SDLP Mid Ulster MLA and Chair of the Assembly Enterprise Committee, Patsy McGlone has led a delegation of MLAs at an urgent meeting with the Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy following the collapse of Dungiven firm KPL.

Mr McGlone said: "The collapse of KPL and loss of over 200 jobs has been a huge blow, not only to the local economy, but to the community in the north west. More families will now struggle to make ends meet as each of these employees tries to find work in a market still struggling to recover. In the coming weeks, it is important that they get the answers they deserve outlining how and why their firm collapsed.

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"It is imperative now, however, that we shield others in the industry who are vulnerable as a result of the KPL crash. The work, businesses and livelihoods of subcontractors and their workers has been thrown into jeopardy.

"Along with party colleagues John Dallat and Fearghal McKinney, I arranged an urgent meeting with DRD Minister Danny Kennedy to investigate what could be done to mitigate against the effects of the KPL collapse.

"The Minister indicated during the course of the discussions that KPL had secured a number of tenders from Northern Ireland Water and Roads Service. We sought a number of assurances from Minister Kennedy.

"He has first committed to carrying out a scoping exercise of those on the second tender list for ongoing projects with a view to getting existing and scheduled works back on track as soon as possible. He also said that he would be strongly suggesting that subcontractors previously engaged in projects associated with KPL should be considered as part of those works."

(CD/JP)