Monthly Archives: June 2019

Sinn Féin had set out demands on same-sex marriage as part of attempts to reach a fresh power-sharing deal in Northern Ireland. Assembly elections were held earlier this month in Northern Ireland after the collapse of the previous government, with Democratic Unionist Party losing ground after a corruption scandal. The anti-gay marriage DUP, which is still the largest party with a reduced majority, had previously used peace process powers known as ‘petitions of concern’ to block same-sex marriage. Under the Good Friday Agreement, second-largest party Sinn Féin must form a new power-sharing government with the DUP – but the two parties failed to reach a deal by the deadline this afternoon. The talks collapsed after Sinn Féin set out a number of red lines, including progress on equal marriage. The party has since alleged that the DUP refused to budge on the issue. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: “The … Continue reading →

A young mother living in Belfast has the British Red Cross to thank for helping her tackle the loneliness brought about by being a new mum in a new country. Simona Varaniute from Lithuania first visited Northern Ireland around seven years ago after an invitation from friends, and loved it so much she decided to stay. The 27-year-old met her partner Martynas Leskys, 25, and moved a year and a half ago from north Belfast to the east of the city to be with him. They had a son Sebastianas, who is now a year old, but with her partner working in engineering Simona was alone at home every day and found it difficult to cope and integrate with her community. Simona said: “When my son was a few months old I couldn’t get out, the weather was bad and we had nowhere to go. “We just had to stay … Continue reading →

Dominic Bradley By Noel McAdam October 11 2011 A senior SDLP politician has been barred from speaking in the Assembly after challenging the authority of the Speaker’s chair in a row over the Irish language. Dominic Bradley has been given the opportunity to apologise after what Speaker William Hay denounced as a “vicious assault” on one of his deputies, Roy Beggs. It is the second time in a fortnight that Mr Hay has withdrawn speaking rights from an elected Member and happened as the last Assembly man to be silenced — independent unionist Jim Allister — returned to the Stormont benches to speak. The spat with Mr Bradley came as he addressed acting Deputy First Minister John O’Dowd in Irish over the last cross-border meeting on education. Ulster Unionist Mr Beggs urged him to ask the question and translate it — as MLAs speaking in Irish or Ulster-Scots or any … Continue reading →

Ulster Unionist MLA John Stewart has described the delay in getting a parking bay for a disabled constituent as ‘absurd.’ In a statement, Mr. Stewart said: “For the second time over the past year, I have come across delays in getting disabled parking bays provided for disabled constituents. “While I understand that there is a process to go through and that there has to be an opportunity for local objections to be considered, the excuses I have received for the delays are incredibly frustrating. “Last year, I was told that a delay in providing an elderly constituent of mine in Carrickfergus with a parking bay was due to there being no minister in place at Stormont. “A similar excuse has been used to explain a delay in extending double yellow lines near a school. “How can a simple decision on whether to extend some double yellow lines depend upon a … Continue reading →

Congratulations have been offered to Greenisland woman Heather Gracey for services to the Lisburn community. Heather is one of a number of East Antrim residents to be awarded a gong. Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said: “Congratulations to friend, Greenisland resident and Lisburn school teacher Heather Gracey on her well-deserved honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.” Heather who was awarded a BEM is a senior teacher at Wallace High School in Lisburn. In 2013, she was credited as being “instrumental” in the school raising £100,000 for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. The school has been praised for having “worked tirelessly to help other children and their families”. The following year, the school presented a cheque for £13,550 to the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity. The sum was raised in memory Bill Wilson, the school’s Head of Mathematics and a senior teacher. Speaking at the time, Heather said: “Wallace is well-known … Continue reading →