WEEKS away from the Westminster summer recess, SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MLA said, “the clock is still ticking to secure a deal.”
Mr Eastwood said: “The public deserve to know what efforts are being made to secure a deal over the summer. It cannot simply be a case of let’s wait and see.
“The SDLP have arranged bilateral meetings for the week ahead in an effort to press for progress.
“In the interests of transparency, the DUP and Sinn Fein should publish their timetable of the meetings they will be holding over the summer months.
“Moreover, the SDLP have asked all political parties to engage in a parallel process and work to agree a way forward on many issues, including the development of an anti-poverty strategy, an increase in childcare provision, investment in higher level education, the expansion of Magee, new social housing and the delivery of City Deals to address regional disparity.
“Parties have yet to respond and I urge them to do so with urgency.
“The clock is still ticking to secure a deal. It is critical that all political parties hit the accelerator before the British Government takes the wheel.
“It is simply not good enough that the public are left without any confidence in our politics.
“With political will, we can restore the institutions and we can deliver real equality, which also means economic equality.
“None of the issues are insurmountable.
“Over the coming days, I urge all parties to knuckle down, we must bring forward a budget that works in the interests of all people. With so much uncertainty facing our public services and workers, there is no time to waste.
“It is imperative that we restore confidence that devolution can and must work here,” added Mr Eastwood.
