Speaking to the Annual Meeting of North Down Alliance last night, David Ford, Party Leader said: “A week ago, Alliance put forward detailed proposals for the Review of the Agreement. So far, we have heard no details from any other party and nothing about the arrangements for the Review from the Governments. “All that we […]
ALLIANCE Assembly member Naomi Long has said the series of security alerts across Belfast today were aimed at the whole community. Condemning those behind the alerts, Ms Long stated: “Major traffic disruption isn’t going to result in political concessions for the loyalist paramilitaries behind these incidents. “Instead, it will simply alienate them further from a […]
EAST Antrim Alliance Assembly member Sean Neeson deeply regrets the decision by Solectron to close its Carrickfergus factory. Mr Neeson stated: “Solectron have been a major provider for Nortel and this new factory in Carrickfergus was expected to deal with, what was then, expanding demand for products from Nortel. Although there was a decline, the […]
Responding to Gerry Adam’s ‘keynote’ speech on the Agreement today, Alliance Assembly member Sean Neeson has reminded Sinn Fein on its own responsibilities to make significant moves to restore devolution. Mr Neeson said: “Sinn Fein is well used to blaming everyone else for deadlock, and not facing up to its own responsibilities. Republicans have a […]
ALLIANCE MLA Seamus Close has welcomed the closure of a website selling Real IRA T-shirts and other memorabilia glorifying terrorism. The site, which used redesigned Celtic, Nike and UEFA logos to promote the Real IRA, stated it is intended to be seen as a joke. However, the items on sale were freely available to buy […]
ALLIANCE Assembly member Eileen Bell has said that the Government must give its full support to prison officers following yesterday’s riot in HMP Maghaberry, and look again at the rehousing of asylum seekers. Mrs Bell said: “Alliance has always believed that the safety of both prison staff and prisoners must be paramount in prisons. For […]
An Alliance Party Delegation has met with the Chief Constable to discuss a wide range of policing and security issues, including the recent attacks on the elderly. Speaking after the meeting, Alliance Deputy Leader Eileen Bell stated: “Violence being used against older people is causing massive concern throughout the community and needs to be tackled […]
ALLIANCE Finance Spokesman Seamus Close has strongly criticised Finance Minister Ian Pearson for significantly increasing rates in the Northern Ireland budget for next year. Mr Close also criticised those parties who also opposed Mr Pearson’s actions, but who backed rises in rates in exactly the same way while in Government. Mr Close said: “Spin, deceit […]
ALLIANCE Assembly member Kieran McCarthy has called for a steering group to take forward actions recommended by the Fishing Taskforce report into problems facing the industry on the east coast. Mr McCarthy, who was an Ards Council representative on the Fishing Taskforce set up to map the future for the fishing industry in Portavogie, Ardglass […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Geraldine Rice has said that the PSNI will lose the confidence of ethnic minorities in South Belfast unless it ends the ongoing ethnic cleansing in the Village and Donegall Road areas. Cllr Rice, who is a District Policing Partnership member and stood in South Belfast in the recent Assembly election, said it was […]