Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has said his party is committed to protecting frontline public services.
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Chris Hazzard MLA has said that Sinn Féin has a proven record in education.[/caption]
“All Sinn Féin ministers make decisions based on protecting the most vulnerable and creating greater equality,” said the South Down Westminister Sinn Féin candidate.
“Despite Margaret Ritchie’s claims the statistics have shown that Sinn Féin’s approach is right. In education in particular, successive Sinn Féin ministers have ensured that the number of pupils achieving a minimum of five GCSE grades A* to C have increased from 63% in 2000 to almost 80% last year.
“That means in South Down over 200 more children are getting five GSCE’s, more than the 2000 figure.
“Sinn Féin ministers have ensured that resources have been targeted to where they are most needed in order to protect the most vulnerable.
“Of course there are pressures on departments as a result of the cuts coming from the Tory-led British government at Westminster. Margaret Ritchie should be well aware of that as she argued for accelerated passage for the first Welfare Reform Bill, citing the spurious Tory claim that it would get people back to work.
“That is why Sinn Féin is calling for full control of fiscal policy to be in the hands of locally elected and accountable public representatives,” added Mr Hazzard.
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