Paisley honours Ballymena's award-winning firms at Stormont

The borough award winners and the event organisers were treated to a reception at Parliament Buildings by the DUP’s Ian Paisley jnr on Thursday night.

Addressing his guests, Mr Paisley said: “We are here to celebrate the achievements of the business community in Ballymena. The last twelve months have been extremely difficult for those involved in business, but we can take pride from the success and achievements of our local business sector in Ballymena. Events like this help us to recognise good news on the economic front. Positive achievements unfortunately are not so readily picked up and profiled in the media as bad news is.

“It is not the job of government to create jobs – that is the job of hard-working business figures like you. Our job is to help you by making Northern Ireland the most business-friendly part of the United Kingdom.

“The task of devolved government is to create the environment in which the economy can grow and additional jobs can be created. We are using devolution and the powers divested in this place from Westminster to that end. At the very heart of the Programme for Government, indeed its primary focus is the building of a strong economy. Measures designed to help our economy grow have been to the forefront of the agenda of the local government at Stormont,” said Mr Paisley.

He said he was pleased that local government had frozen business rates, manufacturing rates, capped industrial rates and non-domestic regional rates, committed record levels of investment to the province’s infrastructure and introduced the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme.

He said: “Local government at Stormont, responsive to local needs and standing up for Northern Ireland’s interests is better for business than unaccountable direct rule manned by people who have no stake in seeing this place succeed. Already we have seen the massive difference that local people with their hands on the levers of power can make.

“It is a simple fact that no sane person would want to invest in a country that is unstable or tearing itself apart. Stable devolution creates the basis for political stability and economic prosperity. The recent Hillsborough Castle Agreement further cemented stability. Be in no doubt, investors were looking closely at the situation in Northern Ireland.

“Those who want to drag Northern Ireland back to political instability would hang a big “closed” sign over our Province. “Closed for investment”, “closed for jobs”, “closed for tourism”. I am determined that they will not succeed in denying our children and young people a future,” said Mr Paisley.

“The business sector will be vital to moving Northern Ireland forward.

“One of the real advantages of devolution is the access that you are afforded to the heart of government decision-making. We will do all that we can to help you expand and grow and I hope that by working together we can all make Ballymena, and indeed all of Northern Ireland a better and more prosperous place,” said Mr Paisley.