WEST TYRONE

DESERVES betterAssembly Elections 2011

Manifesto for McGowan and McMenamin

betterWEST TYRONE

DESERVES

CONTENTS

-We want a better West Tyrone!-How West Tyrone compares to the other Constituencies-How we will get better accountability in Stormont for West Tyrone-Fighting for better enhanced Health Services in the Western region-Getting better economic investment and increasing employment -Getting better infrastructure -Better protection in the community for our most vulnerable-Better protection for homeowners in the current economic downturn-Better delivery for agriculture and rural communities-Better arts and leisure opportunities-Better equality and human rights

We Want a Better West Tyrone!

West Tyrone is currently ranked as one of the most deprived constituencies in Northern Ireland. This constituency needs better leadership to fight for every constituent. The centralised party machines have neglected this area for years. Put plain and simple, we feel the people of West Tyrone have got a raw deal.

As experienced, elected representatives in West Tyrone, over the years we have become completely disillusioned with centralised party leadership and the trickle down effect of budget allocations for our hospital, roads, infrastructure, jobs – the list goes on... The shocking statistics on the next page prove it.

The days of sitting at the back of the bus are gone. This area has always been at the end of the line when it comes to funding. Ministers and the big party machines like to look good in the big cities. West Tyrone is not their big area of focus. We are always at the end of the line. The people of this area deserve better.” 

Too many issues are not being resolved at Stormont regarding West Tyrone. It is time to put these issues to bed. We want to see a date set for progress on Omagh Hospital during the next term of this Assembly. It is no longer acceptable for West Tyrone not to have progress on this. It has already been listed as a high priority within the Health portfolio. We want to see that priority become a reality within this term of the Assembly. Simply put the people of Omagh and Strabane deserve better.

West Tyrone received the lowest amount of financial assistance from Invest NI during the last Assembly

West Tyrone has the 5th highest death rate due to respiratory disease, the 8th highest death rate due to circulatory disease and the 4th highest death rate due to suicide and undetermined intent.

The most deprived areas in West Tyrone are ranked in the 10% most deprived areas in Northern Ireland. No area in West Tyrone is ranked in the 10% least deprived areas in Northern Ireland. West Tyrone has the 3rd lowest number of employee jobs.

West Tyrone is ranked 3rd highest in terms of the proportion of people in receipt of disability-related benefits.

West Tyrone has the 4th highest proportion of benefit claimants.

West Tyrone has the 5th highest proportion of unemployment-related benefit claimants

A higher proportion of West Tyrone jobs are in construction and a lower proportion are in services compared to all Northern Ireland employee jobs.

How West Tyrone compares to the other Constituencies

How we will get better accountability in Stormont for West Tyrone

-A date to be set by the Health Minister for progress on the Omagh Hospital during this forthcoming Assembly term

-We will lobby Invest NI to dramatically increase their funding for West Tyrone and bring more employment to the area

- We will seek a new radical plan to radically improve housing in the most deprived areas of West Tyrone

-We will lobby to introduce a bill to protect homeowners and business owners who are under extreme pressure to maintain their payments in the economic downturn from repossession

-We are the only representatives fighting this election who promise to hold ALL ministers accountable for decisions made affecting West Tyrone.

Fighting for better enhanced Health Services in Western Region

We want to see a date set for progress on Omagh Hospital during the next term of this Assembly. It is no longer acceptable for West Tyrone not to have progress on this. It has already been listed as a high priority within the Health portfolio. We want to see that priority become a reality within this term of the Assembly.

We also want answers regarding the recent decision made by the Health Minister regarding the Cancer Radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin. This decision needs to be reversed in the forthcoming Assembly.

We believe in North South co operation aimed at providing the best and most efficient levels of Healthcare to West Tyrone

We demand that the Health portfolio is managed efficiently and effectively and that the allocated budget is used in an efficient, non wasteful manner.

West Tyrone is the only constituency without adequate healthcare facilities. We already know this is not good enough. What reasons are there for the Health department to argue that health in West Tyrone is worth less than in any other constituency?

Getting better economic investment and increasing employment

When you consider that Peter Robinson’s Constituency of East Belfast was funded by Invest NI to the tune of £30 million plus compared to West Tyrone’s miserable £2 million, it begs the question - Why have our elected representative’s not taken Invest NI over the coals???

We need tax incentives to attract business to our region; Banks need to get real in lending & supporting Small Medium Enterprise, Business Parks are vital in attracting new business to our region.

Special emphasis on areas of high unemployment a program for reform. Pilot schemes designed to employ local labour and incentives for future investors. Research & Development in our colleges.

West Tyrone has been blighted with unemployment since stats began. This has never, ever been addressed....why???

