Alliance demands 'open and transparent' consultation to stop SEELB school closures

12.46.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th Aug 2006

Alliance Party Deputy Leader, Naomi Long

Following their meeting with the SEELB, the Alliance Party has called for a consultation process on proposed cuts and closures to be as 'open and transparent' as possible. East Belfast Assembly Member, Naomi Long, asked that the SEELB commissioners should meet in public to increase accountability.

Cllr Long said: "This meeting was both useful and constructive in helping us learn how decisions will be taken by commissioners and the board in the future.

"Whilst it is clear that the removal of elected representatives from the board has severely reduced accountability, we stressed the need for all decisions taken by the commissioners to be made in an open and transparent manner.

Naomi Long concluded: "Alliance believes that it is now vital that they build up trust amongst concerned groups such as teachers, parents, unions and politicians by meaningfully engaging with them in the decision making process, and we also feel that it would be useful for meetings to be held in public."

ENDS