Alliance Assembly Spokesperson for Social Development, Anna Lo MLA, has challenged the Minister Margaret Ritchie to abandon plans for closing Social Security Offices, after she was forced to recruit another 150 people to the service. The South Belfast Assembly member stated: “The Review of Social Security Offices advocates the effective closure of half the offices […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has said that the outrage rightly felt at plans for a £12,000 payment to all victims of the troubles could sink the report from the Consultative Group on the Past. David Ford said: “This is an extremely emotive issue. Many will feel that the £12,000 payout plan has damaged the Consultative […]
Alliance Enterprise Spokesperson Seán Neeson MLA has called the news that 200 Ulster Bank jobs are being lost in Northern Ireland devastating. Around a total of 750 jobs at the bank will be lost across the island of Ireland. Seán Neeson MLA stated: “This is a devastating blow to the local economy. It says much […]
Alliance Leader David Ford MLA has hit out at comments from the Environment Minister Sammy Wilson who has said that on job recruitment: ‘preference should be given to people from Northern Ireland’. Alliance Leader David Ford MLA said: “Sammy Wilson needs to be very careful as to what he says, as there must be no […]
Alliance Justice Spokesperson Stephen Farry MLA has commented following reports on the recommendations from the Consultative Group on the Past, which is co-chaired by Lord Eames and Denis Bradley. Dr Stephen Farry MLA said: “Alliance continues to be impressed by work of the Eames-Bradley commission on dealing with the past, especially their focus on reconciliation […]
Alliance Enterprise Spokesperson Seán Neeson MLA has slammed UUP MLA Billy Armstrong for blaming the wrong Minister on rising unemployment. UUP Leader Reg Empey is Minister for Employment and Learning. Responding to the comments from Billy Armstrong, Seán Neeson MLA stated: “It is quite incredible that an Ulster Unionist MLA would accuse the Executive of […]
Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA will be continuing the party’s campaign to end division in Northern Ireland by putting a motion to the Assembly next week. The motion expresses fears at the failure of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister to meet its own deadline to publish a strategy to improve […]
Lagan Valley Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn has expressed sadness at the loss of 40 jobs at the Montupet car parts plant in Dunmurry. He said that the Stormont Executive’s measures to stop job losses have been largely ineffective and questioned whether Ministers were up to the task of protecting the economy from the worst effects […]
Alliance Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA today chaired a Macmillan Cancer Support event at Stormont aimed at making people aware of the poverty facing people with cancer. He praised the excellent work that the charity carries out and encouraged people with cancer to make sure that they find out about all the benefits they are […]
Alliance Party Justice Spokesperson Stephen Farry MLA has responded to comments from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, in the House of Commons today on Loyalist decommissioning. Stephen Farry stated: “The Government must beware of being strung along by the Loyalist paramilitaries over decommissioning. “The constant ‘final-chance’ renewals of decommissioning legislation are […]