Tabling a motion calling on the Assembly to make conditions better for business in the Province, Mr Simpson cited the case of a US renewable energy firm planning to relocate to Craigavon.

He said at this stage he was not prepared the name the company, but the move was being hampered by difficulties in linking a gas supply to its new headquarters.

"At the minute, there is a major international company which wants to locate its UK administration headquarters in Upper Bann, but it is being held back because of delays in getting gas pipelines installed," he said. "It is ready to go, machinery is ready to be imported and jobs which could be relocated have been identified - yet they are being held back by an unwieldy, blunt, heavy-handed, bureaucratic environment."

wait

Mr Simpson said another company with a 10-acre site earmarked in central Craigavon faced a wait of up to 12 months to install a power supply.

"If we are going to rise to the challenges of competing successfully with the Irish Republic, then surely we have to put competition first and adopt the approach of getting things done for business and actually putting that competition to the forefront of our decision-making process," he said. "I have been told the electricity supply for this site will take up to eight to 12 months to install. It is an absolute nonsense. We need to move mountains to accommodate these people."

Mr Simpson said he would be contacting the DRD regarding the matter, as well as Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds and the various relevant departments who could move things along.

Meanwhile, Mr Dodds said the "regulatory burden" on business was kept constantly under review. "Mechanisms are already in place to minimise both the volume of regulation and the problems associated with it," he added.