Monday debate gives us chance to start scrapping segregation

3.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Jun 2007

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA

Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA has stated that a motion tabled for debate in the Assembly on Monday by the party will give MLAs the chance to start ending segregation and save one billion pounds every years. The Alliance motioned, co-proposed by Stephen Farry and Naomi Long will ask for the Assembly to make the creation of a shared future a top priority.

The Strangford MLA said: "Every year in Northern Ireland one billion pounds is wasted on segregation. By creating a shared future, segregation across our society would be removed.

"One billion every year is a massive amount of money when you examine our overall budget. In the past few days, we have seen Peter Robinson criticise fellow Executive partners for supporting free personal care for older people because his budget will not stretch that far. Ending segregation would help us deliver important legislation like free care for older people and the scrapping of university tuition fees.

"OFMDFM, in the last Executive, did next to nothing to move forward towards a shared future. Paisley and McGuinness must prove that they are up to the job of creating a shared future where their predecessors have failed.

"It is also time that the Executive parties woke up and realised that they must start balancing the books better and look to ending segregation to free up cash needed to bolster vital services.

"If the Executive started scrapping segregation, we could make a real difference to people's everyday lives."

ENDS