Island residents will have an opportunity to engage with Government Ministers on matters of national importance later this month during the first of a series of community meetings.

The event, which starts at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 28, at the Manx Museum Lecture Theatre in Douglas, will be chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by members of the Council of Ministers.

The aim of the series of meetings is to discuss critical issues facing the Isle of Man, highlight Government’s priorities, and generate feedback and ideas from members of the public.

A presentation by Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK will examine the Budget process and the need for significant savings across Government Departments.  An open question and answer session will follow.

The series will continue over the next 12 months with meetings in the north, south and west of the Island.

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK said: ‘These community meetings are an important part of my promise to promote open and transparent Government and to work with the public in the best interests of the Isle of Man. I want to encourage considered debate on a range of issues, explain Government policies and discuss together our aspirations for the future.’

He added: ‘The Budget spelt out the very challenging targets that Government has to meet in order to stay on track with our strategy for rebalancing public finances. I said at the beginning of the year that the road ahead would be difficult and some of our decisions would not be popular or easy to accept. The community meetings will provide an opportunity for local people to question Ministers and to discuss the direction of travel of this administration.’

The event is free and open to all members of the public. Seats at the Lecture Theatre will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.