FIRST Minister Arlene Foster is to bring the Northern Ireland Executive to Fermanagh.

 

Addressing a Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce event this morning, the Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA said politics “should be a feature of every town and every community” and elected representatives “should get out and meet local people in their own constituencies.”


“That is why one of the first suggestions that I made to the deputy First Minister was that before the elections in May, we should take Executive meetings outside Belfast and we have agreed to hold meetings in Fermanagh and Londonderry in the coming weeks,” she said.

 

Addressing over 100 members of the local business community, Mrs. Foster said: “Every political leader must have a clear vision of what they want to achieve. Leadership is not simply about telling others what to do: it is understanding what needs to be done.

 

“Growing the Northern Ireland economy remains the number one priority of the Executive. This requires leadership not just from politicians but from everyone with entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen,” she said.

 

Mrs. Foster said she wants to see economic prosperity achieved in Northern Ireland and shared right across the Province “where we value people from every background and every walk of life and make them as proud of this country as we are.”


“Northern Ireland has become a place where we can celebrate our culture and respect that of others. By working together Government can reform and work for the good of all our people and I will work with everyone to make sure this happens.


"I am just at the start of my leadership role in this position and will no doubt continue to learn many lessons as I go but I am fully committed to doing all I can to create a better more prosperous Northern Ireland for future generations. I believe that together we can achieve a Northern Ireland we can all be proud of,” she said.