Democratic Unionist MLA Deborah Erskine has reiterated her calls for the Economy Minister to act and bring forward a plan to regionally balance jobs and investment in Enniskillen.

Her calls are on the back of the announcement of a closure date for the BT/EE site.

Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday, Mrs. Erskine said that the news that the centre is to close on October 31 date has been "devastating" for the constituency she represents.

“As time moves towards October, there can be no doubt that the closure of the site will have an impact on businesses on the high street in Enniskillen and in rural towns and villages across Fermanagh and South Tyrone. That concerns me greatly.

"Whilst my fight since February has been to retain those jobs, I have always been keen to ensure that my constituency gets a fair share of investment and jobs. I make that plea again today.

"We urgently need to see a plan for jobs and investment that holds fast to the idea of regional balance that was set out by Minister [Conor] Murphy and that, I hope, the interim Economy Minister will also work towards.”

Mrs. Erskine went on to pay tribute to the work of Invest NI who were engaging with BT / EE group to provide options and encourage the retention of jobs in Enniskillen.

She also highlighted that she intends to continue discussions with Invest NI and will meet Invest NI Chief Executive Kieran Donoghue to discuss how job creation, investment and support can be provided in the area.

Mrs. Erskine added: “The (Invest NI) Chief Executive continues to engage with me to find a way forward in supporting the people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone who have lost their jobs and to create options for them. That includes a number of people who did not sign up to the voluntary scheme and who need to find out what their options are.

"I pay tribute to all in the community who stood side by side in the fight to retain jobs, and there was political support across the spectrum in that fight. I will continue my fight for the area. I call on the Economy Minister to bring forward urgently a plan for my area and a plan for economic regional balance.”