More Swine Flu Tragedies

There have been four new swine-flu deaths with the latest tragedies bringing to 21 the number of people who have died from H1N1 flu during the current flu season. That figure does not include the two-year-old child from the Irish Republic who died while being cared for in an intensive care unit in NI. Of the four new victims who lived locally, one was a 10-month-old baby, the others were adults. Of the 21 people who have died from the H1N1 virus, 18 had underlying medical conditions, one case is still unclear. The latest figures show 254 people in the UK have died - up from 112 last week, but overall flu activity appears to be going down - according to the experts.

Ruane Seeks End Year Funds

The Northern Ireland Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has said she is to meet the Finance Minister on Friday to discuss the loss of the End Year Flexibility funding. "I raised the issue of End Year Flexibility with Executive colleagues during the budget process and am to meet the Finance Minister to hopefully resolve the issue in relation to the current year. Schools must have certainty about the resources available to them and we have urged them not to abandon their practice of sound financial management and to avoid any unnecessary expenditure before the end of the current financial year," she said. "This issue affects not just education and I will continue to work with Executive colleagues to ensure our community does not suffer further." Westminster Treasury rules have just changed without notice so that the NI Department of Education is losing £87m, which had been set aside from an accumulated a reserve. Under the new arrangements, the money will no longer be available to schools to draw on to cover future spending plans. See: NI's Public Purse Hit As Treasury Swoops

Policing Objectives Outlined

Stormont Justice Minister David Ford has outlined new long-term policing objectives. The proposed objectives centre round the key themes of human rights, accountability, policing with the community and policing in a peaceful society. He said the public now have their chance to express their views on the objectives during the consultation period. "During this consultation I want to stimulate discussion, generate additional ideas and to challenge and probe the proposed objectives I have set out," he said. "In the coming months I look forward to working with the PSNI, with the Policing Board, and with the wider community to develop and shape the long-term policing objectives that our community needs and I would encourage all those who have an interest in what policing is about and what our police service is for, to respond to this consultation," he said. The consultation document is available on the DOJ website at www.dojni.gov.uk The consultation will run for 12 weeks until Wednesday 13 April.

Ulster Medics Slammed

Medical staff at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald has been severely criticised after a young mother and her unborn baby died. Carla McAdam, 28, from Bangor, died on 25 September 2008 after suffering an ectopic pregnancy which went undetected. This week's inquest heard there was an absence of dialogue between consultants and nurses at the hospital and that the mother and her unborn baby had been seen by a variety of consultants and midwives who failed to pass on critical notes about Ms McAdam to each other.

(BMcC/GK)