McDonough Brown: New plans will address student housing need

A new development in South Belfast is set to improve the city’s student accommodation offer, Councillor Emmet McDonough Brown has said, after plans were given the green light at Belfast City Council’s planning committee. The new purpose-built managed student accommodation – located on one of South Belfast’s main arterial routes – will see 156 studio […]

Redress move by victims and survivors welcomed by Lyttle

Alliance OFMDFM spokesperson Chris Lyttle has welcomed a move by victims and survivors of historic child abuse to seek redress from the Executive. The East Belfast MLA was speaking as various groups launched a report, entitled What Survivors Want from Redress, today (Tuesday) at an event in Parliament Buildings. It seeks a comprehensive redress system, […]

Boyle welcomes World Social Work Day

Yvonne Boyle, Alliance Assembly Candidate for East Londonderry, has attended the NI Association of Social Workers World Social Work Day celebration at Belfast Castle. Speaking before the event, Ms Boyle, a recently retired WHSCT Social Worker, said: “There has never been a more important time to ‘stand up for social work’. Social Workers are a […]

Lyttle gives sympathy following death of prison officer

Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has given his sympathy following the death of the prisoner officer attacked by dissident republicans in East Belfast almost two weeks ago. The officer had been the target of an explosive device attached to his vehicle in East Belfast on March 4. He passed away today (Tuesday) in hospital. “My deepest […]

Lyttle condemns serious sexual assault

Alliance East Belfast MLA Chris Lyttle has condemned a serious sexual assault in the Sydenham Bypass area. Police announced they are investigating reports of the assault, after a woman reported she was attacked by a man on Saturday evening between 10pm and 11pm. The man approached the woman, who was walking country-bound along the Sydenham […]

New Commissioner for Older People welcomed by Lyttle

Alliance Older Persons spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has welcomed the appointment of a new Commissioner for Older People. The East Belfast MLA and Deputy Chair of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) was speaking following the unveiling of Eddie Lynch in the role, which is designed to […]

Farry: Report confirms cost of division is major challenge

Alliance MLA Stephen Farry has responded to the publication by the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre of a report into the cost of division, which reveals that hundreds of millions of pounds of public expenditure are tied up in managing the unaddressed divisions in our society. Following the report – Cost of Division, a Benchmark […]

Dickson: DOE mistake led to permission for drilling project

Alliance East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson has said a mistake by the Department of the Environment (DOE) leading to permission being granted for a controversial local oil drilling project has shown the pressing need for an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mr Dickson was speaking after it was revealed the DOE did not reply to […]

Lunn and Dickson hope for FFA movement at Executive meeting

Alliance MLAs Trevor Lunn and Stewart Dickson have said they hope tomorrow’s meeting of the Executive will produce movement on the working group on the issue of terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormality (FFA). Speaking ahead of the Executive meeting, the Alliance MLAs said they believed Health Minister Simon Hamilton had delayed long enough […]