Other News In Brief

South Antrim Community Transport Receives New Electric Bus

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has visited South Antrim Community Transport to welcome the delivery of their new electric bus, which has been purchased through her department's Blue/Green Fund.

South Antrim are one of 13 Community Transport operators who will receive a new electric bus as part of an overall capital investment of £1.36million. Their vehicle is the first to be operational and it is anticipated that the remaining buses will enter service by March 2022.

Minister Mallon said: "I recognise the important contribution that community transport makes in complementing the wider public transport network, helping connect communities and ensuring that some of the most vulnerable people in our society are able to access essential local services and more actively participate in society.

"I also want to acknowledge the role that Community Transport Operators have played during the pandemic. In the initial COVID response, they transitioned their services from passenger transport to delivery of food, groceries and medicines. As the vaccines were rolled out they also ensured that many people without access to transport were able to get to their Covid Vaccination appointments."

Continuing Minister Mallon said: "I was delighted to visit South Antrim Community Transport to hear about the work they do within their local community and to celebrate the arrival of their new electric bus which will help them to continue to provide those vital services.

"I am committed to delivering cleaner, greener, sustainable infrastructure. This £1.36m pilot project to provide 13 electric vehicles aims to reduce carbon emissions, increase community awareness of zero emission vehicles and allow us to evaluate the use of electric vehicles in the context of community transport.

"These are the changes we need to see to help us tackle the climate crisis and contribute to better health outcomes for all our population. I will continue to make positive steps to support cleaner, greener travel."

Bracky Bridge Replacement Scheme Completed

A £260,000 project to replace the Bracky Bridge on Dreenan Road in Omagh has been completed, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has announced.

Welcoming completion of the scheme, Minister Mallon said: "It is great to see work completed on the bridge and I am pleased to say that it will officially open again to road users on Monday 20 December 2021.

"This significant investment to replace the bridge will benefit everyone who uses it. I would like to thank the public and especially the local community for their patience and co-operation while the bridge was closed.

"The new bridge is a single span reinforced concrete structure with masonry parapets. The construction of the new bridge presented an opportunity to build a wider structure with improved road safety standards and also afforded the opportunity to improve river flow through the structure to reduce the likelihood of flood damage in the future."

Draft Advance Care Planning Policy Consultation

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced a new consultation on the draft Advance Care Planning Policy for adults in Northern Ireland.

Advance Care Planning is an umbrella term covering personal, legal, clinical, and financial planning. It enables a person to think about what is important to them and plan for their future. It will encourage people to have conversations about things such as making a will, their online accounts and who will care for their dependents or look after their pets if they are no longer able to do this for themselves.  

The draft policy provides a framework for adults (aged 18 years and over), to have greater choice and control over decisions, including plans for their future care and treatment. 

Launching the consultation Minister Swann said: "Advance Care Planning should be an important part of life for all adults. A critical part of this is thinking about the things that matter to us and having conversations about our wishes, feelings, beliefs, values and preferences for our future, including future care and treatment.

"Having these conversations may seem difficult, but in reality they are among the most essential and worthwhile conversations a person can have. It can make a real difference to the person themselves and to those important to them.

"I would encourage everyone to consider the draft policy and make your views known as part of this consultation process."

A wide-ranging stakeholder engagement process was undertaken to inform the development of the policy and increase knowledge and understanding of Advance Care Planning.

Acknowledging the contributions of all those who supported the development of the policy, Corrina Grimes, Regional Advance Care Planning Lead said: "The development of this draft policy has been through extensive conversations, discussions and input from a significant number of people.

"These included interested members of the public, those who work in Health and Social Care, or statutory organisations, as well as input from the community and voluntary sector and academia.

"Often we heard a shared lived experience of when people had planned ahead, and how that had alleviated anxiety for both the person and those important to them with the reassurance that their care, treatment and other wishes were known. Sadly there was also the shared experiences of people who hadn’t had conversations, and how that had added to distress in times of already immense emotions."

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Michael McBride, said: "Throughout the stakeholder engagement, there has been a clear message that people recognise the importance of Advance Care Planning. The ambition of the policy is that all adults have regular opportunities to express their wishes, feelings, beliefs and values and that these are reflected in the care, support or treatment they receive."

The consultation will close at 5pm on 11 March 2022.