Alastair Patterson, Ulster Unionist Party.

Q: How will you improve the mental health and well-being of local people?

A: “With one in four of people here likely to suffer a mental health and well-being problem it is indeed a major issue, no Party Leader has done more to promote the issue of mental health in the last Assembly than Mike Nesbitt.

There is an ever increasing body of evidence proving that our awful rates of mental health are directly related to our previous levels of violence. It's a legacy issue with now not only victims being affected, but the children and grandchildren of victims. More people have lost their lives through suicides since the Belfast Agreement than died during the entire Troubles.

Bluntly, if you take a map of the hot spots of the Troubles, measured by shootings, bombings and violence, and superimpose a modern map of mental health issues, the hot spot areas are largely the same.

It is a core issue for the Ulster Unionist Party - that is why in February this year we took the then unprecedented step of publishing a detailed policy paper dedicated to the issue and which contained 15 specific proposals. These included things like a mental health champion for Northern Ireland, a bit like the current older persons commissioner, greater focus on prevention and detecting signals earlier, and tackling the stigma sometimes associated with poor mental health.

Our Policy Paper has been very positively welcomed by the experts so now it is up to the Parties to work together in the next mandate to try to resolve the issue.

I certainly if elected will work closely to see that our proposals are implemented.”

Q: “How will you help to bring down the number of fatalities on our roads?"

A: “Fatalities on our roads cause major distress to the families of those affected and can be attributed to numerous reasons, some would say it could be linked to the condition of our roads, other would say it could be down to the speed of drivers.

Investment in our roads is essential in order to make them safer for road users, that is ensuring the maintenance of roads is properly planned and funded, coupled with this more education to our drivers in killing speed on our roads.”

Q: “How will you address issues of the past, including collusion?”

A: “Dealing with the past is something I will not let drop, the innocent victims of the terrorist campaign have a right to justice and I for one want to see justice, for far too long there seems to have been an unfair agenda with some trying their utmost to rewrite history and rewrite the past – this I will not allow to happen. There has to be truth and an adherence to the rule of law – there can be no amnesty. Failure to deal with the past is not an option, we are 18 years on from the Good Friday Agreement and yet we don’t have truth, justice and acknowledgement, I want to see actions taken and ensure innocent victims get the truth and justice they yearn for.”

Q: “How will you encourage our teachers and doctors to work here instead of elsewhere?”

“Stopping the brain drain from this constituency is essential. I pledge myself that I will work others to ensure that we encourage our teachers and doctors to work here. Northern Ireland has so much to offer and we need to ensure that we offer our teachers the facilities to work in and do all that we can to ensure full-time positions are offered here. In recent times I have heard so many stories of qualified teachers who cannot get full-time positions due to funding uncertainties in our schools, another sign that longer term planning needs to be introduced into funding our schools.

Too often opportunities have not been offered locally, we saw recently the major use of locum doctors in South West Acute Hospital. The questions this raised was more around the lack of full-time positions being offered and the system spending crazy sums of public money on temporary staff, which clearly was a poor way to spend public money.

In the next mandate I want to see more emphasis on full-time positions, proper plans to recruit and retain our teachers, doctors together will other professions. Difficult decisions will have to be taken on the restructuring of our education and health sectors, we need to offer fair and attractive opportunities to encourage our teachers and doctors in wanting to work and live here.”

Q: “How will you prove yourself, as a newcomer from a different constituency, that you can represent the people of Fermanagh-south Tyrone?”

“The challenge I faced when presenting myself to the Fermanagh-south Tyrone Ulster Unionist Constituency Association on January 22 resulted in my selection and then co-option to the Assembly, I proved myself to the Constituency Association and since then I have worked tirelessly for the people of Fermanagh-south Tyrone. I have given all the people strong representation in the Assembly, in that short time I have taken on issues around health, education and our schools, flooding, roads and infrastructure, investment and the lack of it, pollution incidents, security issues, farming issues, met with mobile phone and broadband providers – that was within eight weeks of being in Stormont – that is the work ethic I have and offer to the people and trust me I want to continue this after May 5.

I come from a business background, a church background, a band background and a strong community background, I may not be from our currently live in the Constituency but I have worked, socialised and spent a lot of time within the Constituency over my life, I know and understand the needs, I know that I’m up for the challenges ahead within the next mandate and will not shy away from difficult decisions. I know I can do the job, I know that I can and will represent all the people.

On the doors people have been delighted to meet a fresh face, they are telling me that’s what Stormont needs, that fresh new faces are needed - a new generation of politicians, I am giving the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone that opportunity to return one.

The voter now has the opportunity to vote for change and to vote for someone new who can make it work and do what is right for all the people of Fermanagh-south Tyrone.”