Social enterprises need urgent support, says Dickson

Urgent support needs to be given to social enterprises in Northern Ireland to help them survive the coronavirus pandemic, Alliance Economy spokesperson Stewart Dickson MLA has said. Mr Dickson, Chair of the Assembly All-Party Group on Social Enterprise, has written to Economy Minister Diane Dodds outlining his concern regarding the current funding situation, saying unless […]

Armstrong concerns over sporting fund after applications closed

Alliance Communities spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA has said she has concerns over a fund designed to help sporting bodies financially after it was suspended due to being over-subscribed. The Department for Communities’ Hardship Fund for Sport was launched on Monday, with £500,000 to help sports clubs and organisations with overheads and maintaining facilities during the […]

Local guidelines on those with autism leaving home during lockdown need updated, says Blair

Local guidelines relating to people with autism or learning disabilities being able to leave their homes more than once a day to exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown need to be updated to reflect UK Government advice, Alliance MLA John Blair has said. Mr Blair was speaking after raising the issue at today’s meeting of the […]

Fairness and equity must be at heart of exam grading process, says Lyttle

Fairness and equity must be at the heart of the process awarding pupils grades in the cancelled GCSE, AS and A-Levels, Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said. It follows Education Minister Peter Weir confirming teachers will predict the grades they think pupils would have achieved, with schools also asked to rank pupils in […]

Tennyson calls on universities to introduce no-detriment policies to mitigate coronavirus impact

Alliance Councillor Eóin Tennyson has called on universities and the Minister for the Economy to introduce ‘no-detriment’ policies to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on students in third level education. Councillor Tennyson, a former Queen’s University student, said it was an anxious time for students, who had had their education severely disrupted by COVID-19. “Our […]

Northern Ireland needs to also ban gambling with credit cards, says Armstrong

Northern Ireland needs to follow suit in banning gambling with credit cards, Alliance Communities spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA has said. Ms Armstrong was speaking as regulations came into force in Britain outlawing the practice, which extends to credit card gambling through e-wallets. Recent statistics showed up to 800,000 people in the UK used credit cards […]