BELFAST BRIEFING:IT IS HARD to work out if the Northern Ireland Executive has a game plan to deal with the economic downturn. Its strategy at the moment appears to be every man or woman for himself or herself – at least when it comes to Government Ministers and Government departments, writes FRANCESS McDONNELL.

Take, for example, the latest advice from the North’s Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson. Mr Wilson believes that companies in the North should actively discriminate in favour of people from Northern Ireland when it comes to taking on a new employee.

He does not want his suggestion to be interpreted as being racist or xenophobic – just practical. As far as Mr Wilson is concerned, he believes it makes more sense for local firms to employ local people in the current downturn.

His theory is that it is easier for migrant workers to move on to find new jobs than it is for people who are from Northern Ireland to pack up and look for work in other countries. Mr Wilson believes if a firm is looking at two prospective job applicants with equal skills, then it should employ the person who is from the North. His suggestion has not met with universal approval in Northern Ireland.

For one thing, everyone in Northern Ireland is protected against discrimination on grounds of race, religious belief or political opinion, sex, sexual orientation, age or because of a disability.

Discriminating against someone because of their nationality, or in favour of someone because of it, is technically illegal in Northern Ireland.

Therefore, Mr Wilson in his role as a Minister and also a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for East Antrim has this week proven that he, for one, does not have a very solid game plan when it comes to tackling the economic downturn.

What about the Ministers and Government departments though who actually have a key responsibility for economic development in Northern Ireland?

What action is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment or the Department of Employment and Learning taking at this critical time?

What are they doing to help struggling local firms or floundering large multinationals sustain jobs?

What constructive action are they taking in the case of the 96 workers who yesterday were told by a Co Armagh-based forklift manufacturing firm that their jobs are being axed?

The NACCO Material Handlings Group, which employs more than 600 people at its plant in Craigavon, is planning another round of redundancies in the North because of global difficulties. The American-owned group, which has its headquarters in Ohio, also plans to introduce a reduced working week at its Craigavon plant.

The announcement by Ulster Bank this week that it intends to cut 200 jobs in the North is a further blow to the struggling financial services sector in Northern Ireland.

This is in contrast to the Department for Social Development who yesterday announced plans to recruit 150 new staff to the Social Security Agency frontline. The agency said it was “a direct result of the economic downturn, with many more people claiming benefits”.

Last week the North’s Economy Minister Arlene Foster briefed the Assembly about her department’s determination to work proactively to help local companies and entrepreneurs “minimise the impact of the current economic downturn”.

She pointed to the £45 million package of assistance announced by the Finance Minister last month to support local businesses. She also highlighted various business information seminars that had been organised to help and support firms.

Overall however, there appears to be no cohesive strategy from the Northern Ireland Executive or its Ministers on how to react on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to the devastating economic slowdown in the North.

Why have they not set up a task force of some description that would bring together key ministers and key business people with one common aim – to save what’s left of the North’s economy.

Politicians who are MLAs in Northern Ireland receive on average an annual salary of more than £43,000, plus a series of allowances. In some cases, if they are also Members of Parliament, their annual pay packet could be in the region of £76,000.

It might be time for some of them to consider if they are really earning their keep.