Dodds Tackles Executive Colleagues

An outspoken DUP politician has hit out at two fellow NI Executive Ministers over both education and housing.

North Belfast MP, Nigel Dodds is seeking the extension of funding to primary schools in a deprived part of the area, as well as demanding action over local housing, which he has described as in "appalling condition".

A "lack of action to tackle the issues is harmful and shameful", according to the MP, who recently added his support to the principals from local primary schools in their call for resources from the Department of Education in Northern Ireland to tackle the education difficulties in the area.

Mr Dodds said that the ending of funding streams to primary schools in north Belfast and the Shankill area will have a detrimental effect on the children's education.

Teacher representatives from the area met the Education Committee at Stormont earlier this month to make them aware of what they see as a funding crisis.

After the meeting, Mr Dodds said: "For the past number of years schools in north Belfast and the Greater Shankill have benefited from three different funding streams which are now either being cut or drawing to a close - Interface funding, Renewing Communities funding and Extended Schools funding.

"This is having a very serious effect on local schools. The Renewing Communities funding specifically targeted special needs and allowed schools to employ a special needs teacher to deal with problems around literacy, numeracy and behaviour.

"Renewing Communities finished at the end of March.

"Interface funding was awarded to deal with the difficulties arising out of the traumas of the violence and terrorism that has dogged the area and its children for many years," Mr Dodds said, noting that Sinn Fein Minister Catriona Ruane has stopped this funding and that extended Schools funding has been cut by half.

"The Education Minister says that she wants to improve performance in schools. Her actions in cutting funding to the most needy children give the lie to this claim," He said.

Meanwhile, he has also called on the SDLP Housing Minister, Margaret Ritchie to start to look at the issues of housing deprivation in the Queen Victoria Gardens and Fortwilliam area of north Belfast.

Mr Dodds said: "Residents are fed up with this situation. They are living in appalling conditions. In the 21st century we have elderly people living with no inside toilet facilities.

"At one end of Queen Victoria Gardens the backs have been completely ripped out of the houses and youths are gathering in them and lighting fires.

"There has been a harmful and, indeed, shameful lack of action. Does the Minister believe that these people are not worthy of decent housing?

"It is a disgrace that at a time when Northern Ireland is looking to a future which should bring greater prosperity that those responsible for housing cannot get their act together and ensure that those in need have a decent house to live in," he complained.

However, Ms Ritchie in response accused Mr Dodds of "selective concern" and hit out over his own record on job creation.

Minister Ritchie said: "He knows full well that urban regeneration is inevitably a time-consuming process which requires much consultation and a steady approach.

"His comments are opportunistic. As MP for the area what he done to help improve housing? He would do better to look at the performance of his department. How many new jobs has he created to alleviate the chronic unemployment in north Belfast?

"It is time he started to deliver on jobs. Mr Dodds should sign up for the New Housing Agenda instead of exploiting local housing issues and throwing cheap shots at others."

A spokesman for NI Housing Executive said: "Queen Victoria Gardens is part of an Urban Renewal Area.

"We've acquired seven properties in the area to provide a site for private housing in Skegoneill Avenue.

"We've agreed with the DSD to review the remainder of the proposed urban renewal area to take into account changing market conditions. This is treated as a matter of urgency."

(BMcC)