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UUP East Londonderry Assembly candidates Norman Hillis and David McClarty have branded the Irish Government’s move to offer speaking rights to Ulster MPs in a Dail Committee as another attempt to erode the Unionist position.

In a joint statement, the outgoing MLAs have warned that the proposal should not be taken lightly, arguing that the southern government is merely exploring another avenue of diluting British sovereignty.

Mr. Hillis said: “The Irish government is operating outside the Belfast Agreement which contained no such provision as having Westminster MPs with rights in the Irish Parliament.

“This is a case of the Irish Government wanting to have its cake and eat it at the same time.”

Mr. McClarty went on: “The UUP has told both governments that if these proposals go ahead then there will be implications for North/South arrangements.”

He added: “Unionists want to forge a new relationship with the Republic based on Northern Ireland’s position as an integral part of the UK. But plans such as these must be opposed and must not be taken lightly.

“Nationalists must grasp the fact that Unionists will never take part in any aspect of the government that rules the Republic of Ireland.

“It is a different matter entirely for nationalists to be represented in the Assembly of Northern Ireland under British rule.”

East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty has criticised the lack of compassion demonstrated by Environment Minister David Cairns over job losses with the confirmation that the Coleraine motor tax office operation at County Hall is to switch to Swansea.

Mr. McClarty said: “The Minister’s words about improvements for the public are no more than another smokescreen from the Government to cover up its latest move to centralise services.

“He should remember that this is again depriving local people of employment and throwing hardship on families in the Coleraine area.

“To suggest that the restructuring will be unsettling for vehicle licensing staff is an understatement of gigantic proportion which will only further anger those who are losing their jobs after years of dedication and professionalism in the service.

“The truth is that jobs are being lost in an area which has suffered greatly from closures in recent times. There are major question marks hanging over the future of other departments within County Hall and the Inland Revenue and Excise operation at Adelaide Avenue in the town.

“I believe we need a fresh impetus in the drive to promote Coleraine as far as investment is concerned. We cannot afford to take this lying down.

“The outlook for our young people leaving education and seeking employment locally is getting bleaker all the time and needs to be urgently addressed.”

Many elderly people in the Coleraine area are living in fear of being attacked in their own homes, East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty has claimed.

The UUP MLA said he has spoken to several pensioners and relatives of older people who have all expressed concern about the growing number of incidents in which elderly people are the victims of crime.

Mr. McClarty is urging the Government to heed the call of organisations such as Help the Aged and deliver on its promise over the Community Safety Strategy for Older People.

“It is inexcusable that something so important has not been to the forefront of Government thinking considering the almost daily attacks on senior citizens across the Province,” he said.

“It is sickening the appalling lengths that some younger people in our community will stoop to by terrorising defenceless elderly people living alone and stealing from them.

“The level of violence inflicted on the most vulnerable members of society in many of these attacks is nothing short of disgraceful and I would urge the community at large not to dismiss the plight of the elderly but report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods to the police.

“The sooner the cowardly low lives who are carrying out such evil are apprehended the better.”

Mr. McClarty has also called for tougher punishments for those who terrorise the elderly:

“The perpetrators of this wickedness must be handed down custodial sentences when they get to court otherwise the law is seen to be powerless to protect the innocent and that is a dangerous signal to be sending out into the community.”

He added: “Our older people have every right to feel safe and secure in their own homes and the Government has a moral obligation to act to protect them.

“Those in government, together with all agencies which have responsibility for community safety and policing need, as a matter of urgency, to be making progress towards a solution to a problem that has been allowed to continue for far too long.

“We have seen these violent attacks against older people in this community and I am aware of how they are creating terror and fear among many people in this area.

“What quality of life can our senior citizens have if the Government does not give a lead in the drive to alleviate this problem?

“It is now four long years since The Community Safety Strategy for Older People was first aired but to date there has been no response from a Government which seems to be much more focused in other directions such as increasing the tax burden on the citizens of this Province.

“Now is time or the Government to prioritise and produce a strategy which can be brought into effect immediately to allay the fears of the elderly.”

Parents must take responsibility for knowing the whereabouts of their children, East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty has said.

He was reacting to the North Eastern Education and Library Board’s revelation that £144,000 has been diverted from its budget in the past six months to pay for the vandalism caused to school properties.

Alderman McClarty said: “There is one school in particular in the Coleraine area that is continually under attack from young people who smash windows and it is high time that parents realised that their children are responsible.

“The only victims are the young people whose educations are affected by funding being directed away from their schools and youth clubs to pay for the destruction.”

Alderman McClarty added: “Anyone who sees suspicious activity in or close to any school building should immediately contact the police.

“This type of wanton destruction has become a nightmare for the Board and must be halted.

”We all have a responsibility to be on the look out for those responsible for hurting the education of all our young people.”

The theft of poppy collection boxes in various premises along the north coast has been described as a “an insult to the Fallen.”

East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty expressed his anger at the incidents in Limavady, Ballykelly and Bushmills which were reported by police.

The UUP MLA said: “This is a new low in theft as far as I am concerned. It is nothing short of scandalous when collection boxes raising money for the Earl Haig Poppy Appeal Fund have been stolen.

“These donations ultimately benefit survivors and dependents of those who served in the forces to uphold our liberty.

“At this time of year we remember those who willingly made the Supreme Sacrifice so that the men of tyranny were defeated.

