Other News In Brief

Lack Of Executive Contributed To State Of NI Roads – SDLP

The SDLP have said that the lack of an Executive has contributed to the state of Northern Ireland's roads.

Opposition Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan was speaking after it was revealed the Department for Infrastructure have paid out over £25m in public liability claims over the past five years.

Mr Durkan said that the department's budget has been hampered by a lack of monitoring rounds at Stormont.

Foyle MLA Mr Durkan said: "There has been a massive deterioration in our roads over the past few years. Potholes have become all too common, with the same places requiring repair again and again, with budgetary pressures leading to temporary rather than permanent solutions. Everyone is aghast at the state of our roads, with many of us suffering damage to our vehicles and it's no surprise that compensation claims have gone through the roof as a result.

"I sympathise with the financial position of the department, but we cannot encourage a system where it is easier to pay out to those affected than to fix the problems on our roads. This situation has been compounded by the lack of an Executive and Assembly for five of the past seven years, with DfI traditionally relying on Executive monitoring rounds to top up its budget through left-over capital funding from other departments.

"The state of our roads is not only a concern from a compensation point of view, large potholes and other obstructions make the risk of an accident much more likely, leaving motorists and other road users at greater risk. Until the Executive and Infrastructure Minister properly address these issues, we are going to see compensation claims taking a chunk out of an already tight DfI budget. The SDLP Opposition will continue pushing for proper road maintenance and care to keep motorists and their vehicles safe and free from damage."

Economy Minster Welcomes Appointment Of New Permanent Secretary

Economy Minister Conor Murphy has welcomed the appointment of Ian Snowden to the position of Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Economy (DfE).

Mr Snowden has been interim Permanent Secretary at DfE since late December last year. Following a recruitment competition he was successful in securing the role on a permanent basis.

Minister Murphy said: "Ian is a very distinguished civil servant, with many years of experience in driving forward policy and key projects across a number of government Departments. This experience will be an invaluable asset to my Department.

"I congratulate him on his appointment and look forward to working with him on implementing my economic vision."

Alliance Welcomes News GPs To Offer Vasectomy Services

The Alliance Party has welcomed the news that vasectomy procedures will now be transferred back to the remit of GPs.

It comes after funding was withdrawn from general practices in 2023, leading to services including vasectomies, dermatology and menopause clinics having to be provided in hospitals instead.

East Antrim MLA and Health spokesperson, Danny Donnelly, said: "It's so important that people have easy access to family planning services, and I'm grateful, after personally advocating for the reversal of last October's decision, to now see the return of vasectomy services to GP practices. Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their own fertility.

"The decision to end the funding of primary care vasectomy services was a massively short-sighted decision, which resulted in men having to decide to either go private at a cost of up to over £700, or go onto extremely long waiting lists for an in-patient procedure.

"Providing more of these kinds of services in the community is undoubtedly better for both patients and healthcare staff, and doing so helps reduce pressure on hospital waiting lists. It's evident that GPs are keen to extend their clinical skills and provide such services, as long as they are funded to do so.

"I would hope, going forward, that the minister reinstates funding for the full range of services that were previously being delivered as part of the GP Elective Care Services scheme."