£252million growth deal a ‘boost for young people’

Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, who also chairs the Mid South West steering group, made the comments during a discussion on the strategy’s aims and objectives.

The growth deal has secured £252 million of funding for projects within the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Mid Ulster and Fermanagh and Omagh council areas.

“I don’t think we have seen anything like this before,” said the Mid Ulster District Council Chair.

“It is on a different scale and different value, it is a significant amount of money and the focus on skills and training up our young people, especially in manufacturing and engineering has been central to the work that Mid Ulster is doing.”

His comments were in response to Independent Councillor Barry Monteith’s questioning of the relevancy of deal’s decision making process in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are now in a completely new economic environment,” said Cllr Monteith. “Workers rights need to be central in any growth deal proposals coming forward because they have not been previously.

“If there is going to be a new normal it has to start with us. If there is going to be substantial funding going to capital projects and businesses then we have to say ‘if you are going to get help, you have to help the people that are working for you’.

His comments were supported by Councillor Kerr who said the initiative should not be big business led.

“It should be led from the bottom to the top. It needs to be discussed wholly at every level,” he said.

However, Ulster Unionist Councillor Walter Cuddy took a slightly different view on the matter.

“I have listened to Councillors Kerr and Monteith and what they are saying is right, we want to make sure that the wealth is spread right across the district,” he said.

“However, this deal concerns major capital projects within the Mid South West region. These are the projects that we have been harping on about in my 20 odd years on the Council.

“This is our opportunity to improve the infrastructure and create wealth. The wealth only comes after capital projects are put in place and delivered, so hopefully we can do that.”

DUP group leader Councillor Paul McLean asked if if either Councillor Kerr or Monteith had “read the strategy”.

“It is the councillors that are on the committee who are leading the process, the whole process is about the infrastructure in the Mid South West so that we will be able to increase pay structure for our employees,” he said.

“This is a key fundamental process built into the strategy. We recognised that we are at the lower end of the pay scale and this is to upscale all that. The whole growth deal is to better that.

“This Council and our officers have played a very significant part in making sure this area is identified. I am a wee bit surprised by the comments made.”

Councillor Monteith then explained that he does welcome the deal but said “it is our job as councillors to raise the issues that come from our communities”.

“The reality is our communities have not been served by these projects in the past. At every opportunity I will raise the issues that we should always be trying to ensure wealth ‘trickles up’.

“People are suffering and have suffered for generations through many programmes like this before.”

Adam Morton , Local Democracy Reporting Service