20/01/2025

Other News In Brief

Alliance Welcomes Decline In Paramilitary-Style Shootings

Alliance Justice spokesperson Connie Egan MLA has welcomed newly published figures showing a significant drop in the number of people injured in paramilitary-style shootings last year.

The figures indicate that five people were wounded in paramilitary-style shootings in 2024, compared to 19 in 2023.

Ms. Egan stated: "This data is incredibly encouraging and demonstrates the positive impact of ongoing efforts to eradicate paramilitary violence from our society. While significant challenges remain, these figures show that progress is being made."

She commended Justice Minister Naomi Long for her dedication to tackling paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. "I want to pay tribute to Minister Long for her tireless work in achieving this reduction in incidents," Ms. Egan said.

"We must now carefully analyze the factors that contributed to this positive outcome and utilize this knowledge to continue combating all forms of organised crime, reduce violence in our society, and ultimately eradicate paramilitarism for good," she concluded.

Cairnshill Park And Ride Building Reopens In Belfast

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd has announced the reopening of the building at the Cairnshill Park and Ride site in Belfast.

The waiting area will reopen on Monday, 20 January 2025, with staff on site from 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM on a trial basis.

Minister O'Dowd said: "This is welcome news for anyone travelling into the city centre from the south of the city. The Cairnshill site is conveniently located along the Saintfield Road, and commuters can now avail of the building facilities before boarding the bus for a stress-free journey."

He added: "My Department is committed to working with stakeholders to address city centre congestion, particularly during the ongoing works around Grand Central Station. The reopening of the Cairnshill Park and Ride building is an important step in encouraging greater use of these valuable services."
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The Cairnshill Park and Ride offers 724 free parking spaces, significantly reducing the number of cars entering the city centre during peak hours.

The site offers frequent bus services to Belfast City Centre throughout the day and is also conveniently located near Metro 7 and Ulsterbus services on the Saintfield Road.

Self-service ticket vending machines are available at the site, making it easier and faster for passengers to purchase their bus tickets before travel.

Further details and timetables for Cairnshill and other park and ride sites can be found at www.translink.co.uk/usingtranslink/parkride

SDLP Question DoF Over Issues With Civil Service Interviews

SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan has criticised the Department of Finance for its failure to address technical issues that have impacted hundreds of civil service job applicants.

An Assembly question revealed that 446 candidates were unsuccessful in their civil service job interviews in the 2024/25 financial year due to sound and video problems. This figure represents an increase from 427 candidates in the previous year.

Expressing his concern, Mr McCrossan, said: "I have repeatedly raised concerns with the Finance Minister regarding the impact of technical issues on online job interviews within the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Despite these concerns, the situation has worsened over the past year."

Emphasising the importance of a transparent and fair job application process, he added: "For 873 people to be unsuccessful due to technical difficulties in the last two years is unacceptable. The inability to effectively manage online interviews raises serious questions about the integrity of the entire process."

Mr McCrossan expressed his sympathy for the candidates affected by these technical failures. He stated: "I have submitted further questions to the Minister to ascertain the impact on applicants and to determine what steps the department intends to take to address this issue. The SDLP will continue to advocate for solutions and to demand that these issues are resolved to ensure that the most qualified candidates are selected for these roles."


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