Menu
19/01/2011
Other NI News In Brief
Murphy On The Rack
The beleaguered Stormont Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy has appeared before the committee which examines his department to face tough questions over the Christmas water crisis when almost 40,000 homes left with no water. Sinn Fein's Mr Murphy (pictured) has also come under fresh pressure over his handling of an investigation into earlier failings at Northern Ireland Water (NIW) after a draft report heavily criticised both the Department of Regional Development and the management of NIW. That report was drawn up for the Public Accounts Committee on events surrounding the sackings of four non-executive directors over allegedly uncompetitive awarding of contracts.
Dungannon Stabbing Recalled
The death of a Lithuanian, Audrius Aukstuolis, 28, who was stabbed to death in Ann Street in Dungannon on 12 January has been recalled in court today as Gediminas Stauskas, also originally from Lithuania, appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court on a murder charge. He had admitted producing a knife, but said he was defending himself and in doing so, Mr Aukstuolis was wounded. Mr Stauskas, was then in the Irish Republic, but returned to Northern Ireland and was arrested last Friday.
Lifesaver For Coastguard
Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate and North Down Association Chair Colin Breen is taking the case to prevent the closure of the Bangor Coastguard station to the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson. Mr Breen said the service is vital not just to North Down but the entire Northern Ireland coastline and has called on other coastal and Lakeland councils to join the 'Save NI Coastguard' campaign. "The Secretary of State of State already knows how we view the service and has agreed to hear our representations," he said. "If that means having to take the campaign to Westminster, then so be it. This service is too important to lose."
Stand-In Doctors Cost £78m
Local health trusts have spent more than £78m over the past three years hiring locum doctors. SDLP Health Spokesperson Tommy Gallagher obtained the figure in a response to an Assembly question put to Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. "These figures clearly show that £78.8m, spread across the five health trusts, with nearly a third of that spent in Belfast Trust, is a quite a lot of money," the SDLP MLA said, but welcomed an assurance by John Compton of the Health Board that the amount spent on locums had been reduced in the current financial year.
McClarty To Stand Alone
A former Ulster Unionist politician, the MLA David McClarty will stand as an independent in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Mr McClarty had represented the Ulster Unionists in the Assembly since 1998 but was deselected for the May poll. The East Londonderry representative subsequently resigned from the party, describing his decision as "difficult and sad". Paula Bradshaw, Harry Hamilton and Trevor Ringland also resigned the party recently after standing unsuccessfully as UUP/Conservatives at the Westminster general election. Mr Hamilton and Ms Bradshaw subsequently joined the Alliance Party.
Ulster Rugby Means Business
The Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) in conjunction with Grafton Employment Group and the University of Ulster, have launched the Ulster Rugby Mean Business mentoring programme. The innovative collaboration aims to support players in securing a future career when their rugby playing days are over. As part of the mentoring programme, the University of Ulster and Grafton Employment Group will together support players in furthering their education and developing complimentary skills that will ensure that they are in a position to support themselves after their sporting career ends. The initiative has been welcomed by the squad and Rory Best, the IRUPA representative and Captain of Ulster Rugby, who also advocates the importance of keeping an eye on professional development.
Smoker Pays Penalty
A man has been fined £50 for smoking in his work vehicle. Gavin Hutchings, from Ballycreen Drive in Lisburn, Co Antrim, was also ordered to pay costs of £66 in relation to the offence, which happened at Adelaide Street on August 4th last year in a prosecution brought by Belfast City Council. Meanwhile a company director has been fined £150 for obstructing a tobacco control officer in the course of his duty under the Smoking (NI) Order 2006. Brendan Loughran, a director of Danlor Services Ltd, refused to let the officer onto the premises for a routine inspection to check for compliance on May 25, 2010. The PSNI were called in to assist however Mr Loughran continued to refuse entry. Mr Loughran was also ordered to pay court costs of £75.
Police Watchdog Appointed Professor
John McNeill, Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland has been appointed as Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster. Professor McNeill takes up his new position within the School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy in the Faculty of Social Science at Ulster's Jordanstown campus. Originally from Belfast, Professor McNeill now lives in Edinburgh and is married with three grown up children. Professor McNeill has had a long and distinguished career in the criminal justice sector, having worked with the prison service in both Northern Ireland and Scotland - as probation officer and governor in the former and as governor in the latter. Prior to taking over as Police Complaints Commissioner, he served as Chief Executive and Company Secretary of SACRO, a Scottish community justice voluntary organization.
