SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has called on the Secretary of State for Health to introduce BRCA testing for ovarian cancer and for the Health Ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland to do the same. Her call comes after Target Ovarian Cancer’s statement that women in Northern Ireland have the worst survival rates in […]
Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has welcomed plans to reform Social Housing Rent Policy and has called on DSD Minister Mervyn Storey to ensure fairness for tenants currently facing out of control service charges. Speaking in the Assembly on the need to curtail excessive charges, Hazzard said, “Throughout South Down we are seeing unrealistic hikes […]
Vice Chair of the Assembly Finance Committee and SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh Dominic Bradley has called for the British Government to end ‘the culture of secrecy’ surrounding allocations to the devolved nations and allow each administration to fully scrutinise Barnett calculations. He said, “The SDLP has called for an ambitious programme of investment […]
Education Minister John O’Dowd has cut the first sod on a £1.55million classroom extension at Rathore School, Newry. The new extension will replace the current temporary accommodation, providing children with new facilities including five new classrooms and a post-16 suite as well as a parent meeting room and increased ancillary facilities. Speaking about the investment […]
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has issued a strong safety warning to communities to keep bonfires a safe distance from overhead lines and substations. An NIE spokesperson said, “In recent years, bonfires have been erected under or close to high voltage electricity lines. “This is a very dangerous practice as the smoke and heat from bonfires […]
Sinn Féin MLA Caitriona Ruane has said that she was delighted to be invited to take part in the 4th Annual European Conference on Politics and Gender held in Sweden. Ruane said, “The 4th Annual European Conference on Politics and Gender was held in Uppsala Sweden between the 11th and 13th June and I was […]
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are on the rise in Northern Ireland, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is launching a major new campaign aimed at improving and protecting people’s sexual health and wellbeing. Northern Ireland had the largest proportional increase in new HIV diagnoses anywhere in the UK between 2000-2013, and the overall number of […]
SDLP Culture, Arts and Leisure Spokesperson Karen McKevitt has welcomed a report by the Arts Council on Local Authority Expenditure which details the level of spend from each council area on the Arts. McKevitt said that councils must do all they can to stimulate the arts and creative industries in order to attract investment. She […]
SDLP Deputy Mayor of Newry, Mourne and Down Council Gillian Fitzpatrick has condemned an attempted arson which took place in Newry on Monday night. Police are investigating an attack on a flat on Cleary Crescent where flammable liquid was poured on the front door of the flat and set alight. Gillian said, “This kind of […]
A Newry golfer will have no excuse for missing his next tee-time after winning a limited-edition BOSS watch for achieving a hole-in-one. Shane Hollywood, 27, scored his ace on the 219-yard, par-three first at Greenore GC, and the two-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive BOSS Watches H1Club and a specially-commissioned, commemorative timepiece. The […]
