BY MARK McKELVEY

If Omagh loses out to Fermanagh as the location for the Department of Agriculture headquarters when decentralised West Tyrone DUP MLA Tom Buchanan said this would be another demonstration of discrimination.

Mr Buchanan was responding to appeals for the Agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew to consider Fermanagh instead of Omagh for this relocation of public sector jobs by SDLP MLA Tommy Gallagher.

Speaking in Stormont last week, the Fermanagh South Tyrone Assembly member asked the Minister, who represents the same constituency to "put her plans to move many of her department's offices to Omagh on hold, while the Bain Report is being considered?"

Mr Gallagher said, "Does she understand that the accessibility criteria are Northern Ireland-wide and, if they are applied, there will be considerable areas of north and south Fermanagh that will fall outside those criteria? It is, therefore, very important for her department to carefully consider Fermanagh."

This left Mr Buchanan outraged, stating, "Mr Gallagher has raised the issue of accessibility in determining the location of these jobs. Unfortunately he does not apply the same criteria for location of adequate health provision, as many people in Omagh have no access to proper acute medical services the largest geographical county in Northern Ireland.

"Mr Gallagher's call for the Minister to put her plans to relocate jobs and offices to Omagh on hold is another demonstration of his discriminatory attitude towards the people of Omagh.

"Could I remind Mr Gallagher that simply because the minister lives in his constituency gives her no right to create another situation of gross inequality as he is suggesting by treating one constituency more favourably than another and I call on the minister to ensure that she does not make any biased decisions in favour of her own constituency, when the decision to relocate the jobs to Omagh, has already been taken.

"I also await with interest what action west Tyrone Absentee MP Pat Doherty takes to ensure that his party colleague does not fall foul of discrimination against the people of West Tyrone and delivers on her pledge to decentralise jobs away from Belfast to Omagh.

"I look forward to his support and seeing what action he takes to ensure that the people of West Tyrone get the jobs they are entitled to and have already been promised.

"I also look forward to the support of all parties in West Tyrone on this matter to ensure that our people get these jobs.