Alliance Leader David Ford has said that the current crisis in the Stormont Executive is deepening with every day they fail to meet. The Executive has not met since 19 June, and today it became apparent that it will not meet again until September. David Ford said: “This crisis is deepening by the day. It […]
Alliance Party Executive Director Gerry Lynch has confirmed with staff in Hansard that Iris Robinson was correctly quoted as saying “There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children” at the Northern Ireland Grand Committee on 17th June. Gerry Lynch said: “We have checked this matter with Hansard. […]
Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy MLA has expressed shock that knife crime has increased by 10% between last year and the previous year. His comments come as the PSNI launched a campaign to crack down on the problem in Northern Ireland. Kieran McCarthy MLA stated: “I am deeply disturbed that knife crime has increased by […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has hit out at the Stormont Executive for their failure to meet since the 19 June. He said this meant that the country’s decision makers are effectively doing no work. David Ford said: “The Executive is in crisis. Why has it not met since the middle of June? There are many […]
Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA has blasted Iris Robinson’s comments on gay people and said she should retract them immediately. Mrs Robinson made the comments at Westminster in a debate on the management of sex offenders. Naomi Long MLA said: “Iris Robinson’s comments show a complete lack of responsibility. Such remarks are both inflammatory […]
Alliance Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has re-iterated his call to the Health Minster to improve services for people with mental health needs and learning disabilities by speedily implementing the findings of the Bamford Review. Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy said: “The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey must commit to a full timetable for progress in implementing […]
Alliance Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has welcomed news that the European Court of Justice has ruled that carers should have the same rights against employment discrimination as a person with a disability. The Court ruled that it is not only illegal to discriminate because of age or disability, but also to discriminate because of […]
North Down Alliance Party MLA, Stephen Farry, has spoken out against comments made by DUP MLA, Iris Robinson, on the Nolan Show today when she called for government to work on the basis of ‘God’s law’. Stephen Farry stated: “This is yet another embarrassing gaffe from Iris Robinson. At a time, when Northern Ireland is […]
Alliance Sustainability Spokesperson Alan Lawther has expressed anger that yet another fish kill has occurred – the second of the week. He said that incidents like these show why Northern Ireland needs a strong independent environmental protection agency. The latest fish kill took place in the River Blackwater in County Tyrone and another was reported […]
Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin today called for urgent action to combat the upward trend of first year students dropping out of university. The Lagan Valley representative was responding to Higher Education Statistics Agency figures, which showed that 15.2% of University of Ulster students and 7.5% of Queen’s students do not make it into their […]