Sinn Féin’s Economy Spokesperson, Caoimhe Archibald MLA, has called on the Economy Minister to include representatives of workers, SMEs, the community sector, and academia on the newly announced Economic Advisory Group (EAG).

The East Derry MLA was speaking shortly after the announcement of Minister Dodds’ EAG which was composed mainly of representatives of larger businesses and industries in the North.

Caoimhe Archibald MLA said:

“An Economic Advisory Group is an important and welcome component to support and guide sustainable economic recovery.

“However, the Group must be representative of the cross section of our economy.

“Amongst the current membership are no representatives of workers, climate science or the green economy.

“To be effective, and to seriously deal with longstanding problems of the past, the crisis of the present, and the threat of climate breakdown, the Minister must now widen out the membership of the Economic Advisory Group.

“Returning to an old, low-wage, regionally imbalanced, and environmentally unsustainable economy simply isn’t an option. We need a clear and realisable vision for our economy that involves everyone. This is a chance to get off on the right foot and include all sections of society in guiding this transition.

“I will be urgently raising the need for wider and fairer representation on the Economic Advisory Group with the Economy Minister, in order to shape a fairer, greener and healthier economy for the future.”