Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson has said his party reluctantly voted for Westminster to implement welfare changes but it would have preferred to delay the vote on the issue. Mr Dickson, speaking during an Assembly sitting to discuss the matter today (Wednesday), said the ‘Fresh Start’ deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein was a sticking […]
Alliance Leader David Ford MLA has said today’s ‘Fresh Start’ deal is another false dawn for victims after issues relating to the past were left unresolved. Mr Ford said the deal didn’t offer the real change required to transform society, saying the failure to agree a deal on the past was a moral and political […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has said we should stand together with the people of Paris following the terrorist attacks there on Friday. Speaking during a Matter of the Day in the Assembly today after the attacks which saw 129 killed and 352 injured, Mr Ford each person had a “unity of purpose” to protect human […]
Alliance Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown has said it is important we show solidarity with Paris, ahead of Belfast City Hall being lit in French colours tonight (Saturday). The move by Belfast City Council comes after the attack in the French capital yesterday, which saw at least 128 people killed in a series of shootings and bomb […]
Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has said he hopes the Environment Minister will now drop a controversial Bill about animal snares after he withdrew it following public pressure. East Belfast MLA Mr Lyttle was speaking after Mark H Durkan said he did not intend on taking forward the Snares Order (Northern Ireland) 2015. It would have […]
Alliance Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry has launched a new tool designed to estimate the future skills needed in Northern Ireland for the next decade. Dr Farry revealed the Skills Barometer today (Thursday), which will provide a clear indication of current and future skills issues for the local economy until 2025, bringing a level […]
Alliance East Belfast MLA Judith Cochrane has welcomed the lighting of Parliament Buildings in red to mark Armistice Day for the first time. Earlier this year, Mrs Cochrane succeeded in getting consensus from the Assembly Commission, on which she sits, to have the Stormont building lit on significant dates throughout the year. As well as […]
Chris Lyttle MLA has said the First Minister and deputy First Minister are “treating their Assembly Committee with disdain” after it was revealed neither had attended its meetings for over a year. The Alliance MLA said the non-appearance of either Peter Robinson or Martin McGuinness at the Office of the First Minister and deputy First […]
Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson has said “it has been a bad day for East Antrim” after Caterpillar NI announced it was to lay-off 100 staff. The move comes only hours after Schrader Electronics in Carrickfergus revealed 42 temporary employees would be released before the end of the year. In a statement, Caterpillar NI said current […]
Alliance is working hard to ensure a housing development in Newtownabbey thrives as the shared space it was designed to be, Councillor Billy Webb and Councillor Nuala McAllister have said. Speaking after sectarian graffiti was daubed on a wall close to the Felden development on the Mill Road, Councillor Billy Webb added work was already […]