Maginness welcomes Durkan win on credit unions
Tue 26th January

SDLP Chair of the Stormont Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) Committee, Alban Maginness has welcomed the commitment from the British Treasury to ensure Credit Union memberss here will be afforded the same financial benefit and services enjoyed in Britian and the Republic.

He said: “SDLP leader Mark Durkan flew to London yesterday to table amendments to the Financial Services Bill at Westminster to give credit unions in the North the same opportunities as their counterparts in Britain and the South. He was able to withdraw them on a firm Treasury promise introduce legislation to put Credit Union members on a level playing field.

“This is the positive outcome of a long-fought campaign  by Mark and the SDLP which supported by the Irish League of Credit Unions, the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions and others.

 “As chair of the DETI Committee, I support these moves which will allow the Credit Union to expand their services and their membership. I hope it will have the full support of the NI Executive and DETI Minister Arlene Foster.

 “It’s a measure of the importance of this issue that SDLP party leader Mark Durkan, during a critical time in talks on the devolution of policing and justice, flew to Westminster to personally ensure a positive outcome before returning to Hillsborough for further negotiations.”