Armstrong saddened by Ards road tragedy

Alliance Councillor Kellie Armstrong has expressed her sadness after a six-year-old boy was killed after being stuck by a car in Newtownards. The incident happened on Scrabo Road on Wednesday afternoon. Councillor Kellie Armstrong said: “Today our community is waking up under a dark cloud, as news of this tragic accident spreads. “The death of […]

45 graduates employed proves Academy Model a success – Farry

Alliance Minister Stephen Farry has again placed a focus on enhancing the skills of unemployed graduates, launching the fourth Alexander Mann Solutions Recruitment Academy. The Employment and Learning Minister announced plans for 20 participants to take part in the latest project, providing them with the skills, knowledge and experience required to secure available opportunities with […]

Council team promote openness and transparency

The Alliance Party has continued to uphold openness and transparency on Belfast City Council, with all Councillors having submitted their declaration of interest forms for 2015. Placing increased transparency at the centre of everything they do, the group revealed all Alliance Councillors kept the forms up to date – as it emerged half of Belfast […]

Alliance votes against Budget

Alliance has voted against the latest Stormont budget, with MLA Trevor Lunn stating the proposals were not strategic enough to help fix Northern Ireland’s finances. The move followed Alliance Ministers David Ford and Stephen Farry voting against the proposals at the Executive last month, pointing out areas of waste and duplication throughout the document in […]

Lunn hails schools’ transfer test move

Alliance Education spokesperson Trevor Lunn has welcomed two Omagh grammar schools’ removal of academic selection for the intake of new pupils. Christian Brothers’ School and Loreto Grammar will propose the change to the Education Authority, with the aim of having no academic selection for year eight intake by September 2017. Mr Lunn said it was […]

Alliance petition to save Cairn Wood goes directly to the Minister

Alliance Councillor Andrew Muir has taken the campaign to save Cairn Wood from sale to the Assembly. With his petition calling on the DRD Minister Michele McIIveen to remove Cairn Wood from sale gathering over 2,500 signatures, Councillor Muir made sure local voices were heard as the campaign to save the much treasured local resource […]

McCarthy says Fire Service provides vital frontline service

Alliance MLA Kieran McCarthy has said the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) provides a vital frontline service, during an Assembly motion on threats to its budget. Mr McCarthy was speaking during the motion, where he and Alliance supported an amendment seeking Executive approval to ring-fence the NIFRS budget, consistent with frontline service function. […]

Lo welcomes Minister’s refugee English lessons move

Alliance MLA Anna Lo has welcomed an announcement by a Stormont Minister to offer free English lessons to refugees. Alliance Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry announced the plans following the arrival of the first group of Syrian refugees to Northern Ireland last month. He said the language classes would help people settling here to […]

Council backs Muir’s plans to halt Cairn Wood sale

Alliance Councillor Andrew Muir has secured the support of Ards and North Down Borough Council as part of his on-going campaign against the sale of Cairn Wood Forest. Councillors united behind Councillor Muir’s motion at the Corporate Services Committee, urging DRD Minister Michele McIIveen to immediately instruct NI Water to remove Cairn Wood from sale, […]