Alliance Assembly Enterprise Spokesperson Séan Neeson has slammed the Secretary of State’s handling of Assembly business, after it was only confirmed on the evening before the debate that a debate on industrial rates would go ahead. Speaking in the Assembly Chamber, the East Antrim MLA stated: “All sides are at least agreed on one thing […]
Alliance Enterprise Spokesperson Sean Neeson MLA has repeated his call for an urgent review of departmental structures in Northern Ireland, to make coherent, “joined-up” government a reality. The East Antrim Assembly member stated: “People know there are so many departments in Northern Ireland now they are more inclined to compete with each other than cooperate. […]
Alliance Party Vice Chair Michael Long has voiced criticism of the Government’s plans to tackle sectarianism in disadvantaged areas. The Castlereagh Councillor stated: “I represent the area of Castlereagh including Braniel, Cregagh and Clonduff, which the Government would describe as ‘Working-class Protestant’, and I know the widespread belief is that the Government’s work is not […]
Alliance Party Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy has expressed frustration at the failure of the Secretary of State to make proper arrangements for the functioning of Assembly talks on the restoration of devolution, and said that his incompetence threatens the whole process. The Strangford Assembly member stated: “The Secretary of State has issues a press release […]
Alliance Party Leader David Ford has said the debacle of the first meeting of the Assembly’s Restoration Committee shows that the Government’s “quick fix” strategy has utterly failed. Speaking after today’s failed meeting, David Ford said: “The nonsense this morning shows that the Assembly parties couldn’t even agree on arrangements for chairing the committee. This […]
Alliance Deputy Leader, Naomi Long MLA, has described as “surreal” the request by the Leader of the DUP, Rev Ian Paisley, that the Secretary of State should extend the November 24th deadline for agreement on restoration of the devolved assembly by two weeks. Naomi Long said, “Although the direction of business by the Secretary of […]
Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA has slammed the Secretary of State for “cow-towing” to individual parties, after he initially cancelled Assembly business next week and then did a U-turn. The Strangford Assembly member stated: “It is quite obvious that the Secretary of State cancelled business at the behest of one party and then did […]
New Alliance Mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Lynn Frazer, has spoken of her privilege at becoming the borough’s first citizen, and promised a year of “good news”. Speaking as she was elected for the 2006/7 term, Alderman Frazer stated: “The election of a Mayor from a cross-community party on a cross-community vote is surely a positive […]
Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy has angrily condemned the Secretary of State’s decision to pull the plug on Assembly debates next week and further limit the capacity of MLAs to get back to doing the job they were elected to do. The Strangford MLA stated: “This is rampant hypocrisy of the worst kind from someone […]