Cochrane: Thales contract will help secure jobs in East Belfast

Alliance East Belfast MLA, Judith Cochrane, has said a £100million contract for Thales to supply missile and air defence technology to Indonesia, will help secure jobs at their East Belfast site. Judith Cochrane MLA said: “This contract will help secure jobs at Thales’ East Belfast site. “It shows that Northern Ireland can play a part […]

Alliance will continue fight for Priory new build

Alliance North Down MLA Stephen Farry and Holywood Councillor Andrew Muir have stressed their continued commitment to secure a new build of Priory Integrated College, after the Education Minister again missed an opportunity to give certainty on the future of the school during his latest Assembly statement on secondary education in the Greater Belfast area. […]

Long welcomes guilty pleas in animal cruelty case

East Belfast MP Naomi Long has welcomed the guilty pleas of four local men who today (Tuesday) admitted animal cruelty charges. Alliance MP Mrs Long was speaking after Jeremiah Kirkwood, his sons Chris and Wayne, all of Island Street, and Jamie Morrow of McAllister Court in the east of the city all confessed their guilt […]

Alliance representatives comment on future of East Belfast schools

Alliance representatives, Naomi Long MP, Judith Cochrane MLA and Chris Lyttle MLA, have responded to the statement by the Education Minister on the future of several schools in East Belfast. Orangefield High School will be closed but Dundonald High School will be kept open. Newtownbreda and Knockbreda High Schools will be amalgamated. Enrolment at Ashfield […]

Lyttle welcomes Alliance Minister’s commitment to apprenticeships

Alliance DEL spokesperson Chris Lyttle has applauded his colleague, Minister Stephen Farry, after the DEL Minister announced a blueprint outlining the biggest change to the apprenticeship system for over 20 years. Welcoming the 32 new proposals and the official launch of a 12 week consultation, Mr Lyttle added the announcement proved Alliance was delivering real […]

Lo criticises European funding dispute

Alliance Environment spokesperson, Anna Lo MLA, has criticised the dispute between Executive Ministers over EU agricultural funding. The Agriculture Minister had sought to transfer 7% of Common Agricultural Policy funding from pillar I for direct payments to farmers, to pillar II that funded the rural development programme. However, the Finance Minister took the issue to […]

McCarthy expresses condolences following road death

Alliance Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy has expressed his condolences following the death of a 44 year old man in a road accident on the Ballygowan Road in Saintfield on Monday morning. No other vehicle was involved. Kieran McCarthy MLA said: “I was very saddened to hear that another life has been lost on our roads. […]

Alliance says time-limited and independently-chaired mechanism needed to implement Haass

Alliance East Belfast MLA, Chris Lyttle, has called for the urgent implementation of the Haass proposals on the past, while a time-limited, independently-chaired mechanism should be used to reach agreement between the parties on the outstanding issues on parades and flags. Chris will propose an amendment during an Assembly debate on Monday on the Haass […]

Hendron criticises parade organisers for breaking Parades Commission ruling

Alliance Belfast Council Group Leader, Cllr Maire Hendron, has criticised the organisers of a loyalist parade for breaking a Parades Commission determination which said that Saturday’s parade had to depart Belfast City Hall by noon. The parade departed over one hour late. Cllr Maire Hendron said: “By breaking the lawful determination of the Parades Commission, […]

Lunn: Education Minister should be advancing integrated education

Alliance Education spokesperson Trevor Lunn MLA has said the Education Minister should put more time and effort into advancing integrated education, after a scheme to advance shared education campuses in Northern Ireland opened. Trevor Lunn MLA said: “I do not understand the refusal of the Education Minister to give the integrated education sector the same […]