Ulster Unionist Social Development spokesperson Michael Copeland has called on Peter Robinson to explain why Nelson McCausland, despite overseeing a growing catalogue of failures, has not been removed from his post. 

The East Belfast MLA said: 

“Let us be under no mistake – in any other administration in the UK, Nelson McCausland would have already been sacked as a Minister. 

“Nelson McCausland’s time in office has seen more families waiting on homes, increased levels of homelessness and more people trapped in welfare dependency. His actions have cost people jobs, we have seen the mismanagement of one of our most important Executive Departments and his shameless arrogance has further lowered the public standing of the Assembly. 

“He is drowning in political controversy. There are still answers required about his and his Party’s association with Red Sky. Only two weeks ago it was found that the Minister had intentionally misled a Stormont Committee. In any other jurisdiction a Minister would not have made it to the end of the day with such a scandal and yet Minister McCausland continues to act with political impunity. 

“Even this week the Minister again suffered another major embarrassment. Last June, only weeks before a BBC Spotlight programme alleging major political impropriety was broadcast, the Minister sought to deflect people’s attention by claiming four firms had overcharged the public purse by eighteen million pounds, when instead, the reality was that one of the firms was owed almost half a million pounds. The Minister’s cruelly calculated agenda to save his own skin resulted in some of these firms having to lay off staff and endure questions on their professionalism, which have now been shown to be completely untrue. 

“What will it really take for Peter Robinson to accept that Minister McCausland simply isn’t cut out for the job? The public cannot be fooled on this one. If Mr Robinson does not act against his colleague, he will simply prove the obvious - the DUP cares only about the DUP.”