Other News In Brief

Woman Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A woman has been convicted for claiming benefits she was not entitled to at Belfast Crown Court.

Catriona Gorman claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £45,715 while failing to declare she was living with her partner. She was given a 15 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

She is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

Work On Strangford Slipway Almost Complete

Significant progress has been made on the development of a new slipway on the Strangford Ferry.

The ferry service, which has been operating from a temporary slipway during construction, will return to the newly constructed £750,000 slipway at the end of March.

Transport Minister Michelle McIlveen said: "I am very pleased to see the excellent progress made by contractor Dawson WAM on this very challenging project and, in particular, the efforts made to minimise disruption and inconvenience to local residents, harbour users and ferry passengers.

"The Strangford Ferry service is an important transport link in the local economy carrying commuters, tourists and many schoolchildren to and from school. The investment to upgrade infrastructure in Strangford and the provision of a new vehicle ferry will bring a significant service enhancement to the 550,000 passengers and 180,000 who travel each year."

Eastwood Offers Condolences To People In Brussels

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood has expressed his solidarity with the people of Belgium following a number of explosions in Brussels on Tuesday.

Mr Eastwood also expressed his deep sympathy following the death of a significant number of civilians in the blasts at Zaventem airport and Maalbeek metro station.

He said: "The scenes we're witnessing from Brussels this morning are deeply shocking. The attacks on civilian transport networks were clearly a calculated attempt to cause maximum devastation. It is absolutely sickening.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Brussels today. The final death toll remains unknown but the loss of even one innocent represents an attack on all of us, across Europe, committed to the key value of the European project – peace. The people of Ireland and Belgium are bound together by our unyielding common commitment to that peace for people across our continent, regardless of national identity."

(CD/LM)