TUV East Belfast representative John Ross said:
“Prior to this years General Election, I had the opportunity to visit Harland and Wolff to see first hand their operational capabilities, and to hear details of future aspirations, from local management.
“It was clear that motivation, dedication and belief were in abundance at every level of management I engaged with, and amongst the workforce I spoke to, particularly the young apprentices, who were honing their skills fabricating essential items, to ensure cost effectiveness in their training, with zero waste, it was truly impressive, and a credit to those managing the extensive apprentice programmes.
“It was clear from my engagement with the management team, that there were serious concerns in respect of financial support and investment, fuelled by the reluctance of the Westminster Government to provide funding through loan support.
“As someone who is old enough to remember the halcyon days of heavy industrial manufacturing in Belfast, when we were world leaders in so many fields, I was genuinely both heartened and worried when I left “the yard” after my visit.
“We desperately need manufacturing growth in Northern Ireland, we have the opportunity to achieve that through meaningful investment in Harland and Wolff, and the tremendous apprentice training programmes that are already in place and developing.
“Today we contribute c6% of our Country’s Armed Forces personnel, now is the chance for our Government to recognise that, through awarding defence contracts to ensure the future of Harland and Wolff.”