Newly appointed Trade & Tourism Spokesperson calls for Ministerial Transparency on Causeway Site
Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey has appointed Carrickfergus Cllr. Mark Cosgrove as Trade and Tourism spokesperson.
Speaking on the on-going Giants Causeway fiasco Mr Cosgrove said,
“Following last weeks daily DUP pantomime which dragged Northern Ireland’s prime natural tourism asset into disrepute, I would call on all parties to start providing some much needed transparency.
Firstly and critically, it now appears that far from being a casual acquaintance as was suggested, Ian Paisley Jnr knows the potential private sector developer Mr Sweeney well. It also appears that he has put his DUP colleague and fellow Northern Ireland Executive minister Arlene Foster in a very difficult position because it appears she knows nothing of her party colleagues relationship with her party member Mr Sweeney. With open war fare breaking out within the DUP over this issue and some Councillors rejecting their own ministers statements it is now time for answers as opposed to spin and bluster. We have all seen only too well how such matters can affect public confidence as has happened in the Republic of Ireland and it is now necessary for Ministers Foster, Dodds and Paisley to answer some fundamental questions.
DETI ran an International competition to appoint the architects to build the Causeway visitor centre. The public have already outlayed a significant seven figure sum. How does the minister propose the private developer gives the people of Northern Ireland their investment back or is it simply going to be written off? Mr Sweeney himself must be completely disgusted at how his good name has been dragged through the gutter at a time when we are all trying to encourage entrepreneurial spirit and help build up our private sector. Let me make it clear I believe that him lobbying his local elected representative is perfectly acceptable.
What is unacceptable is that a representative he has had many dealings with indicated that he hardly knows his own party colleague that he has done business with. Mr Sweeney must be seething.
This project it has to stay in public ownership. As part of the new Northern Ireland the UUP started in 1998 we have seen our tourist figures continue to grow at record levels. This growth has already benefited and will continue to benefit private sector business in all parts of our province but I do think that selling of the profits of our Jewel in the Crown - the Giants Causeway - is short sighted and simply not in the public interest.
This leads me on to my final point and it is crucial. The DUP had told us all that no longer could ministers act on their own and that all such matters would have to secure a vote in the Assembly. All of the stakeholders including DUP Councillors in the area, the National Trust and Moyle District Council say one thing, two DUP ministers say another, the property developer is an acquaintance of another DUP minister and this is all supposed to be a system with a lot more checks and balances than its predecessor!! No wonder so many constituents simply vote with their feet and stay at home on election days.
I call on the Executive to convene urgently to restore some public confidence to this process.”