Douglas secures backing for People’s Proposal in Ards and North Down

Ards and North Down Council are set to back the People’s Proposal, thanks to the hard work of Alliance Councillor Karen Douglas. The local authority is set to write to the permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities calling for the vital checklist – compiled by The Right to Work: Right to Welfare Group (R2W) […]

Belfast must set standard when it comes to recycling, says McReynolds

Belfast City Council will officially focus on how it can reduce its use of hard to dispose of plastics tonight, after a proposal from Councillor Peter McReynolds is set to get the go-ahead at Thursday night’s Council meeting. Initially raising the idea last month, Councillor McReynolds has said he’s delighted Councillors will back his plans, […]

Girvan disappointed as votes at 16 motion defeated again

A majority of Ards and North Down Councillors simply don’t give young people enough credit, Alliance Councillor Deborah Girvan has said, as her attempts to put votes at 16 on the agenda where again defeated. Councillor Girvan raised the issue on Wednesday night – shortly after Wales voting reforms saw the voting age lowered – […]

Northern Ireland needs Ministers who will take difficult decisions, says Ford

Alliance MLA David Ford has said any restored Executive needs Ministers prepared to take difficult decisions while in office. Mr Ford, who was Minister of Justice for six years, said there was “little point” in having Ministers who would not do so, especially regarding the Budget. He added during his time in office, he saw […]

Alliance recommits support for Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms

Alliance has recommitted its support for the delivery of the Stormont House Agreement mechanisms on legacy issues, during a meeting with the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors. Alliance Lagan Valley MLA Trevor Lunn said the meeting with Judith Thompson at Equality House in Belfast was a positive one. “Today’s meeting concerned a number of subjects, […]

Bradshaw expresses concern over lack of confidence in Arts Council Chair

Alliance South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw has expressed her concern at reports the Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland did not enjoy the full confidence of his board. The move followed comments by John Edmund about the “high level of dependency” in the arts sector, which were interpreted by many as him supporting […]

Only way to sustain a restored Assembly is petition of concern reform, says Armstrong

Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong has said the only way any restored Assembly will be sustainable is to reform the petition of concern (POC) mechanism. The Strangford MLA said abuse of the veto had “significantly contributed” to the current political deadlock but despite previous Alliance attempts to secure reform, it was still the major issue blocking […]

Bradshaw seeks Department meeting following hyponatraemia inquiry

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has said she will be seeking a meeting with the Department of Health after an inquiry found a number of child deaths in local hospitals were avoidable. The inquiry into five hyponatraemia-related deaths in Northern Ireland hospitals found four of them were preventable. The inquiry was set up in […]

Lack of compensation for abuse victims underlines need for Executive, says Bradshaw

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw has said the lack of movement on obtaining compensation for the victims and survivors of institutional abuse underlines the need for the restoration of the Executive. South Belfast MLA Ms Bradshaw was speaking following a briefing from the Executive Office on the implementation of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry findings, which […]