Other NI News In Brief

'More To Do' On Prisons

Prisons' Minister Paul Goggins has welcomed the publication of the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) Report on the 'Treatment of Vulnerable Prisoners By The Northern Ireland Prison Service'. The inspection was carried out during July and August of this year, at the request of the Minister to assess the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Prisoner Ombudsman’s Report of January 2009 into the death of Colin Bell in Maghaberry Prison. The Minister welcomed its recognition of the hard work undertaken by the Prison Service to ensure that the operational service failures of the past would not be repeated. He also accepted that there was still more to do, particularly in relation to some of the most critical elements of the Ombudsman's Report. Inspectors found the daily regime for vulnerable prisoners had changed little between an inspection in January and a follow-up visit in the summer. The latest inspection was ordered after the death of prisoner Colin Bell in Maghaberry jail in August 2008.

DNA Re-opens Cardy Case

A PSNI review of a child murder case some years ago may have produced new forensic and DNA evidence which has now led to a suspect, Robert Black, being charged with the murder of a nine-year-old schoolgirl in 1981. Jennifer Cardy was abducted and killed near Lisburn while cycling to a friend's house. Mr Black, 62, was born in Scotland but is resident in England. He has been served with a summons charging him with the murder. It is understood he was working in NI at time of the murder. He is expected to appear in court at a later date.

Faulty Buses Slammed

It emerged this week that nearly 300 private bus operators in NI could face prosecution after their vehicles failed to pass spot inspections. The Driver and Vehicle Agency carried out 903 checks on buses and coaches over the past two years. A total of 281 operators were reported with a view to prosecution. The agency said the most common reasons for failure were because the vehicle was unroadworthy, inadequate insurance, or the driver had no bus licence. Leisure and nightclub runs were mostly to blame.

Denmark Waste In Focus

The NI Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, has this week outlined the importance of the introduction of energy from waste facilities for Northern Ireland. The Minister was speaking ahead of his visit to some of Denmark's leading waste facilities, including the Vestforbraending Waste to Energy plant near Copenhagen. "Local government is embarking on a major programme of waste infrastructure procurement, requiring investment estimated to be in excess of £550 million, with a commitment by the Executive to contribute £200 million towards that. I must see at first hand, and understand, the type of facilities that we are seeking to develop. Energy from waste has to be a key feature of the NI's waste management strategy, and I am looking forward to seeing and hearing how effectively this has become a core element of Danish national energy policy," he said.

High School Gets Green Light

Northern Ireland Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has given the go ahead for a new, £9m Magherafelt High School. "It is essential that while I am implementing reforms to raise educational standards we are providing the highest quality accommodation for our young people," said the Minister. "The closure of Maghera High School and the transfer of the pupils to Magherafelt High School has presented some accommodation difficulties and against this background I am now pleased that this new school can go ahead. "The first phase of the new Magherafelt High School will accommodate 500 pupils in first-class buildings and I would hope the construction can begin early next year for completion within two years."

Agri-Postgraduate Boost

The annual Postgraduate Agriculture and Food Research Awards for the academic year beginning October 2010 have been launched. Announcing the awards, Michelle Gildernew, the Agriculture Minister, said: "My department's commitment to research is long established and we currently fund twenty-four PhD students who are carrying out three year research projects. Earlier this year, we launched our first Evidence and Innovation Strategy. The Strategy will provide an over-arching framework for all DARD funded R&D for the next five - ten years, including our 2010 Postgraduate Studentships. We also held our first Postgraduate seminar in September, when final year PhD students presented their work to researchers, students and some of my Policy and Delivery staff," she said, noting that postgraduate research is "one of the key mechanisms by which we can secure the research identified in our strategy to inform our policies and to promote innovation in the agri-food industry and our wider rural communities".

(BMcC/KMcA)