For the avoidance of doubt Jim Allister requested a meeting with the Chief Executive of the North Eastern Education and Library Board yesterday and asked for it to take place today to discuss the tragic accident outside Cloughmills.
The North Eastern Education and Library Board phoned Mr Allister’s Ballymena office offering a meeting “in a few days” just before 5pm yesterday.
Other than an acknowledgment of his letter of 20th October, Mr Allister had no communication from the NEELB or any offer of a meeting with NEELB prior to yesterday’s accident. It is regrettable that in its press release NEELB deployed language obscuring this reality.
Commenting on the matter Mr Allister said:
“I am dissatisfied that the meeting is not taking place today as requested but can assure the public that I will have some tough questions for the North Eastern Education and Library Board when the meeting does take place. My thoughts are with the family who have suffered such tragic loss at this time and I very much pray that they will know the presence of the Father of mercies and God of all comfort as they go through an unimaginable trial.”