Employment: Fermanagh

Oral Answers to Questions — Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:00 pm on 15 February 2016.

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Photo of Phil Flanagan Phil Flanagan Sinn Féin 2:00, 15 February 2016

1. Mr Flanagan asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the ministerial subgroup on regional opportunities in relation to creating employment opportunities and infrastructural improvements in County Fermanagh. (AQO 9639/11-16)

Photo of Peter Robinson Peter Robinson DUP

The focus of the ministerial subgroup on regional opportunities has, to date, been on the north-west, but it has always been our intention that, as its work progresses, it should consider the measures required to promote economic opportunity across other areas of Northern Ireland. That will include, in due course, infrastructural and economic needs and opportunities in the south-west, including County Fermanagh.

Photo of Phil Flanagan Phil Flanagan Sinn Féin

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. I thank the Minister for her answer. I take the opportunity to congratulate her on her elevation to the position of First Minister and wish her well in the time ahead.

Will the First Minister accept that it would make some sense for the next meeting of the regional opportunities subgroup to take place when the Executive come to Fermanagh for their meeting and that the focus of that meeting should be about potential infrastructural and other economic interventions that the Executive could make to create economic opportunities in the county?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

I thank the Member for his question and, indeed, for his acknowledgement that the next Executive meeting will be in Enniskillen in the town hall on 25 February. The fact that we are bringing the whole Executive to County Fermanagh is even better than bringing the regional opportunities subgroup of the Executive to Fermanagh. We will have the whole Executive there. I hope that they take the opportunity to get out and about in County Fermanagh to make some visits. Who knows? We may even have some announcements made when they are there as well. I hope that the initiative of bringing the Executive closer to the people who elect us will make it more relevant to people on the ground and will allow some of my colleagues from the east of the Province to visit the most beautiful county in Northern Ireland.

Photo of Gregory Campbell Gregory Campbell Shadow DUP Spokesperson (International Development), Shadow DUP Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)

As part of the regional opportunities group, will the First Minister endeavour to make sure that Northern Ireland has the best possible mobile phone network across all parts of rural Northern Ireland so that people can communicate by phone, text and other social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, and can do so effectively, safely and without the prospect of running up a huge bill, directly or indirectly?

Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP

Absolutely. As the Member is probably aware, in my previous work in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, we made a number of interventions in relation to mobile phone and broadband coverage. I very much welcome the fact that my colleague the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment recently announced another broadband intervention. Two pilot areas have been identified, one of which is County Fermanagh. I encourage everyone to look at the broadband pilot and to take advantage of what is available to them.