Mr Dickson was speaking after the DUP nominated Michelle McIlveen was appointed new Regional Development Minister today (Monday). It follows the resignation of the previous Minister, the UUP’s Danny Kennedy. Ms McIlveen is only expected to remain in the role for a short time before resigning again, similar to the DUP’s other Ministers.
Mr Dickson raised the issue as a Point of Order in the Assembly Chamber, saying he did so on behalf of the public.
“I asked the Speaker whether this constant nominating and resigning was going against the Pledge of Office for Ministers, as it could be viewed as bringing the Assembly as a whole into disrepute.
“The Regional Development Minister has a particularly key role in our society – we have all witnessed the growing number of tragic deaths on our roads for example. A committed Minister could help improve road safety and help reduce the amount of accidents.
“For the Minister to only be in their role for a number of hours or even days before abandoning it is nothing less than running away from their duties and I call on the DUP to stop playing these games.”