College Firemen Praised

The fire officers who 'saved' the Theological College in Belfast at the weekend have been praised by the NI Public Safety Minister, Michael McGimpsey. He said yesterday that eight fire appliances tackled the blaze at the Principal's House which was being renovated. They worked for most of Saturday to put the fire out. "I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of the many fire fighters who worked so diligently to save this very historic and prestigious building. I am sorry to hear that two fire fighters were injured as they tackled this fire. However I welcome the news that they are both well and back on duty. We should all take a lot of comfort from the fact that Northern Ireland has one of the best Fire and Rescue services in the UK."

Builders Bust

Two Northern Ireland construction firms have gone into administration. Eassda Ltd of Templepatrick, owned by the Jackson family, went to the administrators BDO last week and Euro Construction Corporation of Waringstown, owned by businessman Raymond Acheson, is being administered by KPMG from this week. Both companies have significant investments in the Republic. According to the BBC, Eassda was put into administration after a winding-up petition was lodged against them over an unpaid tax bill.

Beating Bullies

The NI Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has voiced her support for Anti-Bullying Week which focuses this year on travelling to and from school, free from bullying. She said: "This year's challenging theme is a reminder to us all that bullying is not only an issue for our schools. Bullying can rear its ugly head in many forms such as racist, homophobic, gender or cyberbullying. Only by working together can schools, parents, transport providers and everyone in our community, help to ensure that one less child wakes up on a school day with anticipation and fear," she said.

Sustainable Energies 'Key To Prosperity'

Northern Ireland must grasp the opportunities sustainable energy offers if it is to prosper, the Energy Minister has said. Arlene Foster said the province must be put on a definite path in order to secure its energy future. Minister Foster told delegates at the annual Northern Ireland Energy Conference, in Belfast, her department's 40% renewable electricity target had received a positive response during the consultation process. "Global agreement will only work if action is taken at the local level. Climate change brings dangers but it also brings opportunities," she said. "If Northern Ireland is to prosper we will need to grasp those opportunities."

Students Compete

Over 1,400 local students have made their mark on Global Entrepreneurship Week by taking part in a national competition which aims to help young people gain business skills for the future. Funded locally by Invest Northern Ireland and sponsored by the Department of Education, the Make Your Mark Challenge saw 1,434 NI students aged 14-19, representing 42 post primary schools and colleges, take up the challenge to develop a profitable, original business idea based on a secret brief revealed online at midnight on 15 November. With a carbon neutral theme, teams of four to six young people spent yesterday locked in discussions on various business ideas inspired by something local which would minimise any impact on the environment. The Northern Ireland final judging session will take place on 27 November and the winning teams will progress to the UK final in London in December, where they will have an opportunity to win £1,000 to further develop their concept.

Step Up, Says MLA

East Antrim MLA Ken Robinson has spoken of his support for the University of Ulster's Step Up To Science programme and his hope that it will be expanded to cover primary and secondary schools in the East Antrim area. The former primary school principal, said: "The University's Step Up initiative has been running in secondary schools in the Belfast area for some years now with great success. The introduction of the Primary School Engagement Programme into feeder primary schools will compliment the activities at secondary level and hopefully encourage children to maintain an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths and consider university degrees in related areas."

Prison Consultation Underway

The NIO Prisons' Minister Paul Goggins yesterday announced the commencement of a consultation exercise on new Offender Management Policies developed by the Northern Ireland Prison Service. The new Offender Management process, introduced to meet the requirements of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008, is central to the way in which the service will support the progression of sentenced prisoners in the justice system. It sets out the arrangements for offender management, the procedures which will support it and operational standards. Monday's announcement is the first of a series of consultations the Prison Service is to conduct on new policies being developed to support the new sentencing framework.

(BMcC/GK)