03/02/2017

Other News In Brief

Man Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A man has been convicted for claiming benefits he was not entitled to at Dungannon Crown Court.

Noel Armstrong claimed Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance totalling £15,480 while failing to declare he was living with his partner. He was given a six month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department for Communities.

Construction Work To Start On £150,000 Road Project In Armagh

Construction work is to begin on a £150,000 road project in Whitecross, co Armagh.

The work on the Kingsmill road will start on Monday, 13 February, and is expected to take eight weeks to complete.

The works will improve the safety of the junction of the Kingsmill and Drumnahunshin Roads by improving junction visibility and forward visibility on the road.

The work will involve removing a crest on the Kingsmill Road close to the junction. The road will also be widened and a verge will be provided along the length of the scheme. Three hundred metres of road will be resurfaced on conclusion of these necessary works.

The road will be closed from Monday, 20 February, for a seven weeks. Diversions will be put in place.

White Paper On Brexit Fails To Recognise Special Circumstances Of NI - Farry

Alliance Deputy Leader Stephen Farry said the White Paper on Brexit fails to recognise the special circumstances of Northern Ireland.

Stephen Farry said: "This White Paper compounds the growing frustration across large aspects of Northern Ireland society at a UK Government that is failing to understand the particular challenges posed by Brexit to Northern Ireland.

"Continued platitudes or the downplaying of problems are not getting us any closer to resolving the problems and are not serving anyone's interests.

"While Brexit will be bad for the UK as whole, it will be particularly damaging to Northern Ireland. Yet, Northern Ireland gets scant attention in this document. There are many problems and issues that are particular to Northern Ireland, including the land border with the continuing EU, an integrated all-island economy and the right of people here to access an Irish passport and therefore European citizenship.

"A one-size-fits-all Brexit simply doesn't work. Northern Ireland is already a special case, and this has been informally recognised by many voices across the EU. In reality the choice is not between full Brexit and special status, but between special status or the emergence of major anomalies that if left unaddressed, would amount to an almighty mess."

(CD/MH)

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