Parties have put forward debates on the Ulster Covenant (from the UUP), a motion calling for an apology from the Republic of Ireland for its role in the Troubles (from the DUP), a proposal for an all-Ireland visa scheme (from Sinn Fein) and Parades (from Sinn Fein).
Stewart Dickson MLA said: “The announcement by FG Wilson that they will be cutting nearly 800 jobs will have a devastating impact on our economy. The public and businesses will be looking to the Assembly this week to show leadership about the economy but yet they will see motions coming from the other parties on issues such as the Ulster Covenant, an all-Ireland visa scheme and the Troubles.
“We need other parties to get real and show that the Assembly is taking the economy seriously. But yet we see political parties still concerned with orange and green politics.
“There is a major disconnect between some political parties and what is happening in the real world with job losses, and the problems that need to be solved in our health and education system.
“There is a serious danger of political parties losing touch with the real needs of the public and being too concerned with the same old constitutional debates.
“I am also angered by the fact that there was no means for a party to put in an emergency debate on the economy and the impact of the job losses. I will be writing to the relevant Assembly Committee to see what can be done so that when something of the magnitude as these job losses happens, the Assembly has an opportunity to debate it.”
ENDS