Straying Dog Owners Fined
Four people have been fined for allowing their dogs to stray. Margaret Murray, from Knockbreda Road in south Belfast, was fined £20 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Ormeau Road on June 6th last year. Also fined £20 was Janine Bright from Charleville Street in west Belfast. She was ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Crumlin Road on September 27th and Anne-Marie Bright, from Springfield Road in west Belfast, was fined £20 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Shankill Road on October 18th. Emma Shaw, from Stirling Gardens in south Belfast, had to pay costs of £66 for allowing her dog to stray at Belmont Road on September 9th in prosecutions brought by Belfast City Council.
(BMcC/GK)
The beleaguered Stormont Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy has appeared before the committee which examines his department to face tough questions over the Christmas water crisis when almost 40,000 homes left with no water. Sinn Fein's Mr Murphy (pictured) has also come under fresh pressure over his handling of an investigation into earlier failings at Northern Ireland Water (NIW) after a draft report heavily criticised both the Department of Regional Development and the management of NIW. That report was drawn up for the Public Accounts Committee on events surrounding the sackings of four non-executive directors over allegedly uncompetitive awarding of contracts.
Dungannon Stabbing Recalled
The death of a Lithuanian, Audrius Aukstuolis, 28, who was stabbed to death in Ann Street in Dungannon on 12 January has been recalled in court today as Gediminas Stauskas, also originally from Lithuania, appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court on a murder charge. He had admitted producing a knife, but said he was defending himself and in doing so, Mr Aukstuolis was wounded. Mr Stauskas, was then in the Irish Republic, but returned to Northern Ireland and was arrested last Friday.
Lifesaver For Coastguard
Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate and North Down Association Chair Colin Breen is taking the case to prevent the closure of the Bangor Coastguard station to the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson. Mr Breen said the service is vital not just to North Down but the entire Northern Ireland coastline and has called on other coastal and Lakeland councils to join the 'Save NI Coastguard' campaign. "The Secretary of State of State already knows how we view the service and has agreed to hear our representations," he said. "If that means having to take the campaign to Westminster, then so be it. This service is too important to lose."
Stand-In Doctors Cost £78m
Local health trusts have spent more than £78m over the past three years hiring locum doctors. SDLP Health Spokesperson Tommy Gallagher obtained the figure in a response to an Assembly question put to Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. "These figures clearly show that £78.8m, spread across the five health trusts, with nearly a third of that spent in Belfast Trust, is a quite a lot of money," the SDLP MLA said, but welcomed an assurance by John Compton of the Health Board that the amount spent on locums had been reduced in the current financial year.
McClarty To Stand Alone
A former Ulster Unionist politician, the MLA David McClarty will stand as an independent in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Mr McClarty had represented the Ulster Unionists in the Assembly since 1998 but was deselected for the May poll. The East Londonderry representative subsequently resigned from the party, describing his decision as "difficult and sad". Paula Bradshaw, Harry Hamilton and Trevor Ringland also resigned the party recently after standing unsuccessfully as UUP/Conservatives at the Westminster general election. Mr Hamilton and Ms Bradshaw subsequently joined the Alliance Party.
Ulster Rugby Means Business
The Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) in conjunction with Grafton Employment Group and the University of Ulster, have launched the Ulster Rugby Mean Business mentoring programme. The innovative collaboration aims to support players in securing a future career when their rugby playing days are over. As part of the mentoring programme, the University of Ulster and Grafton Employment Group will together support players in furthering their education and developing complimentary skills that will ensure that they are in a position to support themselves after their sporting career ends. The initiative has been welcomed by the squad and Rory Best, the IRUPA representative and Captain of Ulster Rugby, who also advocates the importance of keeping an eye on professional development.
