‘Deliverance on RPA better for ratepayers than posturing’ – McGreevy | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

‘Deliverance on RPA better for ratepayers than posturing’ – McGreevy

SDLP Crotlieve Councillor Connaire McGreevy has said local ratepayers will be better served by the deliverance of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) rather than ‘petty political posturing’ on the issue. McGreevy was speaking after an SDLP amendment on an original motion on RPA at Newry and Mourne Council was passed.

Speaking after the debate, McGreevy said: “The original motion proposed by Sinn Féin was a cheap publicity stunt, a low attack on the Minister and one that offered no help for the ratepayers of this area. The original motion suggests that local ratepayers should pay something towards the reform. Our amendment placed the onus rightly back at central government. It is central government, and the NI Executive, that wants the reform – why should we and the rate payers have to pay for that reform?”

“The SDLP amendment was essential to put the message out there that collectively Newry and Mourne Council is willing to reform but we are not willing to place undue burden on the rate payers of our district.

“Indeed, we should be praising Alex Attwood that he is presenting to the June Monitoring round for funds to pump-prime the reform, we should also congratulate him on working with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) to prepare another cost analysis so that he can go back again at least eight more times before the new shadow councils at the quarterly monitoring rounds,” he continued.

“That is why we placed the amendment – to encourage more work on developing the costs and that the Minster will go back to the Executive table, to allocate the funds necessary to ensure the ratepayers do not pay for the reform at all. Sinn Féin called for a “joint business” which would have seen local rate payers paying.”

McGreevy added, “It’s one thing posturing on an issue, it’s another thing delivering. People of this area will make their own judgment on who is posturing and who is delivering.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=15143

Posted by on May 26 2012. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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