Hamilton hits out at RPA failure

Commenting on the issue, Councillor Hamilton said: "After years of talking about local government reform and after spending millions of tax payers' money on preparatory work, consultancy reports, feasibility studies, transition committees and lots more it is an absolute disgrace that the reorganization has been left dangling.

"It was rumoured weeks ago that a decision had been taken to pull the plug – but what we have witnessed has been the undignified scramble by DUP Minister Edwin Poots to spread the blame. This will not wash – he is the Minister responsible for local Government. Minister Poots has failed to deliver local government reform and he should be held accountable. Instead of building consensus they pressed on with their own political agendas – not listening to the concerns of others."

"The Review of Public Administration gave the Northern Ireland Executive three tasks in relation to RPA - health, education and local Government reform. Unsurprisingly, the UUP Minister Michael McGimpsey is the only one to have delivered.

"At some point in the future the task of reorganizing and reforming local government will have to be revisited – but for now the DUP seem content to add it to the long list of other DUP/SF failures…post primary transfer, early years provision, ESA, the Maze and a shared future."