O’Lynn offers condolences after road death

Alliance activist Patricia O’Lynn has offered her condolences after the death of a 57-year-old man in a road accident near Ballymena. The crash happened on the A26 Crankill Road, at its junction with the Kildowney Road, at around 6.30pm on Tuesday night. The man has not yet been named. Ms O’Lynn said: “My thoughts and […]

Concerns rising over Departmental failure to plan around nursing shortage

Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw has warned that concerns are rising the Department of Health has not prepared adequately to address ongoing nursing shortages – and again demanded a Health Minister be put in place to take action. The South Belfast MLA cautioned: “I wrote to the Department earlier this month to ask what its […]

Minister needed to secure Health transformation and pay – Bradshaw

Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw has welcomed the Civil Service’s request for extra Health money, but noted it cannot be spent where it is needed without a Minister in place. The South Belfast MLA stated: “Clearly any proposed uplift in health spending at this juncture is welcome, so that we can at least try to […]

Armstrong welcomes sale of water works to NI Water

Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong has welcomed news NI Water has acquired Kelda Water Services interests locally, adding the move should bring a greater confidence in water quality across Northern Ireland. The move will bring back in NI Water ownership of all clean water production in Northern Ireland. Kellie Armstrong MLA, Alliance Party Infrastructure Spokesperson, said: […]

Alliance publishes ‘Bridges not Borders’ Paper on NI in Single Market

The Alliance Party has today published Bridges not Borders: Northern Ireland in the Single Market, with the party maintaining that this is the best route to not only protect the regional economy but to provide opportunities in the future. In the paper Alliance argues that the UK and EU Single Markets are not mutually exclusive […]

Bradshaw welcomes recommendation to ban vaginal mesh operations in England

Paula Bradshaw MLA, Alliance Party Health spokesperson, has welcomed the recommendation from NICE that vaginal mesh operations should be banned from treating organ prolapse in England. She said, “I have recently written to the Health & Social Care Board concerning an on-going audit of mesh procedures in Northern Ireland, and will now be writing again […]

Armitage appeals for information after attempted murder

Alliance Councillor David Armitage has appealed for information following an attempted murder in East Belfast. Police forced entry to a property in Lendrick Street off the lower Newtownards Road around 8.30am this morning (Sunday) and detained a 47-year-old man, who was then arrested on suspicion of the offence. A 39-year-old man was taken to hospital […]

Community and voluntary sector funding confirmed to Armstrong

Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong has received confirmation £200,000 is to be released to the community and voluntary sector from the Volunteering Small Grants Programme. The scheme, which provides support to volunteer organisations, was not allocated any funding for the present financial year. However, Strangford MLA Ms Armstrong has now received a letter from the Permanent […]

Nicholl welcomes consultation on Sunday trading hours, licensing hours and casino complex

Alliance Councillor Kate Nicholl has welcomed a 12-week consultation to look at Sunday trading hours, licensing and a potential casino complex for Belfast. At today’s Belfast City Council Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, Councillors voted to put the issue out to consultation, with ratepayers encouraged to give their views via a questionnaire which will be […]

Lyttle says attempted dog poisoning reckless act of animal cruelty

Alliance East Belfast MLA Chris Lyttle has said incidents of attempted dog poisoning on the Comber Greenway are “disgustingly reckless acts of animal cruelty”. Belfast City Council has said it is aware of dog food sprayed with anti-freeze being left on the stretch of greenway in East Belfast, with at least one dog believed to […]