SDLP councillor Brian Heading has challenged caretaker Executive Ministers to reveal their preparedness with the cost of living emergency set to deepen during the winter.
Councillor Heading has secured the support of fellow councillors after proposing Belfast City Council contact Executive departments asking them to detail in writing what steps they have taken to protect people in the coming months.
He said he was seriously concerned at the lack of Executive response to the current emergency and expressed concern about how families would cope with increasing pressures.
“Stormont’s response to the cost of living emergency so far has been disheartening to say the least," said Cllr Heading.
"The DUP’s boycott has stopped us from using every penny available to support families in their hour of need and has complicated the process of getting much needed funding from Westminster into people’s pockets.
"However, we still have caretaker Executive Ministers in place with significant spending powers and they cannot use the DUP’s intransigence as an excuse for their own failings.
“Families in Belfast and right across the North are under incredible pressures and they have zero faith that the people they elected on the promise of helping them through this crisis will do so effectively."
Cllr Heading added that there are households who are unable to turn on their heating, children going to school hungry and that this is only going to get worse over the next few months.
“I am directly challenging Executive Ministers and their departments to detail exactly what steps they are taking to support people through what is going to be a very difficult winter and I welcome the support of my fellow councillors in this," he said.
"Ministers have a duty to tell the public what they are doing to help them and we will keep working to hold them to account and challenge them to do what’s necessary to support people in the time ahead.”
