Other News In Brief

Contractors To Start Resurfacing Work In Warrenpoint

Contractors are to start resurfacing work in Warrenpoint.

Work on the £380,000 carriageway scheme is to take place on the Upper Dromore Road and is to begin on Wednesday, 15 August.

The resurfacing work will extend a distance of approximately 1.8km from St Marks School to Greenan Road.

A daily weekday road closure (Monday – Friday) between the hours of 8am and 6pm from Wednesday 15 August until Friday 24 August. During the times a diversion will be in place via Greenan Road, Old Warrenpoint Road, Newry Road, Newry Street, Church Street and Duke Street. Diversionary routes will be clearly signed and local access for residents will be maintained at all times during the works.

Work is expected to be completed by 24 August however this will be dependent on the progress of the scheme and on favourable weather conditions.

Call for Opt-Out Organ Donation System To Be Extended In NI

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson, Roy Beggs MLA, has welcomed the announcement from the UK Government that a new opt-out system for organ donation will be in place across England by 2020.

He has warned however that unless it is also extended here, Northern Ireland will soon be the only part of the United Kingdom without an opt-out system.

He said: "Organ donation is one of the most selfless acts of kindness one person can do for another. Whilst it continues to have strong public support, unfortunately there remains a shortfall between the number of donors and the actual number of organs needed each year.

"Tragically that means people are continuing to pass away each and every year in Northern Ireland whilst waiting for a transplant.

"The decision by the UK Government to introduce an opt-out system in England is therefore very welcome and I am sure it will save hundreds of lives every year. It follows similar decisions already taken in Scotland and Wales.

"Sadly however, in the ongoing absence of an Executive at Stormont, and after a previous attempt to introduce an opt-out system here in 2016 was scuppered by the DUP and Sinn Fein for primarily political reasons, Northern Ireland will soon have the most out-dated and inadequate organ donation system of any part of the UK."

DUP Dismisses Call For Second Vote On Leaving EU

The DUP's Brexit spokesman and East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has dismissed Justine Greening's call for a second vote on leaving the EU as a "hare-brained, divisive and duplicitous proposal".

He said: "Most alarmingly in this proposal is how a second referendum would totally undermine the United Kingdom's negotiating position with the European Union. The chance of a second vote would only harden the determination of the already belligerent Brussels bureaucrats to give the United Kingdom the worst deal possible. The EU would wield massive influence over the result in any second vote.

"This proposal also ignores two previous referendum results.

"Firstly, the alternative vote system has already been rejected at a referendum. Clearly by clinging to this voting system, Ms Greening, as a self-confessed remainer, feels it would be the best way of overturning the June 2016 result.

"Secondly, she continues to ignore the will of the United Kingdom electorate. Indeed, there is little doubt that if there was a second referendum and its result didn't suit Ms Greening and her remainer cabal, they would want a third referendum."

(CD)