Ms Ritchie asked Secretary of State Owen Paterson if he agreed “that the government must do more to deal with the genuine concerns of public sector workers and their pensions under siege, while those who have caused the economic crisis, particularly bankers, are getting away scot-free?”

Mr Paterson replied saying the strikes were regrettable and that the government’s offer to public sector unions was fair, adding that we “are all in this together”.

Speaking afterwards, Ms Ritchie said: “Owen Paterson is fooling himself if he thinks that public sector pension increases will aid the economy when low-paid workers will be losing out.

“This line of ‘we are all in this together’ is ringing more and more hollow as Tory-proposed cuts, enacted by the DUP and Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, merely serves to widen the gap between rich and poor and impacts negatively on our public services.”

Speaking from Westminster the MP for South Down said;

“I along with my SDLP colleagues have taken the fight for the protection of public sector pensions to Westminster. Today in the House of Commons during Northern Ireland Question Time I raised in injustice of the attacks on public sector pensions.

The SDLP will continue to challenging this unjustified attack on public sector pensions. We will join with our colleagues in the Labour Party in opposing the Government hike in public sector pension contributions, and their campaign against public sector workers, many of whom face uncertain futures as a result of the Tory-Lib Dem cuts.

The SDLP have consistently stood up for the rights of public sector workers, we have consistently voted against public sector cuts in Westminster, and were the only party in the Northern Ireland Executive to vote against the hike in public sector pension contributions.

I along with my colleagues will continue the fight to protect the rights of public sectors workers, now and into their old age.

We must protect and promote the founding principles of the welfare state, in particular the right to dignity in old age and a fair deal on pensions.”

Speaking at a debate in the House of Commons onTuesday 15th November, on the Common Fisheries Policy which is due to be reviewed by the European Commission this December, Ms Ritchie said,

“Both Ardglass and Kilkeel in my constituency rely on fishing effort to boost the local community– both off-shore in fishing effort and on shore in fish processing.

These towns have been subject to European Union regulations over the past number of years which have resulted in reduced quota allocations for fish species which has been particularly damaging for valuable species such as nephrops. These proposals combined with other measures, including days at sea restrictions and the Cod Recovery Plan, are often based on incomplete and inconclusive evidence.

Local fishermen and those involved in the food processing sector would like to see not only the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, but a policy of regionalisation within fisheries.

I urge the Minister leading the UK delegation at the European Union’s December Fisheries Council to press the Commission regarding flaws in the long term Cod Recovery Plan and to push for the devolution or transfer of power to the regions.

We must see earnest intent to devolve power to the regions, whilst making decisions that enable the fishing industry to be sustained and for livelihoods to be maintained.

We hope that the Minister will be able to achieve success at the negotiations in Brussels in a month’s time which will result in the maintenance and growth of not only the fishing industry, but also the local economy.”

“It is great to see this wonderful community facility in operation in the Old Dunsford School. The establishment of Dunsford Pre-School Group is good news for the local community and it is vital that we give this group, and other groups like it, support and assistance in their early stages.

I look forward to continuing my work with the Dunsford Pre-School Group to harness funds that will enable the group to grow and provide for more children and their parents in the local area.”

Ms Ritchie stated, “DARD Rivers Agency undertook an investigation into the flooding that occurred in Annsborough and Maghera in 2008. Indications suggest that this report will issue in March 2012, and I am concerned that it has taken 4 years for this report be undertaken and completed.

This report is examining options to improve flood protection and their viability, which is crucial for the residents of both villages who face the prospect of further potential damage if the flooding reoccurs.

I want to see the immediate issue of this report and for the remedial works identified to go ahead. We need to ensure that all reasonable measures are in place to prevent further flooding incidents at these locations.”

“ I put forward a strong case for the retention and enhancement of services at both the Downe and Daisy Hill hospitals. I am pleased to advise that this call was not met with objections from Mr Compton and the review team.

I impressed upon the Review Team the rural nature of South Down and that front line health services must be accessible to the population. I also outlined how the culture of concentrating services in the Belfast area had disadvantaged the population of South Down in the past. I would be hopeful that the review team will look at additional services that could be provided at both the Downe and Daisy Hill hospitals.

We discussed how we need to look to North South cooperation as a means of improving health care services particularly in terms of Paediatric medicine at Daisy Hill Hospital. Some definite structures to be put in place around North South health provision . We also discussed the vita role of 0-5, early years health care services and the great work being undertaken at the Downe Mid-wife led Maternity Unit, along with the delivery of maternity services at Daisy Hill.

Overall the meeting was positive and I will continue to monitor the progress of this review and look for the best possible outcomes for the community of South Down.

NITB will fund this project to deliver a replacement church hall to include exhibition space and visitor amenities along with car parking facilities. The Church and the Committee at Saul Church are to be commended in bringing this project forward.

NITB have shown a great commitment to developing the St Patrick tourism product and I look forward to continuing to working with them to develop the other sites I have identified in my St Patrick Development Plan.”

Ms Ritchie stated, “I had written to Minister Edwin Poots to seek measures to address the need for more affordable childcare place. Many parents are finding that they are being prevented from entering work due to high childcare costs and lack of places. The Minister has responded with the news that he has secured £445,000 to deal with progressing a childcare strategy. In addition, he is exploring a proposal to facilitate the uptake and promotion of the Home Based Childcarer Approval Scheme, which provides chilcare in the child’s own home.

The Minister has outlined that these initiatives will assist in enhancing childcare in Northern Ireland.

I will continue to lobby the various agencies to ensure that there is significant commitment to the development of a childcare strategy for the benefit of children in Northern Ireland.”

The MP said;

“The Public Realm Scheme has been a great success for the Town, and it was only natural that Market Lane benefit from these improvements. I am very pleased that the scheme in Market Lane will now go ahead and will hopefully be completed by 31 March 2012.

This is good news in these difficult times and we look forward to the benefits that these improvements will bring to traders and their customers.

Margaret Ritchie said

“The people of South Down are being short-changed by the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Special European Union Programmes Body. This is due to the considerable delay in processing funding applications for projects.

The INTERREG IVA Programme has great potential to have a positive impact on the border regions such as South Down and other constituencies.
However, the principal issue is that it has taken a considerable time to approve projects.

Despite reassurances from the Special European Union Programmes Body that they have developed a streamlined process which would allow decisions to be made within 6 months, the reality is that approvals have taken between one and two years to be made. The critical factor is that because the match funding was provided by Central Government, all projects require approval from Departments and their agencies.

Recent projects have demonstrated that the opinion is sought from agencies such as Invest NI on as many as 3 occasions on one project. It is clear to those involved in the INTERREG 1V proposals that there needs to be a radical change in the approval process so that Departments and their agencies define clearly at the start of the programme areas where they welcome proposals from Councils and there is a move away from the multiple consultation process that is currently applied.

The model employed in Interreg 111 was considered to be a more effective way of delivering EU funding. Bodies such as the East Border Region who have demonstrated they have the ability, the track record and the governance structures to deliver the INTERREG Programme must be made Intermediary Funding Bodies so that the EU funds are dispersed effectively without the current blockages.

For communities to develop and for new infrastructure to be provided new ways need to be found of accelerating the application process for monies from INTERREG IVA programme. This is of vital importance. I have raised this issue with the Minister for Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Minister for Finance in Dublin”.