Man Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A man has been convicted for claiming benefits he was not entitled to at Newry Magistrates' Court.

James McQuade, 27, of Camlough Road, Bessbrook, claimed Income Support, Carers Allowance and Housing Benefit totalling £2,284 while failing to declare employment.

He was fined £500 and ordered to pay an offenders levy of £15 and court costs of £52.

He is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

Alliance Warns Of Dangers Of Not Passing Welfare Legislation

The Alliance Leader has warned of the dangers of not passing the welfare legislation next week. David Ford was speaking following a meeting between the five main parties and the Secretary of State.

Mr Ford MLA said: "There has been a lot of talk about protecting the most vulnerable through the welfare system, but the reality is that we also protect the vulnerable through the delivery of public services such as health, justice and training.

"At the Stormont House and Castle talks, we reached a reasonable agreement which balanced the protection of welfare payments with the continued delivery of public services. Alliance is committed to ensure we get the welfare legislation through the Assembly next week.

"If welfare powers are handed back to Westminster, we would be left with the full GB version of welfare reform without the protections and flexibilities that we have agreed upon for Northern Ireland."

OFMDFM Fail To Respond To Report From Children's And Young People's Commissioner

Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, has expressed astonishment that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister have yet to give a formal response to a report from the Children's and Young People's Commissioner which was first submitted in 2007.

Mr Nesbitt said: "The first review report was submitted to OFMDFM in May 2007, clearly sat on the shelf, and led to the need to commission a second review in 2013. Here we are in mid-May 2015, and the Commission still await a formal response to a report that includes no fewer than twelve recommendations.

"As one of the Sinn Féin members of the OFMDFM Committee put it today when the matter was discussed, this is both incomprehensible and unacceptable.

"This is a serious failure by OFMDFM and needs urgent redress."

(CD/JP)