Millions in Salary and Expenses to MLAs must be stopped while Stormont is Shuttered - Tóibín
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has stated that the millions of pounds in Salaries and Expenses being paid to DUP, Sinn Féin, Ulster Unionist and SDLP MLAs must be stopped while Stormont is in shut down.
Teachta Tóibín said:
"The North is effectively being run by unelected civil servants who are operating with limited resources. Westminster has passed a third budget since the devolved institutions collapsed. This is in practical terms imposing direct rule from London.
There are 11,889 people homeless in the north of Ireland. That’s higher than in the south of Ireland despite the population being lower. Demand for food banks has soared in the north of Ireland with more than 32,000 emergency food supplies distributed, of which 13,000 were for children. The north has a higher suicide rate than Britain and the south of Ireland. There is a serious need for an increase in mental health funding to provide resources to help deal with this.
There are a large amount of drug related deaths in the north of Ireland, the causes of which needs to be tackled immediately. Child poverty is as high today as it was when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. And we have seen tragically just this week an increase in the lethal activity of dissidents.
Enterprise and the economy of the north of Ireland is not getting the attention it needs to grow and create jobs and prosperity. Agriculture is not getting the focus that it needs in the jaws of Brexit.
And yet MLAs from all the parties continue to draw down millions of pounds in salaries and expenses. It is shocking that MLAs from the establishment parties, given the difficulties of so many in society, do not feel some sense of shame for this draw down. I have no doubt that the establishment parties would be very quick to the negotiation table if the millions of pounds started to dry up."
