Rubbish Pays

Student Rionnagh Sheridan is one of the first winners in a Belfast City Council competition to boost recycling rates in the university area. The council has teamed up with Victoria Square to launch the latest phase of its 'Waste – time for action' campaign, where the waste management service have been monitoring recycling in areas of south Belfast with a high student population. A share in the £6,000 total prize fund is up for grabs for the best-performing houses with a series of spot checks to identify 40 student households that have been using their recycling bin or box correctly. These households will win a £100 gift card to use at Victoria Square, as well as a lucky 'golden ticket' entitling them to take part in a grand final quiz and be in with the chance of winning a £2,000 gift card.

Script Charges End

Free prescriptions begin today across Northern Ireland marking the end of a 'tax on illness', according to NI Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey. This follows an announcement in September 2008 to introduce free prescriptions and an interim reduction to £3 last year. Speaking at the Grove Wellbeing Centre in Belfast yesterday, Michael McGimspey said: "I believe that charging people for vital medication is totally against the principles of a health service that is free at the point of use. Prescription charges have been called a tax on illness. On our community there are ill people who do not have enough money to pay for their prescriptions who are being forced to choose between their medicine and food, which is totally unacceptable."

UCF Celebrating Life

The Ulster Cancer Foundation will be marking its 40th anniversary with a special interdenominational Celebration of Life service on Sunday 18th April at 3.00pm, in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast. Liz Atkinson, Head of Care Services, said: "Our Celebration of Life service is one of the highlights in our special anniversary year. As Northern Ireland's longest established cancer charity, we're very proud to have been serving the local community for the last 40 years."

Teachers Assaulted

Well over 25% of NI's education staff have been physically assaulted by pupils, a union claimed this week. Over a third were also confronted by an aggressive parent or guardian, the survey for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said. Cases of pushing and shoving, punching and kicking were all recorded, and some teachers suffered mental health problems and lost confidence as a result of abuse from children. ATL branch president in Northern Ireland Andy Brown said: "It is totally unacceptable that poor pupil behaviour continues to be such a widespread problem in schools and colleges, and shocking that over a third of staff have experienced aggression from students' parents or guardians."

Savings On Power 'Caught'

A specialist fish restaurant group has netted great power savings. The Mourne Seafood Bar is reducing electricity costs across its three award-winning restaurants by up to 15%, having signed a green energy deal with all island energy supplier, Energia. Owner Andy Rea explained: "As with any restaurant, electricity costs are one of our largest outgoings due to long opening hours and a busy kitchen. I was thrilled to achieve savings of up to 15% simply by changing to Energia's renewable energy tariff."

NI 'Stay-At-Homes'

Undergraduates in NI are much more likely than their fellow UK counterparts to live rent-free with their parents, research has shown. A survey has found that 30% of students in NI live at home, compared to just 17% in the rest of the UK. More than half of Northern Ireland students take on a part-time job during term time for extra cash but, despite this, they are the most likely to leave university with heavy debts. Over a third of students are expected to end up around £20,000 in debt when they graduate, according to the Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey.

Rich List Revealed

NI's wealthiest people such as celebrities Eddie Irvine, Liam Neeson and Van Morrison have all made a new Irish Rich List, but it was Norbrook giant Eddie Haughey who came out on top for Northern Ireland, with an estimated fortune worth more than £460 million. Despite the difficult economic times, Baron Ballyedmond – who came 16th on the list – is reported to have indicated that last year's sales in his pharmaceutical company had risen by 12%. Van Morrison proved that at 64 he has not lost any of his musical mastery, said to be sitting on a fortune of more than £56 million this year and Ballymena-born - and recently widowed - actor Liam Neeson sits just below him in the entertainment chart, netting almost £50 million, according to figures from the Sunday Independent.

(BMcC/GK)