Northern Ireland News for June 2002

Business News, Jun 28, 2002
Regional recognition for NI in Master Builder awards
John McAuley Construction of Limavady are just one of the three regional winners of this year’s Master Builder of the Year competition for the Northern Ireland region. Organised by the Federation of ...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Arbitrators to tackle community tensions in Ardoyne
The First and Deputy First Ministers have appointed independent arbitrators to deal with differences between the communities in Ardoyne, north Belfast. The arbitrators – conflict consultants Sue and ...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Ballymena Bakery secure major Safeway deal
Leading UK food retailer, Safeway has agreed a £500,000 deal with a local bakery that will their workforce increase by up to a fifth. Ballymena-based Sunstart Bakery is to supply its own label range ...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Executive under-spend criticised by MLAs
Following reports that government departments were under-spending budgets to the tune of £1 million a day, Finance Committee members have launched a scathing attack on executive spending practices. ...
Business News, Jun 28, 2002
BT agree £5m Scoot.com directory deal
Following the deregulation of its 192 information service, BT has agreed a £5 million deal for the acquisition of troubled online service Scoot.com. The deal is likely to boost BT's directory operati...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Government welcomes West Belfast Task Force report
Local government has welcomed the recent presentation of the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Task Force Report. Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, and Nigel Dodds, Minist...
Business News, Jun 28, 2002
WorldCom staff wait for details of job cuts
Staff at the troubled US telecoms giant WorldCom are bracing themselves for details of the 17,000 job cuts announced earlier this week. The news follows Tuesday's revelation that the company was invo...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Policing Board promises to address resourcing issues
The Chairman of the Policing Board has welcomed the publication of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Annual Report and has given assurances that the Board is addressing the resourcing issues rais...
Business News, Jun 28, 2002
Travel agency to create 120 jobs at old plant
Keith Prowse Travel, which specialises in the distribution and sale of tickets, is set to create 120 new jobs in Donegal over the next three years at its new customer centre. The British travel agenc...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Activity still high in NI housing market
House prices are still on the rise in Northern Ireland, according to the latest edition of the Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin, which shows a rise of 3.4% for the first quarter of 2002. The Bulleti...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Police Chief's report highlights pressure on resources
The annual Chief Constable's report, which covers the period from April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002, has revealed a substantial rise in the reported crime rate. While this is in part due to improved cr...
Business News, Jun 28, 2002
Haughey emphasises Public Private Partnerships
Denis Haughey, Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, has confirmed the Administration’s commitment to improving its public service infrastructure and emphasised the o...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Water and sewerage infrastructure receives £100m
Regional Development Minister, Peter Robinson has outlined plans to invest almost £100 million on upgrading the province's water and sewerage infrastructure. The Minister was speaking on Friday, June...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
BVCB workshop highlights Belfast's best events
Employees in the service and tourism sector have taken part in an innovative new workshop organised by the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau (BVCB). The workshop aimed to showcase the best that B...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 28, 2002
Trimble denies reports of talks 'withdrawal'
Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble has hit out at a newspaper report claiming that the UUP are prepared to either snub or withdraw from next week's crisis talks with the British and Irish Prim...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
IRA "still very much alive" warns Wilson
An east Belfast anti-agreement assembly member has said the IRA is still very much alive. Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party said due to the fact that hundreds of people have been warned a...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
RTE licence fee debate rages on
The licence fee debate in the Republic has deepened over the past week with a number of interested parties weighing in. RTÉ has moved to reject TV3 chief executive Rick Hetherington's criticism that ...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
Belfast Lord Mayor to lay Somme wreath
Belfast's Lord Mayor, Alex Maskey, is to lay a wreath at the cenotaph in Belfast on the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. However, the Sinn Féin councillor will not be attending the official ce...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
Partnership a necessity for regional reconstruction: Durkan
Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan has emphasised the need to work in partnership as the Executive endeavours to rebuild the regional landscape of Northern Ireland. Speaking at the Annual General Meet...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
Energy investment for government and public buildings announced
Energy efficiency schemes in Northern Ireland are receive £2.76 million investment this year, the finance minister Sean Farren has announced. Around 96 projects, from different departments and distri...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
NITB begin search for new chairman
The search has begun for the next chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The Board is advertising for a new chairman in local daily newspapers on Thursday and Friday as a replacement for Roy...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
WorldCom scandal leads to Irish job fears
The Irish operations of WorldCom could be under threat following the company's improper accounting which sent share prices around the world into freefall. Around 180 Irish jobs are under threat at th...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
Loughgall wins 'Best Kept' village
DOE Permanent Secretary Stephen Quinn has congratulated Loughgall on winning Ireland’s 'Best Kept' Award. Speaking in the Harbour Office, Corporation Square, Belfast, Mr Quinn said Loughgall was the ...
Recruitment News, Jun 27, 2002
Research students to shape the future of construction
Research being undertaken by young scientists at Salford University is proving to be extremely useful in helping to deliver new insights into leading-edge construction issues. Their work has already ...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
Bakery’s staff training is 'recipe' for success
Northern Ireland’s leading bakery, Allied Bakeries Ireland, is celebrating the ‘graduation’ of 18 supervisors and managers who have completed the company’s Management and Supervisory Programme. Allie...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
Dixons profit boost despite share fall
UK electronic retailer Dixons has reported a rise in profits, despite a fall in mobile phone and PC sales. As the owner of PC World, electrical appliance chain Currys and The Link mobile phone shop, ...
Business News, Jun 27, 2002
European computer consultancy to axe 5,500 jobs
Leading computer consultancy, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, are to cut 5,500 jobs in addition to the 5,400 jobs the group cut last year. The company made the announcement following a sharp fall in demand...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
Disabled pensioners targeted in robberies
An elderly couple in there 90s have been robbed in their County Down home. The elderly man, who is severely disabled, answered the front door of his home on the Dromore Road in Hillsborough to a man ...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
Health Minister steps up security in pharmacies
Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Bairbre de Brún, has announced funding for a new package of safety measures designed to improve the security of pharmacies in Northern Ireland. M...
Northern Ireland News, Jun 27, 2002
300 new jobs bound for Belfast
The Regus Group, a multi-national organisation and leading global operator of business centres, is to open the first multi-lingual shared services development in Northern Ireland. The Group is to inv...