Alliance Party Justice Spokesperson, Councillor Stephen Farry, has welcomed as ‘a logical step’ the proposals of the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, to make incitement to religious hatred a criminal offence, but warned that legislation is of little use unless it can be effectively enforced. Dr Farry stated: “This is a logical and welcome step on […]
ALLIANCE councillor Alderman Kieran McCarthy MLA has said the community in Kircubbin has been shocked to learn of the murder of a local man in England. Joseph Ennis from Kircubbin was stabbed to death at the weekend in Kent. After his sister visited him at the weekend, he left her to an airport on Sunday […]
BELFAST Lord Mayor Tom Ekin has condemned the threat to a worker at the Mater hospital in the city. Councillor Ekin stated: “This threat should be lifted without delay. It is simply unacceptable that hospital workers should be intimidated, and I am appalled that this has happened after the recent attack on the Mater by […]
ALLIANCE Victims Spokesperson Eileen Bell MLA has said that judges who hand out lenient minimum jail terms for murder and other serious crimes are letting the public down. Mrs Bell, who is also Alliance Deputy Leader, stated: “Despite what the Lord Chief Justice has said about judges operating within guidelines, there is a real need […]
THE Deputy Mayor of Larne has condemned threats issued against an SDLP councillor’s mother who complained about the erection of flags by the UDA in her estate. Alliance Councillor Gerardine Mulvenna stated: “For paramilitaries to threaten anyone for complaining about a flag is absolutely disgraceful, but when an older woman is confronted like this, it […]
ALLIANCE Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has welcomed the news that the Government plans to introduce a ban on smoking in its buildings from September. Mr McCarthy stated: “Now that the Government has moved to protect its own employees, there is no reason why a more widespread workplace smoking ban should not come into operation […]
ALLIANCE South Antrim Assembly member David Ford has called for flags recently put up around Templepatrick roundabout to be removed. The Alliance leader said: “Most people in Templepatrick do not want any flags up, but are prepared to tolerate some if they are taken down quickly after the ‘Twelfth’ celebrations, before they turn to rags […]
ALLIANCE South Antrim Assembly member and Party Leader David Ford has said that proposals to widen the M2 motorway will make it more dangerous and simply transfer congestion problems to other parts of the network. Speaking after Roads Service announced it would be holding an exhibition on the motorway-widening scheme at Valley leisure Centre, Newtownabbey, […]
ALLIANCE Health Spokesman Kieran McCarthy MLA has said there is no real reason why the Government cannot introduce a ban on smoking in public places. Alderman McCarthy stated: “If smoking is to be banned in civil service offices, there is no reason why this cannot apply to every workplace. I am firmly in favour of […]
Alliance Education and Learning Spokesperson Councillor Michael Long has expressed his party’s continued opposition to top-up fees and tuition fees in the Alliance response to the Higher Education in Northern Ireland consultation paper. Alliance’s response was released a day after the decision to introduce top up fees in England and Wales went through the House […]