Other News In Brief

Seeley Will Not Be Standing In Next NI Assembly Election

Sinn Féin MLA Catherine Seeley will not be standing in the next Assembly election in NI.

Leader of the party Gerry Adams TD wished her well for the future.

He said: "In her relatively short time as a public representative Catherine has made a real difference, first as a Councillor and then as a MLA.

"She has now decided to return to teaching and I wish her well in that.

"Catherine is a committed Sinn Féin activist. She will continue to play a full part in the party, including as an election agent."

£3.7m To Be Invested In Lisburn

A total of £3.7 million is to be invested to improve developments and streets in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

The scheme aims to improve the linkages and connectivity between key developments including Castle Gardens, Market Square and Bow Street Mall. Features include upgrading the footpaths, lighting and street furniture on the surrounding streets.

The Department for Communities is investing approximately £2m in the project, with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council investing a further £1.7m.

The Lisburn Linkages project will include Bridge Street, Antrim Street, Railway Street, Castle Street, Seymour Street, Bachelor's Walk and Market Place.

Doran HMK JV has been appointed to manage the project on behalf of the Council.

Work is expected to commence in the summer and completed by 2018.

Call for Speaker To Step Aside

Speaking ahead of the motion of no confidence in the Speaker, the SDLP is calling for Mr Robin Newton to step aside.

North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon said: "The Office of the Speaker is a source of authority in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and should be impartial. However, Mr Newton has undermined that authority on various occasions since he took up his role as Speaker.

"On multiple occasions over the last couple of months, I submitted Urgent Oral Questions of legitimate public interest to the Speaker's Office surrounding Charter NI. Mr Newton refused to accept the first of these – which we now know was due to a conflict of interest, a conflict which still remains.

"In making the decision to allow the First Minister to speak on the 19th December, the Speaker allowed the principles of power-sharing to be undermined. In allowing this statement to go ahead, Mr Newton set himself against one of the fundamental tenets of power sharing.

"In the letter that the Speaker circulated on Friday night, Mr Newton attempted to pin the blame on others to save himself. This letter was selective and self-serving.

"The SDLP wrote to the Speaker before Christmas asking him to step down, and as he did not heed these calls from ourselves, or from any other party, we have now found ourselves in the position of having to call for his resignation on the floor of the Assembly via the motion."

(CD)