Other News In Brief

UUP Renews Call For Multi-Agency Approach For Lough Neagh Solution

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) have renewed their call for a new multi-agency approach to improving water quality and ensuring future sustainability of Lough Neagh.

UUP Environment spokesperson, Tom Elliott, said: "It is important that a management task force is in place for Lough Neagh. This should have input from all stakeholders to ensure that ongoing issues on the Lough are monitored, managed and future plans put in place.

"A number of initiatives have either been put in place or are planned to help improve the water quality in Lough Neagh. While these plans are very welcome there are other aspects that may have greater positive impacts, like improved Anaerobic Digestion processes and woodland buffer zones.

"Now that there is some momentum within interested groups, this impetus should be progressed through a multi-agency approach, with a management task force dedicating time and efforts to the overall control of Lough Neagh."

Executive Needed To Resolve Health Sector Issues – Alliance

Alliance has called for the urgent restoration of the Executive to resolve the pay and conditions issues in the health sector in the interests of staff themselves and of patient safety.

South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw and East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly said they shared the discontent of health and social care workers currently on strike over pay and conditions.

Ms Bradshaw said: "The word they use to me is devalued – they feel devalued by authorities, and not least by a political system, which does not respond to the obvious need for improved pay and conditions in the interests not just of the staff themselves but also of patient safety.

"It is simply not reasonable to ask workers to continue tolerating markedly lower pay and markedly poorer conditions than their colleagues elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, not least since the option of moving to another jurisdiction or to a different sector is so obviously open to them. It is long past time we all showed how much value we place on those working in our health service by prioritising them and the patients they care for.

"If parties are not willing to restore the Executive even in this obvious healthcare emergency with the winter months still ahead of us, it is time for the UK Government to step in and reform the system so those who do not wish to govern can go into opposition rather than stall the whole thing."

Mr Donnelly added: "This is not just a matter of improved pay and conditions for a particular sector, essential though they are.

"It is also a matter of patient safety – we must have health staff who are properly valued, properly rested and properly compensated. Without them, we will struggle to retain and recruit and we will struggle to provide the standards of care patients need and deserve.

"The first thing we expect an incoming Health Minister to do is to introduce safe staffing legislation, providing a statutory guarantee of improved and reasonable pay and conditions, so workers here are not disadvantaged versus colleagues elsewhere."

DUP Announce Cheryl Brownlee As New MLA For East Antrim

The DUP has announced Cheryl Brownlee as their new MLA for East Antrim, replacing David Hilditch who stood down from the Assembly last week due to ill health.

Welcoming the new MLA, DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: "I am delighted that Cheryl will be our new East Antrim MLA. Over nearly 10 years as a Councillor Cheryl has represented the people of Carrickfergus with enthusiasm and energy. Having worked alongside David Hilditch in his constituency office she knows the issues facing people on the ground across East Antrim.

"I know Cheryl has always been driven by a desire to help the community she comes from and represents, whether as an elected representative or as an on-call firefighter. She is part of a new generation of DUP representatives coming through our ranks and will be a very valuable part of our Assembly team."

Cheryl Brownlee said: "I am pleased and honoured to take up a new role as MLA for East Antrim. I want to continue the tradition of hard work and delivery set down by David Hilditch over many years and to see this area grow and prosper. I want to thank Sir Jeffrey and the wider party for their trust and support and I look forward to representing all the people of East Antrim."