South and East Belfast Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

EAST BELFAST DPP ENDORSES REMOVAL OF MOUNTPOTTINGER BARRACKS

Published: 8 March, 2009

East Belfast Sinn Féin representative Niall Ó Donnghaile has welcomed the decision by the East Belfast District Policing Partnership to endorse the recommendation that Mountpottinger PSNI barracks be removed.


The decision was taken on Thursday 5th March, at a meeting in private of the East Belfast DPP with four members voting for the removal and four against. DPP Chairperson Cllr. Gerard O'Neill had the casting vote and voted to endorse the recommendation that the barracks be removed.


Mr Ó Donnghaile said,

"This decision follows last months public meeting of the East Belfast DPP in which the PSNI revealed that the barracks only functions on a part-time basis, it costs around £180,000 annually to retain, and in the year between July 2007 and July 2008 it was used by only 16 members of the public. The also revealed that the majority of these 16 people were visiting the barracks for non-serious issues such as having to produce their driver's license of to inquire about lost property.


"The PSNI also disclosed that during its public consultation period they received 4 submissions calling for the retention of the barracks while 907 submissions were made calling for the removal of the barracks.


"All of these figures speak for themselves and it was clear for all to see that this barracks was a drain upon the resources of the PSNI.


"Sinn Féin and the local community have long campaigned for the removal of Mountpottinger barracks. The decision by the East Belfast DPP to endorse the call for the removal of the barracks was the only sensible decision that it could have reached. I would welcome this decision and now hope that the Chief Constable and the Policing Board move swiftly to ensure that this recommendation is acted upon".

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