Other News In Brief

NI Construction Sector To Receive Additional Funding

The Finance Minister today met with representatives of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to discuss the Executive’s capital investment plans.

Sammy Wilson said: "Following yesterday's announcement by the Executive about further investment for our construction sector, today’s meeting gave me the opportunity to reassure the CBI delegation that the Executive remains fully committed to delivering investment in our infrastructure.

"The actions taken by the Executive during the monitoring rounds in this financial year demonstrates that commitment. We re-allocated significant funding towards roads and schools maintenance, helping first time buyers and improving the Housing Executive stock. In fact, expenditure on roads maintenance in this financial year, at more than £111million, will now be the highest on record."

Plans For Nursery Unit Declined

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has turned down the establishment of a statutory nursery unit at Cranmore Integrated Primary School. 
Explaining the reasons for his decision the Minister commented: “My views on the value of pre-school provision for young children are well known. Each development proposal for the establishment of new provision must, however, be carefully considered on the basis of all the information pertinent to the individual case.
“It is my Department’s policy not to displace good quality pre-school provision already in existence with pre-school provision in an alternative setting. In this instance, there is already a voluntary pre-school in operation on site and this proposal would only have resulted in the creation of an additional two pre-school places.”

Children’s Hospice Plays Vital Role In Caring For Families 



Health Minister Edwin Poots has commended the dedication and commitment to the welfare of children, shown by staff at the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The Minister was speaking as he visited the Children’s Hospice at Horizon House in Newtownabbey. The purpose-built facility comprises a ten-bedded unit with accommodation for up to six accompanying families. Both respite and palliative care for children is provided by a nurse-led multi-disciplinary team supported by local GPs.

The Health Minister was given a tour of Horizon House, where he met with parents, children and staff, to see at first hand the services provided for life limited children and their families. He said: "The needs of life limited children vary enormously. Respite care for these children enables families to get a break from the otherwise continuous responsibility of providing care to children, many of whom have rare and complex medical conditions."

The Minister said that good palliative and end of life care is vital to families with children with life limiting conditions.