Other NI News In Brief

'Viable Device' Defused

A device found outside a house in north Belfast has been dealt with by an Army bomb squad. The PSNI said they were called when the device was discovered in the garden of the house at Cliftonville Road and found that the object as "a viable device". The police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Highjack Girl Freed

A nine-year-old girl was last night forced out of a hijacked car that had just been reversed into a wall in south Belfast by the thieves. The child's 25-year-old brother was punched in the face by one of three men who forced him out of the car parked behind a pizzeria on the Lisburn Road. The men reversed into the wall, before driving away. The girl was then put out of the car after a short distance and was able to make her way back to the pizzeria at around 5.30pm on Wednesday. The car was driven away towards Shaftesbury Square with no lights on and was later found burnt out at Albert Street in west Belfast.

Irish Jail For IRA Men

Three men from NI have been jailed for membership of the IRA at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. The men were convicted last month after being arrested by Gardaí who had received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a "tiger kidnapping" in Co Donegal. Gerard McGarrigle (46) of Mount Carmel Heights, Strabane, Co Tyrone, Desmond Donnelly (58) of Drumall, Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh, and Jim Murphy (63) of Floraville, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, had each denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself on the Irish Republican Army called Oglaigh na hÉireann on February 22 last. The three men were convicted last month. This week, the court jailed McGarrigle for five years and Murphy and Donnelly for three years and nine months each. The men were arrested at an Irish police checkpoint outside Letterkenny last February.

Prawn Catch 'Saved'

Deep cuts to the prawn fishing quota for NI have been avoided following marathon talks in Europe. Stormont Fisheries Minister Michelle Gildernew expressed relief this week after the European Commission decided on a 3% reduction. Local fishermen have been pressing for restrictions on prawn and other seafood fishing to be eased. Ms Gildernew said: "This was a very complex negotiation. I fully respect the need to have sustainable fisheries but I believe that within this approach there was scope for a lesser cut on nephrops (prawns)," she said, noting that the EC had proposed a 17% cut in the quota, which was resisted by the minister. A 10% increase in herring was secured. There was a 25% cut in cod and a 10% reduction in haddock.

Protect Front Line Health: SF

The Sinn Fein Health Spokesperson Michelle O'Neill has stated that after this week's Stormont Budget was published, there is an onus now on the Health Minister Micheal McGimpsey to allocate his resources to 'frontline services' and those most in need. "What the Health Minister must ensure is that Social Services are not the poor relation in any spending over the next four years. Within this draft Budget the Minister has the freedom to direct resources at those most in need. Social services are a key provider in this sector and must get adequate resourcing. I will be stating very clearly to the Minster that the focus must be placed firmly on the protection of all integrated health and social care services," she said.

Post Office Festive Closures

Royal Mail is reminding customers of delivery and collection arrangements and Post Office branch opening hours over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. There will be a normal delivery with an earlier afternoon collection service from all postboxes on Christmas Eve, Friday, 24 December. There will be no deliveries or collections on Christmas Day, 25 December; the Boxing Day holiday on Monday, 27 December and Tuesday, 28 December. Normal service will resume on Wednesday, 29 December. On New Year's Eve, Friday, 31 December there will be a normal delivery with an earlier afternoon collection service from all postboxes. There will be no deliveries or collections on New Year’s Day, Saturday, 1 January or Monday, 3 January. Normal service will resume on Tuesday, 4 January. Main Post Office branches will close on Christmas Eve, Friday, 24 December at 12.00 noon. Opening hours of other branches may vary across the network and customers are advised to check their local branch for details. Post Office branches will be closed on Christmas Day, 25 December; the Boxing Day holiday, 27 December and Tuesday, 28 December. Branches will reopen on Wednesday, 29 December. Normal service will resume on Tuesday, 4 January 2011.

Fuel Poverty Tackled

Local fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action and firmus energy hosted an information and engagement event at the House of Lords earlier this week to brief local MPs about fuel poverty and how Westminster can help. It was hosted by Baroness May Blood, who discussed the profile of NI at Westminster and the impact that fuel poverty has on the health of the people. She told the MPs that 44% of households in NI are experiencing fuel poverty - a figure that is much higher than the rest of the UK. In England, 15% of households are fuel poor, in Scotland almost 27% and in Wales 20%. The event was attended by a number of MPs and representatives from Age NI, the University of Ulster, Barnados, Bryson the Charity and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation.

(BMcC/GK)