SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called on the Head of the Civil Service Jayne Brady to set up a Cost of Living Taskforce.
Mr Eastwood made the proposal after the Opposition’s call for Caretaker Ministers to set up an emergency taskforce fell on deaf ears.
He said the civil service stepped up to protect the public during the coronavirus pandemic and should do so again in the absence of political leadership from Executive parties.
Said the Foyle MP: “The SDLP has been calling for a Cost of Living Taskforce to be established by Ministers to deal with the biggest crisis facing families here for almost a year.
“Even when our Assembly and Executive was up and running Ministers did nothing, the crisis has worsened considerably, caretaker Ministers retain the powers to intervene and still they do nothing.
“People in our communities are frightened and don’t know where to turn. Costs keep going up and have shown no signs of slowing down.
“From spiralling energy bills to the increased price of the weekly grocery shop and petrol prices remaining extremely high, everyone is paying the price for the lack of political leadership at both Stormont and Westminster.
“While families wonder how they are going to get through the next few months, Ministers in Belfast and London are happy to hide behind the DUP’s intransigence and shrug their shoulders.
“Time is running out to help people, the British government have set up a taskforce to get the £400 energy payment to households and already it is in disarray, with £400 a drop in the ocean to address the problems our communities are facing.
“We need a proper taskforce established to quickly design and administer schemes that will get people the support they need.
“Given the continued failure of our caretaker Ministers to act to protect people here I have written to the Head of the Civil Service Jayne Brady to take the initiative and set up this taskforce.
“Our civil service played a key role in protecting our public during the coronavirus pandemic and led the Executive’s Covid-19 taskforce and can do so again.
“We all want the DUP to get back to work, but we have caretaker Ministers and a civil service in place who can act now to help people.
“Excuses are worthless to people who are mired in financial crisis due to this emergency,” added Mr Eastwood.
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