LIVES on the Ards peninsula will continue to be put at risk if the health service infrastructure does not improve, according to Ards councillor Kieran McCarthy. Mr McCarthy was speaking after a constituent and neighbour discharged himself from the Ulster Hospital after he failed to receive adequate treatment. Mr McCarthy said: “For a pensioner to […]
ALLIANCE Environment spokesperson David Ford has called for new laws in Northern Ireland to tackle waste, after the completion of the Household Waste Recycling Bill, which now requires waste recycling to be collected from every home in England. Welcoming the Bill, Mr Ford said: “The Household Waste Recycling Bill is a sensible step forward in […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has welcomed the decision of the Environment Minister to refuse a licence to Dungannon Coursing Club, after it was strongly criticised by the club and Countryside Alliance. David Ford said: “The decision taken by Angela Smith is entirely in line with the law as it applies in Northern Ireland. As a […]
ALLIANCE Leader and former South Antrim Assembly member David Ford has called on members of the public to make their views on the possible closure of Greystone Post Office known. The Post Office is currently carrying out consultation on the closure of the Greystone branch. Mr Ford stated: “Greystone is the most prominent neighbourhood centre […]
ALLIANCE Finance Spokesman Seamus Close has said that if the Government is going to bring us into line with the rest of the UK on water charge, rates and industrial rating, it should do the same for petrol prices. Mr Close said: “The Government is putting our regional rate up by 9 percent to bring […]
ALLIANCE East Antrim representative Sean Neeson has challenge the Minister for Regional Development to stand by his views on water privatisation that he held when the Labour Party was in opposition. Mr Neeson was referring to a letter he received from John Spellar in 1995, in which the Labour MP said he was “concerned at […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Kieran McCarthy has welcomed the new ‘Stay Safe, Stay Secure’ initiative aimed at making older people safer in their homes. The Alliance health spokesman said: “This is a step in the right direction, after the rise in crime against older people in recent months. “It is a sorry state of affairs when the […]
SMALL businesses in Northern Ireland will continue to face huge increases in their insurance bills unless initiatives are taken to attract more underwriters to Northern Ireland, according to East Belfast Alliance Councillor Naomi Long. Following a recent meeting between Alliance representatives and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), it was revealed that some businesses have […]
Alliance Party Delegations today had meetings with US Envoy, Richard Haass, and Secretary of State Paul Murphy to discuss developments to restore trust and confidence in the peace process. Speaking after the meetings, Alliance Party Deputy Leader, Eileen Bell described the meetings as “productive”: Mrs Bell: “While there seems to be a growing commitment from […]
East Belfast Alliance Councillor, Naomi Long, has welcomed proposals by the Department of Environment to raise the levels of fines for littering and dog fouling from £25 to £50. The proposals are currently out for public consultation. However, Cllr Long called for the money to be returned to councils and targeted at enforcement, rather than […]