25/05/2016

Ministers Appointed To The New Assembly

A team of Ministers have been appointed to the new Assembly.

The announcement follows the appointment of Ms Claire Sugden as NI's new Justice Minister.

First Minister Arlene Foster nominated Simon Hamilton as Minister for the Economy, Peter Weir as Education Minister and Paul Givan as Minister for the Department of Communities.

Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir was named Finance Minister, Michelle O’Neill as Health Minister and Chris Hazzard as Infrastructure Minister.

The UUP and SDLP are to form an opposition.

Alliance Leader David Ford said his party cannot support the current Executive.

He said: "The Alliance Party put forward five forward-thinking proposals that would have brought radical change for Northern Ireland.

"Alliance was not prepared to compromise on what we believe are fundamental changes needed to the way Northern Ireland is governed and to the way society functions.

"While the DUP and Sinn Fein continue to abuse the petition of concern – blocking core issues for their own party gain – refusing to move on integrated education and their refusal to fully address the problem of paramilitarism on our society, Alliance cannot support the current Executive."

(CD)

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