“For anyone to be so callous is appalling and I hope it is not long before the culprits are apprehended and dealt with through the courts.

“This type of behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated,” added the MLA.

Ulster Unionist East Londonderry assembly members, David McClarty and Norman Hillis, have expressed their outrage over an attack which took place on local supporters of the Northern Ireland football team as they travelled home from the recent match with Latvia at Windsor Park in Belfast.

The North Coast Northern Ireland Supporters Club coach was making its way along the Westlink when it was attacked by stone throwers at the junction with the Grosvenor Road/Lower Falls area.

In a statement, Mr Hillis said: “This was a cowardly attack on innocent football fans who were simply returning from watching their team play. It is a blessing that no-one was seriously injured, although I understand that there were a number of women, young people and children on the bus, who were understandably shaken.”

Mr McClarty said: “I was deeply shocked to learn of this incident. We intend to raise this issue with the police in order to ensure that greater protection is afforded supporters travelling to and from Northern Ireland matches by deploying additional resources at the relevant areas at the appropriate time.”

He added: “It was only recently that Northern Ireland supporters were awarded the Brussels International Supporters award. This was fitting recognition of the huge amount of good work that has been done by the Irish FA, fully supported by the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs – of which the North Coast Club is an enthusiastic member – via the Football for All strategy. Over 3,000 Northern Ireland fans travelled to Copenhagen for the game with Denmark recently, and proved to be excellent ambassadors.”

A blaze at the B&Q store on the outskirts of Coleraine has been condemned by
East Londonderry UUP Assembly members Norman Hillis and David McClarty.

In a statement they said that there is concern that the fire may have been
caused by an incendiary device left in the store at the Riverside Regional
Park.

They added: “This is a worrying incident which merely serves to
inconvenience staff and the public. B&Q have invested heavily in a new
superstore in recent times and provide much needed employment for many
people in the area.

“We hope that such an incident, if proven to be an incendiary device, is not
an attempt to de-stabilise the upcoming political talks in Scotland.”

East Londonderry UUP Assembly member David McClarty is backing local care workers in their fight for an increase in mileage allowance.

Mr. McClarty said: “Care workers provide a vital service to the community within the Health Service.

“They have been forced to accept a much lower rate of allowance than most other workers in the public sector and have been pressing for an increase for some time.

“I fully support their claim and will be writing to the Health Minister to ascertain what is causing the delay in settling this issue.

“It has already been conceded that care workers are entitled to an increase but so far nothing has materialised.”

Mr. McClarty expressed his concern that there continues to be a shortage of care workers in the Coleraine area and stressed the important service they provide.

“The fact that care workers have had to fight long and hard for a fair rate of mileage allowance which other workers receive as of right, is nothing short of scandalous.

“The Health Board and Government should be doing everything in their power to speed up this process and encourage those who are providing vital support to those in need in the area.

“The need for care workers remains great and this issue must be resolved now if we are to keep people within the service.”

East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty says the drive to tackle knife crime must be sustained.

Welcoming an announcement by Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson that another knife amnesty is to be staged later in the year, Mr. McClarty said: “The more knives are taken out of circulation the better.

“In my area we have seen incidences of knife crime on the increase in recent times with shops staff held up at knifepoint in broad daylight. This is unacceptable and I fully endorse the opportunity for knife holders to dispose of their weapons as quickly as possible.”

Mr. McClarty said he was encouraged by the response to the last knife amnesty here when almost 900 items were surrendered.

However, he added: “I believe we must maintain the initiative to tackle this growing problem and that is why I am in full support of the Minister’s summit.

“It is a useful exercise in bringing together all those who have something to contribute to the debate and those who are in the frontline from business people to youth leaders.

“It is the duty of all of us to listen to the Minister’s plea for everyone to become involved in confronting knife crime.

“We require tough new measures to deter people from carrying knives and stiffer penalties for those who are caught must be introduced.”

Ulster Unionist Chief Whip, David McClarty, has voiced his concerns that the DUP’s policy on policing is looking suspiciously shaky following Gregory Campbell’s comments, and the so-called clarification issued by the DUP yesterday.

In a statement, the East Londonderry MLA said: “On Wednesday morning, Mr Campbell thought that repentant paramilitaries could be of suitable character to police the streets of East Londonderry. Presumably a repentant drug dealer or burglar could also expect similar treatment post-repentance.

“When the BBC later gave Mr Campbell the opportunity to withdraw his comments, he chose not to. Then came the DUP statement of ‘clarification’.

“The DUP say they currently do not support changes to vetting procedures. They don’t support the new rating system – but they haven’t been able to prevent change. Importantly, this ‘clarification’ contains the incomplete qualification that “the party does not support terrorist prisoners with convictions for murder and other serious criminal offences joining the police”.

“Why confine the matter to those who have convictions? What about people with connections?

“Gregory Campbell’s version could allow Sean Kelly to join the PSNI. But what about others – like Gerry Adams – who have connections but no convictions? The DUP statement could open the door to such people.

“By issuing such an incomplete ‘clarification’, the DUP come dangerously close to accepting ex-terrorists in the police – a key Sinn Fein demand. Are the DUP flying a kite on policing ahead of intensive talks next month?

“There must be no change in vetting procedures before or after any devolution of policing and justice. I challenge Mr Campbell and the DUP to state clearly that they will not accept any deal on policing which opens the door to those with any terrorist connections or previous convictions to join the police.”