Ekin slams Ritchie for failing to visit Village to tackle housing crisis

10.50.01am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 31st May 2007

Former Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr Tom Ekin

Former Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr Tom Ekin has hit out at Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie for failing to visit the Village area and failing to help local people tackle the housing crisis.

The Balmoral Alliance Councillor said: "I am disgusted that she has been in the job for almost a month and she has not even bothered to visit the Village, let alone help the local people with housing issues.

"This was one of the biggest tests facing the Minister, and she has failed it.

"I am sure that residents of the Village feel totally snubbed because of the fact that she has not bothered to arrange a visit to see the conditions they have to put up with on a daily basis.

"Before she came to office, I called on the Minister to make tackling the village housing crisis a key priority. She has totally failed to address this issue.

"The Minister has shown herself to be totally out of touch with local people and the very real problems that they face."

ENDS