Donnelly welcomes Alliance re-confirming opposition to underground gas storage plans

Alliance Larne Lough representative Danny Donnelly has welcomed his party recently re-confirming its opposition to plans for underground gas storage caverns in the area. Danny was speaking after Alliance’s recent Party Council meeting, in which a motion opposing the proposals and giving concerns about the environmental impact and public safety was backed by delegates. “Many […]

Lavery says it vital people contribute to school consultation

Alliance Lurgan representative Peter Lavery has said it is vital local people participate in an ongoing consultation into the future of the Lurgan campus of Craigavon Senior High School. Peter was speaking after meeting the Education Authority about the potential move, which would see the school’s pupils transferred to the Portadown campus from September 2020. […]

Time for People’s Vote on Brexit, says Long

A People’s Vote needs to be tested in Parliament as a matter of urgency, Alliance Leader Naomi Long has said, after the Prime Minister’s proposed Brexit Withdrawal Agreement was rejected by MPs. Mrs Long said the Government and Parliament, which voted 391-242 against Theresa May’s deal, was now “hopelessly divided and in a shambles” over […]

Farry welcomes additional post-primary places

North Down Alliance MLA Stephen Farry has welcomed the additional places allocated to a number of local post-primary schools in order to better manage the transfer process this year, but stressed again the importance of long-term reform. He said: “This is a sensible and pragmatic step to address immediate demographic pressures in certain areas across […]

Bradshaw calls for UK Government to meet international obligations on abortion access and violence against women in Northern Ireland

South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw has said the case for action by the Secretary of State to enable access to abortion for women in Northern Ireland is unanswerable. Ms Bradshaw was speaking after the publication of the concluding observations on the eighth periodic report of the UK from the Convention on the Elimination of all […]

Ballymena needs positive political leadership, Alliance candidate O’Lynn says

Ballymena needs positive political leadership, Alliance’s Patricia O’Lynn has said, as she revealed she will be standing for the party in May’s Council election. Patricia, who has stood for the party in the North Antrim constituency in the recent past, will contest the Ballymena district electoral area of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in […]

Time to bank the backstop, says Farry

A hard border after Brexit will only be avoided through sufficient north-south customs and regulatory alignment, Alliance Brexit spokesperson Stephen Farry MLA has said. Dr Farry was speaking after the UK Government claimed it had secured changes to the proposed Withdrawal Agreement. “These further UK and EU agreements are clarification of what has already been […]

Dickson participates in European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism at Parliament Buildings

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson has taken part in an event to mark the European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism at Parliament Buildings. Mr Dickson said he was moved to attend the event, which heard from various victims and survivors including Geraldine Ferguson, mother of Patrick Azimkar, Mervyn Lewers, a former police officer who […]

Muir reports kinnegar malodours to NI Environment Agency

Holywood Alliance Councillor Andrew Muir has referred the on-going malodours in the vicinity of the Kinnegar area to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, requesting assistance in eliminating the regular foul smells, for good. Commenting on the issue, Councillor Muir said: “A number of years previously NI Water made a multi-million pound investment in Kinnegar Waste […]

Time for Secretary of State to end suffering of institutional abuse victims and survivors, says Bradshaw

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has called on the Secretary of State to take immediate steps to implement the recommendations of the Hart Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse after the Executive Office’s extended consultation closed. The public consultation, which had been extended by a month, ended yesterday. South Belfast MLA Ms Bradshaw said it […]