another rates shortfall. So on and so forth.
The countryside is dotted with empty shops (not paying rates) and in particular pubs and hotels. There are hotels and pubs for sale in picturesque places from Killyleagh to Enniskillen.
At present they are only fit for sale to developers, the only people who can afford them. They then usually demolish them and build bog-standard apartments, robbing the village of an asset and tourists of a destination. Were rates reduced then they would become financially more viable and with the option of demolition removed this would remove developer interest and would reduce the purchase price so that people on a modest income could potentially raise the finance to take them over. There are potentially thousands upon thousands of jobs that could be raised in rural Northern Ireland were the ball and chain of extortionate rates to be removed. This would increase prosperity. It would reduce building vacancy. It would bring visitors to places off the beaten track. It would (with the demolition ban) protect our heritage. It would also negate the need for people in rural NI to embark on the commute to Belfast given the thousands of newly created jobs. This would save further millions on the never ending road works. It would reduce the number of hours people spend in cars.
The benefits are myriad, these two simple options must surely be considered?
NEALE WEIR
Curran, Co Derry
Poverty in schools huge barrier to successful educational outcomes
As would be expected the Northern Ireland GCSE league tables for 2019 are dominated by the grammar schools. There are five grammar schools that are joint first in the table with 100 per cent of their students achieving grades A* to C in their GCSEs and congratulations to all those teachers, pupils and parents who made it possible. However, the average free school meals figure for the top 20 grammar schools in the table is 12.3 per cent. The top three non-grammar schools come in at 60th, 61st and 62nd.
The free school meals figures for these schools are respectively 44.9 per cent, 41.09 per centand 31.97 per cent. Advantaged or middle-class children attending one type of school and disadvantaged or poor children being educated separately.
More than 20 per cent of our secondary schools have 50 per cent or more of their pupils on the free school meals register and as poverty bites even deeper this figure is rapidly rising. It is these high concentrations of poverty in too many of our schools that makes the job of teaching in them incredibly challenging.
Almost 20 per cent of American students, about nine million, attend high poverty schools (50 per cent or more free school meals) on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which tests the reading, maths and science ability of 15 and 16 year olds, the only country to finish below this group was Mexico. Those who attended schools where up to 24.9 per cent of the students were on the free school meals register, about 20m students, had average scores on the PISA tests exceeded by only two other developed countries. This is a pattern that is replicated across OECD countries and is especially pronounced in Northern Ireland where 24 per cent of the adult population have no formal educational qualifications. High density poverty in schools provides a huge barrier to successful educational outcomes.
JIM CURRAN
Downpatrick, Co Down
Nothing to fear from deselection
We had a recall here in North Antrim last year of our elected representative, Ian Paisley.
With this event in mind, may I propose replacing our current General Election system within the UK with this type of recall but on a yearly basis. The set up would be similar but with 10 registration offices in each constituency instead of three and would take place on May every year, with 50 per cent replacing the 10 per cent figure requirement. It would enhance our shaky democracy and keep our elected representatives on their toes, knowing that they could be easily deselected if they betray the trust of their constituents. After all, how many in general employment today would consider their positions safe were they unable, unreliable, or unwilling, to carry out their jobs to the best of their abilities? Then imagine being in a sinecure for up to five years.
Our elected representatives should have no fear of deselection if they carry out the manifesto promises on which they were elected. A democracy thrives when the citizens are fully involved in the political process and are, on the whole, intelligent enough to make the right choices with the information they receive. Just think, since the signing of Article 50, the ongoing Brexit fiasco may well have been resolved up to three years earlier, had such an electoral system been in place.
EDWARD MURPHY
Ballycastle, Co Antrim
Joe, stick to punditry
The article ‘GAA pundit criticises Sinn Féin’ (March 7) reports on Joe Brolly commenting that Sinn Féin entirely abdicated their responsibility by refusing to take their seats in Westminster. Sinn Féin entered the electoral process clearly stating its abstentionist position. People voted for this party in that knowledge. Surely Mr Brolly must see Sinn Féin taking their seats in Westminster would by an entire abdication of an election promise.
It beats me why someone who is/was a GAA player is given such prominence. Giving a view on matters that pertain to their sport is completely understandable but pronouncing on matters political and being given such prominence bewilders me. How one’s capacity to kick a ball allows their views on political matters such weight and publicity puzzles me. Well, Michelle, give us your views on the performance of Derry’s half-back line.
MANUS McDAID
Derry City
