Paramilitary violence 'turning investors away'
The price paid in lost investment due to paramilitarism is to be raised with the Northern Ireland Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister at Stormont later today.
Nigel Dodds is to be quizzed by members after a weekend of violence in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, involving up to 100 loyalists.
Alliance Party leader David Ford wants to know what impact the feuding has had on business confidence.
“In the words of former US consul Dean Pitman, ’capital is a coward’ so it is absolutely clear we are not getting the investment we might have gotten because there’s still ongoing violence and most of that appears to be coming from loyalist activity,” he said.
“Not only is Northern Ireland as a whole suffering but the areas where there are differences are suffering.”
Serious rioting on the Whiterock Road in west Belfast in 2005 is believed to have discouraged three companies from investing in the province.
The UDA faces the threatened loss of £1.2m of conflict transformation initiative government money over its alleged criminality.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie gave the fragmented grouping 60 days to take guns off the streets and end racketeering and drug dealing. That deadline expired last week.
UDA men took part in pitched battles with police in Carrickfergus’ Castlemara estate last July, during which an officer was shot in the back.
There was also a stand-off in Bangor’s Kilcooley estate this summer.
PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said that he wouldn’t give the UDA 50p after his men were attacked.
The minister is expected to make her decision soon.
Meanwhile, Alliance Enterprise spokesman Sean Neeson is proposing a debate in the Assembly on Tuesday on corporation tax and other measures to boost the economy.
“We need to see more action and more radical thinking from the Executive on ways to attract more foreign investment and bolster local businesses,” he said.
