NORTHERN IRELAND CITIZENS TO HAVE THEIR SAY ON PUBLIC SPENDING PRIORITIES AND CUTS

Consumer
7 September 2010 - 1:46pm
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It will hold two open meetings, in Cookstown on Thursday 9 September, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm in the Burnavon Centre and Belfast on Thursday 16 September, 2010 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue. The open meetings will offer people the opportunity to give their views on: which kind of expenditure cuts would cause less pain; what services must be retained and how public services can be improved in the future. Afterwards the Consumer Council will produce and submit a report detailing the findings to NI Executive Ministers, to help inform their budget development process.

Antoinette McKeown, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council said, "Many consumers have already been making tough decisions about their own household budgets because of the recession. This coupled with the impact that the Westminster Coalition budget will have on every household here, means that it is essential consumers voices are heard by decision makers. It is vital that they are given a voice in any public expenditure cuts and that Executive decisions are informed by citizens’ experience as consumers of public services.

"The Consumer Council is appealing to all citizens to come along to one or both of our open meetings. Now is the time to make your voice heard and help shape how these cuts are managed by government. We know consumers have a critical role to play and believe they must be involved in our Executive’s decision-making process so that decisions made about public spending cuts here are the right ones."

To book your place at the open meetings, please contact our Consumer Support team on 0800 121 6022 or e-mail us info@consumercouncil.org.uk