What have Sinn Fein and the SDLP done for Derry in the past 20 years, asks DUP councillor

A DUP councillor has criticised Sinn Fein and the SDLP's performance in bringing investment to Derry over the last 20 years.

DUP Alderman David Ramsey hit out at the parties during a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council's Business and Culture Committee.

Representatives of Invest NI spoke at the online meeting on Tuesday about their efforts to promote the local council area to potential investors.

However, the performance of Invest NI was criticised by a number of councillors at the meeting.

This prompted Alderman Ramsey to question what the two largest parties on the council had achieved over the last two decades.

He said he could not 'let pass' the councillors' criticism of Invest NI.

“Colleagues in our council are very very critical of Invest NI and they do the finger pointing at Invest NI.

“Invest NI have a responsibility but maybe it is time that we actually pointed the finger at the last 20 years under the SDLP and Sinn Fein who were the leadership of this council area, Strabane and Londonderry, Derry and Strabane district council now.

“Where was the investment? They were at the pinnacle, even in government. There was even the Deputy First Minister.

“Where is the peace dividend? Where is it, for the poorest in our society?”

Alderman Ramsey claimed that an agreement between the DUP and the Conservative government had received 'nothing but criticism' in the local council.

“It was constantly lambasted and the fact is that if it wasn't for the DUP and Conservative agreement we wouldn't be looking at the investment that we are getting at the minute.

“The fact is that the city deals, everything was agreed with the Conservative government whenever the DUP were in that position.

“The City Deal was secured by the DUP. The City Deal is late, we know it is late but it is here now.

“So what I want to see is prosperity going forward and it is going to happen but do you see this pointing the finger at Invest NI, let's point the finger at the political leadership of the last 20 years.

“But I look forward to working with that political leadership going forward because of the City Deal.”

A representative from the Department of Economy had been due to speak at Tuesday's meeting along with the Invest NI staff.

However, councillors were told that the Department of Economy was unable to provide someone to take part in the meeting.

During their presentation, the Invest NI representatives outlined current projects they are involved in which are aimed at bringing investment and jobs to the local council area and other council areas throughout Northern Ireland.

However, following their presentation, a number of councillors criticised the job creation statistics for the Derry and Strabane  council area and questioned Invest NI's commitment to the local region.

The Invest NI representatives stressed that they were committed to bringing investment into all areas, including the local region.

SDLP councillor Rory Farrell, the chairperson of the Business and Culture Committee, said it was disappointing that the Department of the Economy had not provided someone to take part in the meeting.

He said Invest NI was responsible to the Economy Minister and, as such, she should be asked to come and speak to the council.

Cllr Farrell proposed that Mrs Dodds be invited to a council meeting to discuss this 'pressing issue'.

The proposal also called on the Economy Minister to introduce 'sub-regional targets for job creation, economic inactivity, wage levels and investor visitors in Derry and Strabane'.

The proposal was supported unanimously at the meeting.