SOUTH Antrim Alliance MLA David Ford has called on the Minister of Education to become directly involved in the discussion over the future of secondary education in Antrim. After attending last Tuesday’s public meeting in Antrim Board Centre, David Ford wrote to Education Minister Barry Gardiner MP and said that only the Department of Education […]
AN Alliance Party delegation – including Councillor Sean Neeson MLA, Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Investment; Councillor Naomi Long MLA (East Belfast); and Cllr Tom Ekin, Lord Mayor of Belfast – are to meet senior management at Belfast aerospace company Shorts on Monday (today) at 2pm. The meeting follows the news that around 560 jobs […]
Speaking after it was announced that 560 jobs are to go at Shorts Aerospace in Belfast, Alliance Assembly member for East Belfast, Councillor Naomi Long, stated: “This is a massive blow to East Belfast, coming on top of the thousands of other manufacturing jobs that have been lost in manufacturing. Through no fault of their […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Sara Duncan (Castlereagh West) has welcomed the decision by Translink to provide timetables at Ulsterbus stops on the Saintfield Road. Previously, only Citybus times were displayed, although, because part of the route falls outside the city limits, an Ulsterbus service was also available on the road. Cllr Duncan said: “I am pleased that […]
ALLIANCE Assembly member Seamus Close (Lagan Valley) has condemned comments by Labour MP Clare Short who has claimed that the IRA “never targeted civilians” in an interview with Gulf News (Source: http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/print2.asp?ArticleID=134040) Mr Close stated: “I find Ms Short’s comments simply incredible. Perhaps she has been away from Northern Ireland for too long and has […]
Figures showing the success of the introduction of free personal and nursing care in Scotland have been welcomed by Alliance Party health spokesperson Alderman Kieran McCarthy MLA (Strangford). The figures show that as of June 2004, 48,677 people in Scotland were in receipt of free personal care, with the majority being in their own home. […]
ALLIANCE Deputy Leader Eileen Bell MLA (North Down) has expressed major concern that school resources for children with special needs in the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) area are under threat. Multi-million pound budget cuts are expected to be introduced in the Board’s area to compensate for overspending, and this is likely to […]
Responding to reports that the Review of Public Administration, under Minister Ian Pearson MP, is set to propose a reduction from 26 to only seven Councils, Alliance Party Chief Whip, Kieran McCarthy MLA (Strangford), stated that this proposal risks undermining local democracy across Northern Ireland. Kieran McCarthy stated: “While Alliance agrees with many aspects of […]
Alliance Party Justice Spokesperson, Stephen Farry, has argued that the British Government should take great care in devolving policing and criminal justice responsibilities to the Executive, and called for a two-year target to be established, with a triple-lock of tests to be passed before the formal transfer of powers should take place. Earlier this week, […]
Alliance Party General Secretary, Stephen Farry, has urged all parties to keep their focus on the prize of a reformed Agreement, including the DUP, that could provide some basic stability for society to allow other problems to be finally addressed. Dr Farry stated: “We now have the prospect over the next few weeks of realising […]