Getting better infrastructure

One of the keys issues to providing better investment into West Tyrone is to have better infrastructure. To attract investment into West Tyrone we must improve our transportation systems.

The A5 Corridor will help realise the economic and investment opportunities in this region through balanced regional infrastructure. The new dual carriageway will significantly improve safety and journey times for motorists.

We fully support the A5 Corridor and will be pressing for progress to be made on having the scheme fully implemented.

We also wish to see the A5 development take into consideration those who are impacted by the developments and to have them compensated in a fair and sufficient manner.

Better protection in the community for our most vulnerable

We encourage community partnerships to ensure that all of our communities within West Tyrone feel safe.

We believe that through effective policing and community initiatives that all people can be better protected within our community.

We believe in investing money in fuel poor homes across West Tyrone and support the development of a network in order to ensure that senior citizens are better protected in their homes.

Community safety must include preventing, reducing and containing the social, environmental and intimidatory factors, which affect people's right to live without fear of crime and which impact upon their quality of life.  We need to closely monitor preventative measures that contribute to crime reduction and tackle anti-social behaviour. 

A partnership approach to community safety including bringing together a wide variety of organisations, which have inherited a responsibility for community safety as part of their own work, We need to co-ordination in working together for the benefit of all our senior citizens and the vulnerable in West Tyrone. 

Better protection for Homeowners and Business owners in the current economic downturn

The real issues that we hear and see on the ground everyday in West Tyrone are:

1. Families worried about how they are going to make their next mortgage payment.

2. Good people wondering if they are going to lose their jobs in a wave of cuts.

West Tyrone needs a moratorium for all mortgage owners in serious difficulties of at least 12 months. There are many couples who are in dire financial need due to the economic down turn. The Banks and Building Societies who could not lend money quick enough to every one a few years ago are now repossessing homes at an alarming rate. It has to stop. This has to be a priority in the new Assembly along with a review of rates for our struggling town centre businesses.

Banks once so eager to lend have closed their vaults. We strongly believe in community banking. Ireland should never allow a small cartel to control our countries finances again. More credit Unions and community banks must be encouraged. The idea of using public funds to bail out banks and then taxing working families more to pay for this is ridiculous.

Better delivery for agriculture and rural communities

We need stability of our rural communities in West Tyrone. We want farmers in West Tyrone to still be farmers in years to come, to stop their feeling of isolation, to make sure the current financial crisis is handled with them in mind.

Supporting the continuation of sustainable farming helps maintain the countryside and contributes to rural development. ensuring continued agricultural land use and, thereby, contributing to the maintenance of a viable rural community:

Maintaining the countryside

Maintaining and promoting sustainable farming systems which in particular take account of environmental protection requirements.

We support the improvement of funding and grant initiatives available from DARD for agri-environment, farm, fishing industry, forestry and rural schemes.

Better arts and leisure opportunities

The strategic development of tourism within West Tyrone:

Liaison with relevant agencies including the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and funding organisations to maximise opportunities for West Tyrone.

The implementation of an effective marketing plan for West Tyrone

The provision of an effective support service to the local tourism industry and continued consultation with tourism providers in the development of tourism strategies and the provision of visitor services through-out West Tyrone.

The provision of interpretation of West Tyrone’s history, heritage and culture.

The vast exodus to North America by emigrants from Ireland in general is well documented. Many went on to attain fame and prosperity, while many others lived their lives in comparative obscurity. Each however contributed in his or her own way to the development of the great American Republic, the United States of America and its neighbour Canada. Strabane & Omagh West Tyrone can claim full share in these associations through the many emigrants who left the area from as early as 1773. This is just one avenue of many that we could go down renewing our acquaintances with our American and Canadian friend’s. The American Folk Park is our Jewel in the Crown.In the North West we have Derry which has won the City of Culture in 2013. there will be thousands visiting the region so we have to be prepared to facilitate our visitors.

Better equality and human rights

We must remember that we are still in the infancy of peace in real terms. There is much work to be done in the future. And unfortunately as we have seen recently the specter of the bad old days still looms.

We believe that there is a forum for every opinion within the Peace Agreement since 1998. Those who do not wish to voice their opinion in a democratic and peaceful manner are enemies of West Tyrone and enemies of the island of Ireland.

We believe that every nationality, race, colour and creed within West Tyrone and beyond deserve the right to live freely without intimidation, harassment or racist slander. We vow to those who feel pressurised in this manner to understand that we refuse to tolerate this in West Tyrone and that we are here to stand by your right to freedom of living without intimidation.

OMAGH DISTRICT VOTE

MCGOWAN 1 MCMENAMIN 2

STRABANE DISTRICT VOTE

MCMENAMIN 1MCGOWAN 2

WEST TYRONE

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