Other News In Brief

Fall In NI's Private Construction Activity 'Another Alarm Bell' - RUSA

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RUSA) has described the latest fall in Northern Ireland's private sector construction activity as "another alarm bell for the wider economy".

Official statistics published on Thursday revealed construction output in NI for the first quarter of 2018 fell by 6% over the last 12 months.

The fall was driven by a marked slump in private sector activity, which was down 12% when compared with the same quarter last year. However, public sector work increased by 3% over the same period.

RSUA Director, Ciarán Fox, said the fall "suggests that Brexit and the absence of devolved Government has knocked private sector confidence and that investment is being held back as a result".

"Whilst public sector output has held up well over the last year we have serious concerns about the next 12 months due to uncertainty over which publicly funded projects are going to proceed to design stage and then on to site," he said.

"It is now vitally important that public sector clients provide specific details of which construction projects can proceed without Ministerial approval and which ones cannot."

NI Falls Further Behind On Relationship And Sex Education

Alliance Councillor Kate Nicholl has warned Northern Ireland is falling further and further behind the rest of the UK when it comes to developing relationship and sex education in schools.

The Belfast City Councillor made the comments as steps forward on the issue were made across England and Wales.

She said: "The UK government has taken major strides forward when it comes to standardising Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools, yet without an Executive in place Northern Ireland risks slipping further and further behind.

"Sex education in Northern Ireland is seriously lacking - along with leadership on this and many other issues. By failing to talk to children and young people about safe and healthy relationships, we are leaving them open to being completely unprepared for the relationships they will continue to have regardless. Rather than allowing them to confidently make informed choices, we are setting them up to make choices without all the relevant facts - a move that could lead to life changing outcomes."

PM Called To Bring An End To The Political Drift In NI

An Ulster Unionist delegation have called on the Prime Minister to take control of the situation in Northern Ireland to bring an end to the political drift.

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Robin Swann MLA said: "Northern Ireland is being offered no certainty on Brexit. This is both due to not having an Assembly and Executive in place, but it is also a result of some of the shenanigans going on in Westminster where party political manoeuvres and future career prospects seem to be taking precedence over the national interest.

"As Unionists we are seriously concerned with the uncertainty in the direction of travel of negotiations. The Prime Minister is keen to underline that her party is the Conservative and Unionist Party, meanwhile there are members in Westminster who are pursuing an agenda that I believe threatens our Union.

"It is time for MPs to stop negotiating amongst themselves on Brexit and concentrate on direct negotiations with the EU. We need a deal, we need a sensible deal and we need a deal which benefits all our people and protects the integrity of the United Kingdom against those who seek to use Brexit as a proxy to attempt to break up our nation. It's time to put the focus on the EU negotiators who have been conspicuously silent.

"Our message to the Prime Minister was that this part of the United Kingdom is as deserving of good governance as England, Scotland or Wales. We asked her to take control of the situation."

(CD)