Other News In Brief

Economy Ministers Commits To 'Unlocking Potential' Of NI's Entrepreneurs

The Department for the Economy will work to develop solutions that unlock the potential that exists within all NI's entrepreneurs, Minister Conor Murphy has said.

The Minister was speaking at the 'Time to Change' event held in the Long Gallery, Stormont. The event's purpose was to enable policymakers along with community and business representatives to share the progress to date on the 'Time to Change' report: A Blueprint for Advancing the UK's Ethnic Minority Businesses', discuss the key recommendations, and explore how people might become involved in addressing the specific barriers faced by ethnic minority entrepreneurs.

The Minister said: "I'm keen to refocus economic policy to better support domestic start-ups and SMEs that want to grow. That means improving support for all entrepreneurs, but particularly for people who face additional barriers. Such barriers for ethnic minority people and migrants include discrimination, lack of access to capital and networks, a lack of confidence, and language barriers.

"It is important to remove these obstacles given the opportunities for business growth created by the Windsor Framework. Dual market access gives us a unique basis for building our exports and it is important that all entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of this status."

Executive Urged To Deliver School Support Staff Pay Review

The Executive has been urged to deliver a pay and grading review for school support staff.

SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter has called

on Education Minister Paul Givan for a timeline on the review in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Mr Givan said the Executive was in discussions with the Treasury on the issue.

East Derry MLA Ms Hunter said: "School support staff have now been waiting six years to see a pay and grading review delivered and it's not good enough that it was totally overlooked by the Executive in last week's budget. I took the opportunity to ask the Education Minister for a timeline to provide some clarity to Education Authority staff around when this may be delivered and while he reiterated Executive support for the review, nothing concrete was forthcoming.

"These staff provide a vital role in our school community, from bus drivers to classroom assistants and catering staff, they make an invaluable contribution and many have been left feeling abandoned by the failure to address long-standing issues around pay, particularly as the cost of living emergency has heaped increasing financial pressure on families. While other sectors have seen their pay disputes resolved our support staff worry they will be forgotten.

"At the Education Committee we heard about how school resources for catering staff are heading towards crisis. Staff in our special schools are also impacted by this policy, even though their jobs often entail important responsibilities around caring and providing medical support. These non-teaching staff keep our schools running, despite their dedication we can't expect people to remain in these jobs indefinitely for the money they are being paid.

"If we are to recruit and retain the staff necessary to keep our schools running then we need to ensure that all staff are paid fairly and in a way that allows them to live a decent quality of life. I understand the financial challenges, but the Minister and his Executive colleagues must make the pay and grading review a priority and find the money necessary to implement it and support these hardworking staff."

Belfast 'Can Become A More Inclusive City' – Alliance

Incoming Alliance Lord Mayor, Micky Murray, has said that Belfast "can become a more inclusive city".

The South Belfast Councillor will take over the role on June 3rd, becoming the eighth Alliance Councillor to take on the role.

He said it was a huge honour to be selected as Belfast’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, and added he wishes to make Belfast a more livable and caring place.

He said: "In my role as Lord Mayor I want to meet people in all areas of Belfast and recognise those who are making a difference in every quarter, finding ways to work alongside them for the better. Supporting the most vulnerable is a priority of mine, and I want to use my experience working in the homeless sector to ensure our city does more to help people.

"I want to help transform Belfast into a more inclusive city where everyone can enjoy, regardless of who you are or where you’re from. We’re 26 years on from the Good Friday Agreement and we were promised peace, which has largely been delivered, but now is the time to further break down barriers and create a thriving city. Our city should be recognised for its inclusivity, rather than its division. As the first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want to use this platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community and be a positive role model for them.

"A thriving city is vital for a prosperous economy and environment. I’m committed to building on the work that Belfast City Council is doing to regenerate our city centre through schemes such as Vacant to Vibrant, which promote the growth of our city and enable businesses to thrive.

"Belfast has so much to offer, and my hope for this year is that we can look back and see the steps that have been taken to ensure Belfast is a more diverse, forward-thinking and kind city."