Carrickfergus Alliance Councillor Stewart Dickson has welcomed Health Minister Tony Worthington’s decision to provide cold weather payments to Northern Ireland’s pensioners. Alderman Dickson, who is the new health spokesperson for the Alliance Party, said the payments would be appreciated by Northern Ireland’s pensioners – particularly after last weekend’s treacherous weather conditions. Alderman Dickson said: “I […]
Alliance Party Deputy Leader Seamus Close has reacted to the announcement by the Secretary of State of an extension to the inquiry into operational procedures at the Maze Prison. Seamus Close said : “The Secretary of State has decided to extend the remit of one of her Civil Servants in his investigation into the operational […]
To express confidence in the management of a prison in which a prisoner has been murdered another dresses up as a woman and escapes and a prison officer falls into an escape tunnel and all this a space of some months is an insult to the people of Northern Ireland and an example of the […]
North Down Alliance Councillor, Stephen Farry, has expressed his regret over the decision of the Department of Education to turn Strangford Integrated College for funding for a third time but called for the campaign to continue. Stephen Farry said: “This decision by the Department of Education is triply disappointing. First, this is now a school […]
Alliance spokesman Dr Philip McGarry has described as (a form of intimidation) the leaflets distributed in Craigavon calling on shops and businesses to shut during the Billy Wright Funeral. Dr McGarry said ” I can understand entirely why many local business men will feel under pressure to close their premises. However many of them will […]
McConnell Welcomes Ulster Bar Announcement South Antrim Alliance Councillor Brian McConnell has welcomed the Northern Ireland Trading Company’s decision to look at alternative sites in relation to the development of a bus terminal, library and commercial facilities in Antrim. Councillor McConnell praised the decision – which appeared as a public notice advertisement this week – […]
FORD REGRETS ‘NEGATIVE’ FORSYTHE Councilllor David Ford, Alliance Spokesman for South Antrim, has described the attitude of Clifford Forsythe MP to the Talks process as ‘regrettable’ and negative’. David Ford said: “I was surprised to read the reports of the letter apparently written by Mr Forsythe a couple of weeks ago. Surprised, because he has […]
Increasing concern about delays in the funding of the Antrim – Whiteabbey railway line has led the Alliance Party to table two Parliamentary questions. The questions, tabled by the Party Leader, Lord Alderdice, ask the government to confirm its commitment to the line and question whether EU funding may be lost because of delays in […]
Commenting on todays statement by the Minister of Agriculture , Councillor David Ford, Alliance Spokesperson on Agriculture, said: “Dr Cunningham’s Christmas present to farmers is nothing but a sick joke – tokenism of the worst sort. It is far too little and far too late to address the problems of farmers in every section of […]
Commenting upon the six shootings which have taken place over the last two weeks. Alliance Spokesman Dr Philip McGarry has called upon Sinn Fein, the PUP and UDP to clarify their position with regard to the Mitchell Principles. Dr McGarry said: “The Mitchell principles state clearly that participants at the Talks must be committed exclusively […]