Smoker Pays Penalty
A man has been fined £50 for smoking in his work vehicle. Gavin Hutchings, from Ballycreen Drive in Lisburn, Co Antrim, was also ordered to pay costs of £66 in relation to the offence, which happened at Adelaide Street on August 4th last year in a prosecution brought by Belfast City Council. Meanwhile a company director has been fined £150 for obstructing a tobacco control officer in the course of his duty under the Smoking (NI) Order 2006. Brendan Loughran, a director of Danlor Services Ltd, refused to let the officer onto the premises for a routine inspection to check for compliance on May 25, 2010. The PSNI were called in to assist however Mr Loughran continued to refuse entry. Mr Loughran was also ordered to pay court costs of £75.
Police Watchdog Appointed Professor
John McNeill, Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland has been appointed as Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster. Professor McNeill takes up his new position within the School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy in the Faculty of Social Science at Ulster's Jordanstown campus. Originally from Belfast, Professor McNeill now lives in Edinburgh and is married with three grown up children. Professor McNeill has had a long and distinguished career in the criminal justice sector, having worked with the prison service in both Northern Ireland and Scotland - as probation officer and governor in the former and as governor in the latter. Prior to taking over as Police Complaints Commissioner, he served as Chief Executive and Company Secretary of SACRO, a Scottish community justice voluntary organization.
Straying Dog Owners Fined
Four people have been fined for allowing their dogs to stray. Margaret Murray, from Knockbreda Road in south Belfast, was fined £20 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Ormeau Road on June 6th last year. Also fined £20 was Janine Bright from Charleville Street in west Belfast. She was ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Crumlin Road on September 27th and Anne-Marie Bright, from Springfield Road in west Belfast, was fined £20 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after her dog was found straying at Shankill Road on October 18th. Emma Shaw, from Stirling Gardens in south Belfast, had to pay costs of £66 for allowing her dog to stray at Belmont Road on September 9th in prosecutions brought by Belfast City Council.
(BMcC/GK)
Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
02 March 2018
Schools Closures Across NI
The Department of Education have published a list of all schools across that have confirmed they will be closed today, Friday 2nd March, 2018 due to the adverse weather conditions.
Schools Closures Across NI
The Department of Education have published a list of all schools across that have confirmed they will be closed today, Friday 2nd March, 2018 due to the adverse weather conditions.
16 August 2013
'Nevin Spence Centre' Planned For Ravenhill
A new education and heritage centre being built at Ulster Rugby's Ravenhill stadium is to be named after the late Nevin Spence, who died in a farming accident along with his brother Graham and father Noel in September last year. The centre is part of a £14.7m redevelopment of the ground and will be called 'The Nevin Spence Centre'.
'Nevin Spence Centre' Planned For Ravenhill
A new education and heritage centre being built at Ulster Rugby's Ravenhill stadium is to be named after the late Nevin Spence, who died in a farming accident along with his brother Graham and father Noel in September last year. The centre is part of a £14.7m redevelopment of the ground and will be called 'The Nevin Spence Centre'.
22 September 2009
UTV's Birthday To Be Celebrated
Viewers of Ulster Television are to get the chance to celebrate a major broadcasting milestone. This autumn, the channel celebrates 50 years of broadcasting - a birthday being officially marked on 31 October.
UTV's Birthday To Be Celebrated
Viewers of Ulster Television are to get the chance to celebrate a major broadcasting milestone. This autumn, the channel celebrates 50 years of broadcasting - a birthday being officially marked on 31 October.
23 April 2009
Latest Irish Film Festival Launched
The latest Irish film festival on the calendar - in early May - will include an opportunity to 'pitch' ideas for film and TV production.
Latest Irish Film Festival Launched
The latest Irish film festival on the calendar - in early May - will include an opportunity to 'pitch' ideas for film and TV production.
28 October 2005
Police issue motoring warning ahead of Love Ulster rally
Police are warning motorists to avoid certain areas of north Belfast tomorrow ahead of a loyalist rally in the area. The Love Ulster rally, which is taking place at Woodvale Park, is expected to cause traffic congestion from 10.30am to 2.30pm in the Greater Shankill and Crumlin Road areas as well as the York Street area at around the same time.
Police issue motoring warning ahead of Love Ulster rally
Police are warning motorists to avoid certain areas of north Belfast tomorrow ahead of a loyalist rally in the area. The Love Ulster rally, which is taking place at Woodvale Park, is expected to cause traffic congestion from 10.30am to 2.30pm in the Greater Shankill and Crumlin Road areas as well as the York Street area at around the same time.
-
Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
