Ford says Executive has broken promise to meet weekly

2.40.00pm GMT Thu 8th Jan 2009

David Ford wants to know why the Executive wasn't back at work last Monday like the rest of the public of Northern Ireland.

Alliance Leader David Ford has hit out at the Stormont Executive for failing to continue to meet weekly, after they promised to do so to address the backlog of issues they did not deal with during the stalemate. He said the Executive have been disingenuous and have shown their total lack of ambition for Northern Ireland.

David Ford said: "It was disingenuous of the Stormont Executive to promise that they would meet weekly to tackle their backlog of work, as they have failed to meet since the middle of December.

"People have given the Executive a second chance following their five-month stalemate but they are already failing to live up to their promises.

"This failure to meet clearly demonstrates the Executive parties' lack of ambition for Northern Ireland.

"Many jobs are being lost here every week and confusion still reigns on plans for the replacement of the 11-plus. It's disgraceful that the Executive are having a long Christmas holiday while our economy is suffering daily and local parents are having sleepless nights over their children's futures.

"The public were back at work on Monday at the very latest, so I am sure everyone will be annoyed that the Executive were not."