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Business Politics

MINISTER LAUNCHES ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN

Northern Ireland’s economic recovery will be driven by innovation, investment and a skilled workforce, according to Economy Minister Diane Dodds. The Minister was speaking as she launched the Economic Recovery Action Plan which sets out a road map to rebuilding the economy from the impact of the pandemic. The Minister said: “As we move slowly […]

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Uncategorized

HALF A MILLION VACCINES ADMINISTERED IN NORTHERN IRELAND

The Covid-19 vaccination programme has now reached a milestone of over 500, 000 doses delivered to eligible people in Northern Ireland. 478,825 first doses and 31,345 second doses have now been administered. Health Minister Robin Swann welcomed today’s landmark figure and praised the dedication of all involved in the vaccination programme: “On December 8 2020 […]

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Crime Newry

Welcome For Drugs Find

Newry City Sinn Féin Councillor Charlie Casey has welcomed the recovery of a significant amount of Herbal Cannabis during PSNI drug related searches in the city . The local Councillor said: “Police have confirmed that they have found a significant amount of Herbal Cannabis in the Carnagat area of Newry. Drugs are a blight on […]

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Community

INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS TO BE AWARDED A FURTHER £6.9 MILLION

The release of a further £6.9m of funding to almost 1,600 individual artists has been welcomed by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey. The £6.9m is part of the Individual Emergency Resilience Programme (IERP), which is being delivered by the Arts Council on the Department for Communities’ behalf. Individual artists, such as musicians, actors, freelancers and craft […]

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Business

DODDS EXTENDS FREE ACCESS TO SME SKILLS PROGRAMME

Economy Minister Diane Dodds has announced that a skills development support scheme will remain free for businesses until the end of March 2022. Skills Focus is a post-employment training programme that is open to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including social enterprises, with fewer than 250 employees. Last May the Minister announced that the usual […]

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South Armagh

Outrage after animal carcasses dumped on rural road

Sinn Féin Councillor Barra Ó Muirí has hit out at those who chose to dump the remains of two young calves on Murray’s Road near Creggan. The local Councilor explained, “The route along Murray’s road and the Lurgancullenboy Road is a popular walking route for young and old, as it is relatively safe from traffic […]

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Health

HEALTH MINISTER ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDING TO IMPROVE DENTAL PATIENT THROUGHPUT

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced funding of £1.5million to help improve patient throughput at dental surgeries in Northern Ireland. The risk of Coronavirus transmission in dental practices has been minimised using strict infection control measures but these have significantly reduced the number of patients that dentists can see each day. The new grant scheme […]

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Health

ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FOSTER CARERS

The Health Minister has announced further funding of £754,800 for foster carers bringing the total support provided to them to £1.39million since the start of pandemic. Foster carers provide care for children looked after by social services teams when they are unable to live with their parent/s. There are currently around 2,600 children and young […]

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Education

PHASED RETURN OF PUPILS TO START IN MARCH

Pre-school, nursery and primary school pupils in P1 to P3 will return to full-time face-to-face teaching from 8 March 2021. Education Minister Peter Weir also said that students in years 12 to 14, who will be awarded qualifications this summer will return to full-time face-to-face teaching with effect from 22 March 2021. To enable the […]

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Community

LEGISLATION PROTECTING PRIVATE RENTERS EXTENDED

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced that due to the ongoing pandemic she is extending the legislation protecting private renters from eviction to 30 September 2021. The Private Tenancies (Coronavirus Modifications) Act requires landlords to give tenants a 12 week notice to quit period before seeking a court order to begin proceedings to evict and […]

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Business

REGIONAL HUBS SIGNAL NEW ERA FOR CIVIL SERVICE – MURPHY

Finance Minister Conor Murphy has announced plans for a number of new civil service regional hubs. Commenting on the economic and environmental benefits, Finance Minister Conor Murphy said: “These regional hubs will transform how civil servants work – enabling them to be based closer to home, reducing travel time and lowering carbon emissions while importantly […]

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Community

District Town Halls to Light Up to Mark World Down’s Syndrome Day

Newry , Mourne and Down District Council have agreed to light up Newry and Downpatrick town halls along with Belfast City Hall and Lisburn Town Hall to celebrate world Down’s Syndromeday on the 21st March. Down Syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in […]