The plight of businesses and households impacted by recent flooding is being made worse by the DUP’s boycott of the institutions, South Down MP Chris Hazzard has said.
The former Stormont infrastructure minister told the Sinn Féin ard fheis that the floods which caused millions of pounds worth of damage across his constituency provided a clear example of why an executive was needed.
Large swathes of Newry, Downpatrick and Portadown were left underwater following heavy rain and high tides earlier this month.
In Downpatrick, there are fears an Asda supermarket built on reclaimed marshland may be forced to close due to structural damage caused by the flooding.
Mr Hazzard told delegates in Athlone that “one party’s blockade of the executive is hurting workers, businesses and public services”.
“One party’s reckless boycott of the executive is hurting workers, businesses and public services,” he said.
“Last week, as floods decimated parts of south Down, people were left at the mercy of a Tory government as a result of having no Executive.”
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The Sinn Féin MP said the British government had provided no support for workers, while he described the emergency relief package as “inadequate”.
“It has stripped money away from hard-pressed local departments which are already struggling with savage Tory cuts,” he said in reference to £15m made available by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris through the reallocation of existing Stormont funding.
“This is yet another example of why we need an Executive restored now and all parties working together to support workers, businesses and public services,” he said.
“Public patience has run out. People cannot wait any longer.”
