Archive for April 17th, 2007
If the North Coast area is to benefit from an anticipated increase in tourism it must provide more top quality hotel accommodation, East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty has said.
The UUP MLA says the lack of hotels in the area is a problem that throws out a challenge to tourism chiefs, private business people and the hotel and catering industry itself.
Mr. McClarty says: “If we are going to encourage event tourism and continue to host major sporting attractions such as the North West 200 motorcycle races, the Milk Cup football tournament and golf events then we must strive for more top quality accommodation.
“I am fully aware of the difficulties organisers of these hugely popular sporting attractions have to deal with as they have had to deal with the loss of more and more options in the accommodation sphere in recent times.
“For an area which relies so heavily on tourism, it is a concern that there are less hotels along the North Coast now then there were a decade ago.
“All predictions point to an increase in tourist numbers and we have to actively be exploring all avenues when it comes to providing high quality hotels for a demanding market.
If the parties who stand to benefit from tourism do not engage on this issue then we will continue to have problems.
“Resorts such as Portstewart and Portrush must be in a position to host overseas visitors who are now expecting the very best in comfort and value.
“We have seen a decline in the number of hotels and this has presented whole sale problems for the people who are doing so much to encourage visitors here by staging wonderful events and entertainment.
“If projections are accurate - and there is no reason to doubt the research – we have to be ready to roll out the welcome mat to the world.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 17th, 2007
David McClarty MLA
Sam Gardiner MLA, Ulster Unionist Assemblyman for Upper Bann, today condemned fire raisers who started a series of gorse fires and stretched the resources and manpower of the Fire Service.
“With over 700 of these gorse fires being raised in the past month alone and with 200 fire fighters occupied in tacking gorse fires last Friday, it is only a matter of time until fire crews are so stretched that someone will die either through a gorse fire spreading or in a house fire emergency which overstretched fire fighters were unable to reach. I just hope that house is not in Lurgan, Portadown or Banbridge.”
“Every gorse fire caused by these wicked hooligans means that a fire fighter might not be available to attend a road accident or a house fire. I wouldn’t like to have that on my conscience and I would appeal to anyone who has indulged in fire raising to think again and realise what their actions could lead to.”
“It is difficult to imagine what is going on in the heads of these fire-raisers and how they could get any satisfaction out of this. Arson is a serious business and deliberate fire raising is a serious crime.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 17th, 2007
Sam Gardiner MLA
Ulster Unionist Environment Spokesman, Sam Gardiner MLA, today called on Northern Ireland villages to follow the example of Lampeter in Wales and become “transition towns” – part of a network of places preparing for life after oil.
“World oil reserves are dwindling. Even the most optimistic observers says thet in 20 years time world oil production will have peaked and will decline sharply after that. The debate is not if oil reserves will run out, but when. Transition Towns, which are preparing for an oil free world, include not only Lampeter but also Kinsale in the Irish Republic, and Totnes, Cornwall. There are about 20 in all,”
explained Mr Gardiner.
“It is a slutary thought but 130kg packaging is made from oil-derived plastics is consumed by every British household each year. Two-thirds of it is used in food production. 57miles is the average distance a tonne of freight now travels by road. In 1953 it was only 21 miles. It is reckoned, using current production methods, that 3.5 litres of oil is needed to produce half a kilogram of steak.”
“There are may different sorts of action a local community can take. The range from installing a community wind turbine to encouraging low-energy buildings using sheep’s wool for insulation. Maybe residents in some of our local villages could think about such a move.” ”
“Another aspect of these transition towns is their switch to sustainable locally produced food which avoids the need to ship food all around the country in gas-guzzling trucks. In Lampeter, for example, this was organized by local farmers who had already explored the possibilities of organic growing.”
“We need to develop a new sense of social and ecological responsibility in how we consume energy and becoming a transition town would be a good place to start.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 17th, 2007
Sam Gardiner MLA
UUP MEP Jim Nicholson has warned that the figures released by the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) on Monday, which show that farming families are putting in well over three quarters a billion pounds of unpaid labour on Northern Ireland’s beef and sheep farms prove that the massive demands placed upon Northern Ireland’s farming families are becoming almost unbearable.
Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,
“The issues arising from this labour survey must be urgently addressed by the incoming Sinn Fein agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew. She must also introduce a Rural White Paper and demonstrate the Government’s commitment to rural communities.
“Farming families are the lifeblood of Northern Ireland’s rural and agricultural communities but for too long policy makers in Government have turned a blind eye to the massive demands running a farm places on farming families and family life in rural communities.
“However the support farming families provide goes much further than just unpaid labour. They make an essential contribution to the countryside’s social and economic cohesion.
“Building sustainable rural communities in Northern Ireland will require a radical policy overhaul and I hope the Minister and the Department are up for the job. A future Executive must address the lack of young people entering the profession, providing proper child care facilities for rural families who need it and facilitate adequate re – skilling of farmers and their families.
“It is my hope that the Department gets the message that the excessive use of red tape and gold plating of EU regulations only serves to increase the levels of stress, anxiety and worry for the vast majority of farming families out there.”
Continue Reading E-mail April 17th, 2007
Jim Nicholson MEP
