Minister Praises Young People From Portadown

Sinn Féin MLA and Junior Minister Jennifer McCann has praised young people from Portadown for their contribution towards reconciliation and their vision of a more positive future.

Speaking at an event in Craigavon, celebrating the social benefits of sport, the West Belfast MLA said: "At a time when the news can be dominated by violence and destruction, the young people of Portadown have clearly made a positive difference to their community.

"Programmes like CURBS which encourages young people from different community backgrounds to come together through a range of activities has helped build new friendships across the Portadown interface.

"Work such as this, carried out at a grass root level, is crucial to reconciliation as it challenges the divisions that we can create through attitudes and our lack of tolerance and empathy with others.

"The young people of Portadown are to be commended in the way they have, through sport and other activities, opened minds and changed negative attitudes which result in mistrust and division."

Ryobi Creates 85 New Jobs

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has commended Ryobi Aluminium Casting (UK) Limited in Carrickfergus on its continued commitment to growth in the automotive sector.

The Japanese owned company manufactures aluminium die cast products for the European automotive market.

Speaking following a recent visit to the company's premises, Arlene Foster said: "Ryobi Aluminium Casting has made significant investments in recent years to help sustain its competitive position in the global automotive industry.

"Broadening its customer base by introducing new products and implementing measures to improve its cost efficiencies and enhance its machinery has helped Ryobi to sustain employment at the Carrickfergus plant and has also created 85 new jobs."

Call For BELB To Resolve Hazelwood Dispute Immediately

Ulster Unionist Education spokesperson and Vice Chair of the Education Committee, Danny Kinahan MLA, has demanded the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB) take immediate steps to resolve the dispute which has left 200 pupils at Hazelwood Integrated College in north Belfast locked out of their classrooms.

Mr Kinahan said: "The Belfast Education & Library Board must resolve this issue as a matter of priority so that Hazelwood pupils can access their classrooms and get on with their education.

"There is no time to wait for the Board's next meeting, this is an issue to which there is an obvious solution and they need to get the remaining documents drawn up now, not next week or whenever bureaucracy can be bothered to schedule the next formal meeting.

"The issue is very straightforward and comes down to a basic failure of administration, by the lack of a tenancy agreement being agreed between the school and the Board. It is nothing less than shameful that as a result of that failure, the BELB has decreed that 200 pupils are paying the price."

(CD/JP)