Ford says Executive crisis is deepening by the day

12.45.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Jul 2008

Alliance Leader David Ford has said that the current crisis in the Stormont Executive is deepening with every day they fail to meet. The Executive has not met since 19 June, and today it became apparent that it will not meet again until September.

David Ford said: "This crisis is deepening by the day. It is time to face facts - this Executive is simply not working. It now appears that the Executive will not meet until September.

"I am sure none of the working population will be off on holiday from mid-June until September, so local people will be angry that our Executive will do nothing in that time period.

"It is not just the well-known major issues that are being held up. Many routine issues which need Executive approval before Departments can take action are also being delayed.

"The DUP, Sinn Féin, UUP and SDLP have shown themselves to be incapable of running the country. The problems that they are encountering now are self-inflicted because they are operating in a system of their own creation.

"The public put these parties in a position of power and they have thrown this honour back in their face. The Executive must get back to work quickly or come clean on the problems it faces."

ENDS