14 September 2024
SDLP Fermanagh and South Tyrone Councillor Adam Gannon has said that delivering regional balance must mean ensuring local communities get a fair share of investment, infrastructure and economic opportunity.
Cllr Gannon was speaking following the SDLP Annual Party Conference, where he took part in the panel discussion To Derry and Beyond: Delivering Regional Balance. The discussion brought together SDLP representatives to consider how a more balanced approach to economic growth can benefit communities across the North.
Last week, SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin's Regional Balance Bill passed its Second Stage in the Assembly. The Bill would place a legal duty on the Executive to consider regional balance when making economic decisions, helping ensure investment and economic opportunity are spread more fairly across Northern Ireland.
Cllr Adam Gannon said:
"Regional balance is not some abstract debate for people living in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. We know what it means when communities like ours don't get their fair share. We see it in our roads, in public transport and connectivity, in the challenge of attracting good jobs and new businesses, and in young people who too often feel they have to leave home to find the opportunities they deserve.
"That was the message I brought to the discussion at SDLP Conference. This is about giving places that have too often been overlooked a fair opportunity to grow and prosper. We have ambitious businesses, strong communities and huge potential across Fermanagh and South Tyrone, but we need the infrastructure and support to match that ambition.
"The SDLP's Regional Balance Bill gives us a real opportunity to change how government approaches this. Instead of relying on promises from individual Ministers, we want fairness between different parts of the North built into economic decision-making. But regional balance must also extend beyond jobs and investment. It means making sure communities like ours get a fair deal when it comes to healthcare, tourism, infrastructure and the other services and sectors that shape people's lives and our local economy. Where you live should never determine the opportunities or services open to you.
"No one here is asking for special treatment. We are asking for a fair crack of the whip. The SDLP has brought forward this Bill because warm words are no longer enough – we need to see that commitment reflected in the decisions the Executive makes. Fermanagh and South Tyrone should be able to compete for jobs and economic opportunities on a level playing field, and I want to see MLAs from every party get behind that principle as the Bill moves through the Assembly."