Other News In Brief

Green Party Councillor Backs Assisted Dying Bill

Green Party Councillor Barry McKee has welcomed the introduction of the Choice at the End of Life Bill in the UK Parliament. The bill, which seeks to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, received its first reading on [Date].

Expressing his strong support for the Bill, Cllr McKee said that he believes "we need to change the law to bring Assisted Dying to these islands." He emphasised the need for individuals to have the option for a safe, compassionate, and medically-assisted death on their own terms, especially in cases of terminal illness.

Cllr McKee continued: "We leave dying people to take matters into their own hands, with hundreds with a terminal illness estimated to take their own lives every year.

"We allow some who are of means the option to go to Switzerland, to die alone, due to the fear that anyone accompanying them might be prosecuted on their return.

"And we leave others – whether because they can't afford to go or aren't able to– to face unbearable suffering.

"But we can't keep running away from this issue, leaving dying people and their loved ones to fend for themselves.

"I hope that MPs from Northern Ireland will be able to support a change to the law. They have a chance to input on ensuring that strict criteria and safeguards to prevent abuse or coercion are contained in any new law introduced."

Cllr McKee concluded: "With bills passing through parliaments in Holyrood, Westminster and the Oireachtas the pressure will be on the Stormont Executive to ensure that residents in Northern Ireland aren't the only ones left without autonomy and dignity in death."

Police Probe Burglaries in Newry City

Detectives are investigating two burglaries that occurred in the Shandon Park area of Newry City on Monday, October 14th.

Reports indicate that two properties were broken into and ransacked between the hours of 8:30pm and 9:30pm. A sum of cash was stolen from the premises during the incidents.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area around the time of the burglaries to come forward and contact them. A number of enquiries are being conducted and we are asking anyone with any information, or dash-cam footage from the area at the time of the incident to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1871 14/10/24.

A report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org/

UUP Raise Concerns Over Threat To Road Maintenance Funding

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has raised serious concerns that warnings of the existing road maintenance funding being exhausted by November "could put lives at risk".

Speaking after a presentation to the Infrastructure Committee by the Northern Ireland Mineral Products Association, Deputy chair of the Infrastructure Committee, John Stewart MLA, said: "This briefing created a grave concern with the whole committee that funding for road maintenance could be exhausted by November unless the Department of Finance can allocate necessary additional funding urgently.

"The potential impact of having no budget, for even emergency road maintenance, in less than 8 weeks' time, means that lives could be put at risk through dangerous road surfaces.

"It was clear in the presentation today that this is a recurring pressure which ultimately increases costs and decreases the ability to deliver a planned road maintenance schedule. The need for multi-year budgets was highlighted as the single most important action the Department can take to reduce this pressure.

"The unfortunate truth is that, due to the continued collapsing of the Assembly by the two largest parties, it has been impossible to create any long-term strategy. Every department and service is now suffering from the fact that we have had no functioning Assembly for five of the last seven years.

"We need to see decisive action from the Executive to ensure that what money is available in the next monitoring round is placed where it can make the most impact. We simply cannot allow essential road maintenance to be left unfunded."