Commenting on the failure to elect a Speaker today (Friday), Paul Murnaghan, President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber), said:
“Failure to elect a Speaker to the Assembly at the earliest opportunity deals yet another blow to business and investor confidence in Northern Ireland. At a time when our elected representatives should be getting straight to work to tackle a myriad of very significant challenges, we remain in limbo.
“The uncomfortable truth is, while this continues, the reputational damage to Northern Ireland as a place to invest and work grows daily. For local businesses, little can be done to mitigate against the litany of challenges including soaring costs and skills shortages without a stable, functioning Executive and legislature.
“We call on all political representatives to stop allowing division to hold back progress and form a stable, fully functioning Assembly and Executive without delay.”
