Local Ballymoney Councillor, John Finlay, has called on the N.I. Housing Executive to set up a special hot line for local Councillors', MLAs and MPs due to the demand at this time. He said that local politicians should be being given more priority by the Executive when trying to get through.
John said that he had been inundated with calls from constituents since Christmas Eve and in the last three days had only got through to the emergency hot line twice, once each day. He has called on the Housing Executive to set up a special telephone line for local representatives to cope with the demand.
Speaking today John Finlay said:
"I appreciate the fact that staff at the Housing Executive are under severe pressure and have been working throughout Christmas to cope with the number of calls regarding burst pipes in their properties.
As a local representative I am as frustrated as anybody. I have being phoning the Housing Executive repeatedly since Christmas Eve. Since Sunday I have only got through twice.
I believe that the Minister for Social Development needs to act immediately in establishing a special hot line for local representatives such as local councillors', MLAs and MPs as at present we are unable to get through, placing more demand on us.
People are contacting me as they have been trying to get through themselves but failed and turned to me, as their local representative, for help, for which I am here for. However I am left in the same boat in being unable to speak to someone at the Housing Executive with regard to the problems people are facing. We need action from the Housing Executive in order to help people in need of getting pipes repaired and heat re-instated."
