http://www.allianceparty.org/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland en-GB The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland http://www.allianceparty.org/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2009 The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 2009-07-05T00:02+01:00 United Kingdom http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004581/alliance_party_vindicated_after_tribunal_collapse.html Leading Alliance politicians have said the party has been completely vindicated following the collapse of a case taken by Margaret Hawkins, and they stated that major questions must be raised about the role of the Equality Commission in this tribunal. 2009-07-03T14:09+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004580/levy_on_plastic_bags_long_overdue.html Alliance Sustainability Spokesperson Alan Lawther has welcomed comments from new Environment Minister Edwin Poots saying he is considering introducing a levy on plastic bags. Alan Lawther said any such move is long overdue and would provide a significant boost for environmental protection. 2009-07-02T14:57+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004578/lunn_comments_on_ruanes_transfer_2010_paper.html Alliance Education Spokesperson Trevor Lunn MLA has said the Education Minister's Transfer 2010 paper provides "welcome clarity of what the Minister wants to achieve, if not how she intends to get there." 2009-06-30T15:25+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004577/mccarthy_reveals_good_news_for_older_people_on_rathlin_ferry.html Alliance Party MLA Kieran McCarthy has revealed he has received notification from Minister Conor Murphy that Northern Ireland residents aged 60 and over can travel free on the Rathlin Island ferry. 2009-06-30T11:15+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004579/anna_lo_speech_on_assembly_debate_on_racist_attacks.html I am very heartened by the response from all Members and parties today. I particularly welcome the First Minister's strong words and his sincerity and commitment to deal with the problem of sectarianism and racism. However, I am also saddened by some of the comments, which seemed to me to be defensive and to stereotype our ethnic minority communities. There are good and bad apples in all communities, and we have to take that into account. Where there are large numbers of new populations, there will, of course, be some people who will misbehave, but that is no cause for racist attacks. 2009-06-29T18:28+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004576/make_progress_on_maze_or_opportunities_may_be_lost.html Lagan Valley Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn has stated that urgent progress is needed on the redevelopment of the Maze as opportunities may be lost if there are further delays. His comments come as it appears a Development Corporation will be created for the Maze site. He also commented on news that Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has asked officials to consider whether the listed status of buildings at the Maze could be revoked. 2009-06-29T16:37+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004575/farry_slams_executive_failure_over_june_monitoring_round.html Alliance Party Finance Spokesperson Stephen Farry MLA has slammed the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to agree a June Monitoring Round statement before the Assembly's summer recess. This statement should have been given to the Assembly this week by the Finance Minister. Stephen Farry pointed out that there are important issues of public interest that require full Assembly scrutiny. 2009-06-29T13:34+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004574/long_says_decommissioning_confirmation_is_very_significant.html Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA has welcomed the progress made by the UVF and Red Hand Commando on decommissioning saying these are significant moves, and she has called on the UDA to fully decommission also. Her comments come as the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning said it had witnessed a 'major decommissioning event'. 2009-06-29T13:32+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004573/ford_comments_following_loyalist_decommissioning_statement.html Alliance Leader David Ford has commented following at statement from the UVF and Red Hand Commando this morning which said that they had decommissioned fully. 2009-06-27T12:00+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004572/neeson_welcomes_green_light_for_ecovillage.html East Antrim Alliance MLA Seán Neeson has hailed news that planning permission has been granted for £100 million eco-village beside Larne Lough. The site at Magheramorne will contain 450 homes and sports facilities. 2009-06-26T14:43+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004571/lo_sad_that_romanian_people_are_leaving_northern_ireland.html South Belfast Alliance MLA Anna Lo has expressed sadness that more than 70 of the Romanian people who fled their homes last week following racist intimidation have decided to leave Northern Ireland. 2009-06-26T14:42+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004569/lo_says_pipe_bomb_find_is_worrying.html South Belfast Alliance MLA Anna Lo has called a pipe bomb find in South Belfast as worrying. Police made the find in the Ulsterville Drive area on Wednesday night and said it was not connected to recent racist attacks. 2009-06-25T11:34+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004568/lo_says_executive_must_act_now_on_antiracism_strategy.html South Belfast Alliance MLA Anna Lo has called on the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister to stop delaying the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration strategy saying it is essential now, more than ever, following racist attacks which led to around 100 Romanian people deciding to leave Northern Ireland. 2009-06-25T10:40+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004567/lunn_welcomes_john_lewis_inquiry_date.html Lagan Valley Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn has said he is glad that a date has been set for the John Lewis public inquiry has been set and said that Westfield and John Lewis have shown much patience in the process. 2009-06-24T14:21+01:00 http://www.allianceparty.org/news/004566/lo_says_qub_job_cuts_will_have_very_negative_impact.html Alliance Employment and Learning Spokesperson Anna Lo MLA has expressed fears that cutting over 100 jobs at Queens University will have a very negative impact on local education. The university's ruling Senate agreed to the job cuts today. 2009-06-23T16:12+01:00