Write a commentSDLP have selected Councillors Kate Loughran and Pete Byrne to contest the Slieve Gullion DEA in the upcoming local elections in May. The selection was chaired by the Deputy Chair of the SDLP’s District Executive, Dominic O’Reilly.
Endorsing the pair Mr. O’Reilly said, ‘As the Brexit pantomime rumbles on, we need a strong and decisive voice especially in border areas. Pete Byrne and Kate Loughran, among others, provide such a voice. I wish them well on the road ahead.’
Speaking on the night Loughran said, ‘We are constantly told at each election that this one is the most important one yet, but that sentiment rings true in the upcoming local elections. As we enter into an historic period, we find ourselves locked out of Westminster and the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is now more important than ever that the voice of the people is heard through our local Council. With our mandate of being the joint largest party in Newry Mourne and Down District Council, the SDLP have fought the politics of control with the politics of service, delivering for the people and fighting against rural inequality in South Armagh.’
“While we have no major strategic projects to boast about in South Armagh, we have continued to support the upgrade of facilities in Slieve Gullion Forest Park to promote tourism in our area, development plans for Derrymore House are progressing well and we’ve overseen the delivery of £240,000 for the upgrade of playparks in the South Armagh area. While barriers remain, we are committed to and if re-elected will continue to ensure that South Armagh gets its fair share.’
Byrne added, ‘At this critical juncture for our region, any further dilution of our people’s voice would be unacceptable, local Council must be a place where people can have a sense of ownership on how we shape our district. Given the opportunity we will continue to work with others to tackle the inequality our region experiences.’
‘Over the last number of years, we’ve had many successes but there is still more to do. We have secured the town status of South Armagh’s main town Crossmaglen, ensuring that Council is committed to develop our rural retail centre alongside the districts other five towns. We have secured changes to the criteria of the Council’s play strategy ensuring South Armagh not only gets its fair share of new play facilities but is also about to receive funding for a new Multi Use Games Area. We also campaigned hard on behalf of community groups to ensure that funding was doubled for community led festivals.’
‘All of this was made possible by those who stood up and demanded better. We listened and we sought to bring about change. We will never stop speaking up for South Armagh especially the most vulnerable in our communities, but the job isn’t done. Barriers still remain and we’re determined to jump over every hurdle in the time ahead.’
