Northern Ireland News for September 2001

Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
British Airways decision “bad news” for province
Regional Development Minister, Gregory Campbell, has described the decision by British Airways to discontinue flights between Belfast International Airport and London Heathrow as “bad news” for Northe...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
Tourism sector affirms commitment to ‘impact review’
Tourism Ireland, the new all-Ireland tourism body, has stressed its commitment to a full and detailed ‘impact review’ on the sector’s market potential in the aftermath of the US terror attacks. Affir...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
ICT company makes e-learning commitment to Ireland
Tánaiste Mary Harney has announced the expansion of the Transware pilot facility in Sligo, which is expected to create 290 jobs over the next five years. The Tánaiste said "This investment is of con...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Attack on school bus widely condemned
Friday’s attack on a school bus carrying children to an integrated college has received broad condemnation from all political sectors in Northern Ireland. The attack took place on Friday morning when...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Criticism levelled at women’s representation on Police Board
Women’s Coalition Assembly member Jane Morrice has expressed shock and outrage at the lack of gender balance on the Police Board following revelations that only two out of 19 Board positions will be t...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Flanagan calls on politicians to help end north Belfast violence
Northern Ireland's Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan has called on community and political leaders to make an effort to bring several nights of fierce rioting in north Belfast to an end. The Chief ...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
MOT tests gets £57 million overhaul
A £57 million investment by the DOE Driver & Vehicle Testing Agency is set to revolutionise the MOT in Northern Ireland. Minister of the Environment Sam Foster has revealed that DVTA customers can lo...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
Analysts warn of decrease in mortgage demand
The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has warned of a possible slowdown in the levels of mortgage lending. While levels of mortgage lending showed an increase during August, analysts have predicted...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
St Columb’s College achieves IiP status
St Columb’s College grammar school in Derry has been presented with the prestigious Investor in People Award. Investors in People is a nationally recognised standard that links an organisation’s trai...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Health minister voices concerns over budget allocation
Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bairbre de Brún has welcomed the recent publication of the draft budget, but has warned that the proposed level of funding for the department wo...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
RUC change policy to ensure fewer false alarms
The RUC is upgrading its policy on Electronic Security Systems to ensure fewer false alarms and a more efficient police response to genuine alerts. According to the police, during the past year, 95 p...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Six join battle for SDLP Deputy Leadership
Nominations for the SDLP leader and deputy leader positions have all been received ahead of the closing date. The closing date for nominations for the SDLP leadership contest came on Friday September...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
CBI Chairman calls for decommissioning
CBI Northern Ireland Chairman, Mark Ennis, has called upon the province’s paramilitary groups to disarm, and in doing so, to “take the initiative” on the issue of decommissioning. Mr Ennis was speaki...
Business News, Sep 28, 2001
Federation calls for Government action on VAT
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has criticised the Government’s failure to address the issue of VAT on domestic repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) work. While the FMB has welcomed rec...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Reid issues UDA with ceasefire warning
The Secretary of State Dr John Reid has announced that he will not be declaring the Ulster Defence Association ceasefire over, in light of a peace pledge made by the loyalist paramilitary group on Fri...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
University of Ulster opens £2m Coleraine science park
The University of Ulster has opened the doors of a new £2 million Science Innovation Centre at its Coleraine campus. The investment, which will create up to 100 jobs, will offer facilities for new bi...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 28, 2001
Conference debates future regional transport options
A major transportation conference in Belfast has focused on the practical implementation of a Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS) that can meet the requirements of both rural and urban areas of Nor...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Dairy herd slaughtered because Institute failed to carry out tests
A dairy herd worth £1.3 million was slaughtered because the Agricultural Research Unit in Northern Ireland has failed to carry out disease tests on cattle, according to a report by the Northern Irelan...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
UUP in discussions with Fianna Fail
Ulster Unionists have travelled to Dublin for discussions with Fianna Fail in an attempt to win support for their current policies. The UUP delegation consisted of MLA Michael McGimpsey, MLA Dermot N...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Trimble urges Reid to appoint unionist as chair of Police Board
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has urged the Secretary of State in a letter to appoint a unionist as the chairman of the new Police Board. In a strongly worded letter to Dr John Reid Mr Trimble...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Multi-million Nypro project to create 400 jobs
Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, has announced the establishment of Nypro Waterford Ltd, a new company located at Waterford Industrial Estate. It is exp...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Politicians rally to help ease job cuts at Shorts
Community leaders and politicians in Belfast have called on the government to help the area deal with huge job losses planned at the aerospace company Shorts. Shorts, which is owned by the Canadian c...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Call centre provides 68 new jobs in Portadown
An IDB backed call centre on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown is set to provide 68 jobs over the next eighteen months. Enterprise Minster Sir Reg Empey announced the new IDB investment on Thursday Sept...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Gun and bomb attacks injure 33 police officers
Thirty-three police officers were injured as a result of gun and bomb attacks on September 26 in the Ardoyne area. Loyalists on Cambrai Street and the Crumlin Road threw six blast bombs, 125 petrol b...
Business News, Sep 27, 2001
Opec opts to hold steady on oil prices
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has chosen to hold prices steady in order to avoid criticism of profiting from current tensions between the West and the Middle East. The deci...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Northern Ireland companies connect to the Internet
Northern Ireland companies and organisations have been congratulated for seizing the opportunities of the Information Age and recognising the potential of the Internet. Praise for Northern Ireland’s ...
Business News, Sep 27, 2001
Marconi shares hit all-time low as company rated “worthless”
Shares in beleaguered telecoms equipment manufacturer Marconi, have fallen to an all-time low after City analysts rated the company’s value as ‘worthless’. Investors in the company have seen Marconi’...
Business News, Sep 27, 2001
Industrial Society aids the search for management talent
Business advisory organisation The Industrial Society has joined forces with online executive recruitment company Executives-Direct in an initiative designed to give their members the edge in the figh...
Business News, Sep 27, 2001
Level of consumer confidence in the UK remains unclear
The extent to which the US terror attacks have impacted upon the UK economy is still unclear, as several new surveys reveal contradictory levels of consumer confidence. Echoing an earlier warning gi...
Northern Ireland News, Sep 27, 2001
Health and social services complaints procedure is re-evaluated
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety published an evaluation of the NHS complaints procedure this week. The ‘NHS Complaints Procedure National Evaluation’ report reviewed curre...