Derry Lights Out

Some 1,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity in Londonderry on Wednesday evening after a fault with an underground cable. The fault also caused near-chaos on the already snowy roads as motorists had to navigate treacherous roads in the dark without traffic lights. However, NIE said power was restored to 800 homes in the Laurence Hill/Northland Road area within 20 minutes.

Poetry At QUB

Queen's University will honour poet and literary critic, Professor Helen Vendler, tomorrow (Friday). She will be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Literature for distinction in literature, during Queen's Winter Graduations. Professor Ed Larrissy, Head of the School of English at Queen's, will deliver the citation and said: "Professor Vendler is one of the leading literary critics of our day. Her books on Seamus Heaney, WB Yeats, John Keats and Wallace Stevens are vital reference works for poetry scholars, students and critics around the world," he said, noting that Professor Vendler has also been a judge for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for poetry.

Oil Storage In Focus

The NI Environment Minister Edwin Poots has announced new regulations to control the storage of oil above ground and to include a 'bund' wall. Introduced under the Water Framework Directive, they apply to the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors including waste oil storage facilities and to companies who refine or distribute oil. They introduce similar requirements to those already in place in the rest of the UK. "Even a small amount of oil can cause a great deal of harm because of the way in which it spreads and it can make water totally unsuitable for drinking, recreational purposes, industrial and agricultural uses," said the DUP Minister. "These Regulations set minimum design standards for above ground oil storage facilities and provide a legal requirement for the standards to be met," he concluded, noting that a key requirement of the regulations is for the storage container to have a secondary containment system (or bund) for any leaking or spilt oil.

Elderly Care Move Welcomed

Stormont Junior Ministers Robin Newton and Gerry Kelly have welcomed the final step to appoint an Older People's Commissioner here. Speaking as the legislation to establish a Commissioner reached its Final Stage Debate in the Assembly, Junior Minister Newton said: "We never cease to be impressed with the energy and passion displayed by older people when they get an opportunity to have their voices heard. The establishment of an Older People's Commissioner here will provide another strong voice. This is a groundbreaking development. With the exception of Wales, no other European country has a Commissioner of this type. This is a landmark piece of legislation brought forward by this Assembly. It is another example of a local Assembly responding to the needs of local people," he said. "Now that the legislation has reached this critical stage, we intend to establish a Commissioner for Older People as soon as possible." Meanwhile, Junior Minister Kelly said: "By bringing forward this legislation and establishing a Commissioner for Older People now, we are taking a longer-term view of the issues of an ageing population to ensure that older people here have the strong voice and protection that they deserve."

Kennedy Backs Finance

The NI Minister for Employment and Learning, Danny Kennedy, has launched an initiative aimed at strengthening the financial services sector. The launch took place at the headquarters of Santander in Belfast, and the Minister commented: "There is a real opportunity to strengthen the Financial Services sector here. To be able to do this, however, we need to be able to attract a steady flow of talented young people into the industry. Through the activities outlined in this Plan, we want to show young people that a career in financial services can be exciting and varied. We also need to reach out to parents and careers teachers to reassure them that the sector can offer good quality career opportunities. Employers are a vital component in the Action Plan. They will be at the forefront of these activities, driving progress and inspiring a whole new generation of young people to consider a career in this vibrant industry," he said. Hosting the launch was Bernadette Brown of Santander UK who is Chair of the Future Skills Action Group, which was tasked with forecasting current and future skills needs in the Financial Services industry and overseeing the coordination of resources and existing activity in the sector.

(BMcC/KMcA)