Other News In Brief

Infrastructure Minister Commits To Irish Language On Public Services

Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has pledged his continuing support for the promotion of the Irish language on public services.

Speaking after a meeting with Conradh na Gaeilge the Minister said: "I want to see more visibility and promotion of Irish Language across public services and in our society. The bi-lingual display of passenger information on Glider and Metro services by Translink is a positive initiative.

"My Department has in place a long-standing policy guide for the Irish Language which was developed under the European Charter for Regional Minority Languages and is reviewed annually. This Charter also applies to all public authorities. I encourage them to live up to their obligations under this Charter by promoting Irish and other minority languages. And the recently passed Identity and Language Act which recognises Irish as an official language.

"I am committed to advancing the Irish language within my remit. So, I have asked officials to develop proposals for a project that would see the use of multi-lingual traffic signs piloted in the Gaeltacht Quarter in Belfast, which is a growing and thriving Irish language community.

"Departments and public bodies all have a role to play in supporting and promoting the use of the Irish language. I accept there is more we can do, and I pledge to continue to promote the Irish language as widely as possible."

Childcare Support Must Be 'Urgent Ad Ambitious' – Alliance

Any interim support for childcare must be urgent, ambitious, and lay foundations for transformation, Alliance Early Years and Childcare spokesperson Kate Nicholl MLA has said.

Following a meeting of the Assembly Education Committee, the Education Minister stated that he hoped to bring forward interim support measures for childcare shortly after Easter.

Ms Nicholl has welcomed this commitment from the Minister, but has expressed concerns at the lack of urgency from the Department.

The South Belfast MLA has said: "The lack of urgency from the Education Minister in developing immediate measures to support childcare providers and parents has been extremely disappointing so far. I welcome the commitment of the Minister to act soon, but it is frankly not fast enough, and I am concerned that it also won't go far enough.

"An Employers for Childcare survey published last week revealed that 73% of providers have either increased their fees to parents since the start of 2024, or plan to do so before the end of June. The same survey also revealed that 46% of childcare providers described their financial situation as 'struggling' or 'distressed'.

"These statistics highlight the sheer scale of this long-running crisis in childcare for both parents and providers, adding additional costs to an already unaffordable bill for parents and putting our whole childcare sector at risk of collapse. The Melted Parents survey results released on 22 March echoed these concerns ,with heart-breaking stories from parents and deep concerns about rising costs.

"I also urged the Minister to not conflate the expansion of pre-school with delivering on childcare. While both elements will likely form part of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategy, it is imperative that he understands the difference between the standardisation of pre-school and the delivery of childcare support, something he accepted following my question on the issue.

"The Minister must now live up to his commitment to prioritise the development of both interim support measures and the long-term transformation of childcare. Time and patience are fast running out and I will continue to push for the most ambitious and sustainable interim support measures."

29-Year-Old Man Extradited To The US For Murder Trial

A 29-year-old man has been extradited to the United States of America to stand trial for murder.

The PSNI's International Policing Unit worked in partnership with US authorities and the US Marshall Service.

Detective Inspector Lennon from the International Policing Unit said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland continues to work with our international partners and will use all means available to ensure offenders are brought to justice. If fugitives travel to Northern Ireland to avoid the consequences of their previous crimes it is only a matter of time before they are arrested and brought before the Extradition Courts.

"Our message is clear that we will relentlessly pursue those that are trying to delay or deny justice to victims of crime."