Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott has criticised Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan for smearing the DRD Roads Service (Transport NI) and its staff by implying the organisation had effectively acted in a sectarian manner.
Tom Elliott was speaking after Mr Flanagan last week tweeted: ‘Roads Service wouldn’t know there was a (GAA) match on. They know where the 12th was this year though. New surfaces for Kesh for it.’
Tom Elliott MP said:
“Phil Flanagan is known to be one of the most gaffe prone politicians in Northern Ireland when it comes to social media, and this is certainly not the first occasion when he has made outlandish remarks on the internet. What makes these latest remarks more serious however is the fact that this time he has disgracefully smeared an entire reputable public organisation that provides employment right across Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
“By so publicly comparing the supposed attitude of Transport NI to the Twelfth of July celebrations in Kesh and the all-Ireland GAA quarter-finals at the weekend, the Sinn Fein MLA really was engaging in the worst form of gutter politics. With all the problems Northern Ireland still has, the last thing we need is people trying to stir-up divisions in areas where they simply do not exist.
“Mr Flanagan is correct to highlight that Kesh has benefited from improvements to its road infrastructure, but so too have other villages right across Fermanagh, not to mention the many miles of rural roads in-between. The Kesh project will benefit all who use the village, including the many tourists who visit the area. This investment is proof of Ulster Unionist Minister Danny Kennedy’s commitment to investing in areas across Northern Ireland despite the budgetary pressures he is facing.
“In fact if Phil Flanagan and the rest of his Sinn Fein colleagues were not determined to throw away over two million pounds every single week in fines as a result of their U-turn on implementing welfare reform, then even more money for investment and public services could be made available locally.
“The accusations quite simply are bizarre and inexplicable. There is no evidence to suggest that the Roads Service has acted in anything other than an entirely proper manner. The same cannot be said however for the previous DRD Minister, Conor Murphy, who was even found guilty by the Fair Employment Tribunal of discriminating on the basis of religion. In addition the fact that the current Sinn Fein Education Minister John O’Dowd has adopted an uneven approach to post-primary schools across Fermanagh has certainly not gone unnoticed by local parents.
“The least Mr Flanagan can do now is retract his comments and offer Transport NI and its employees a full and frank apology for his disgraceful comments.”