Other News In Brief

Irish Opposition Leader Dismayed By DUP Reaction To Brexit Proposal

Irish opposition leader Micheal Martin has condemned the DUP's reaction to the draft Brexit agreement.

Arlene Foster voiced her concern about the proposal, while East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson said his party "will not be voting for this humiliation".

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the matter requires more serious consideration than the harsh dismissal it gained from the Democratic Unionists.

"I was a bit dismayed to see people coming out very early – Sammy Wilson from the DUP, for example – even before they had read anything to do with the text, proclaiming they were going to oppose it, and people from the hard Brexiteer group as well," he said.

"I think the issue deserves better than that, and I would hope that the other parties in Britain would stand back and look at this in detail and come to a considered position on the agreement which has been reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom.”

Mr Martin added that relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic were at their lowest point in 20 years, and laid the blame on the Conservative Government and Fine Gael administration in Dublin.

Firefighters Tackle West Belfast Oil Boiler Blaze

Police have responded to a report of a fire in west Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it was called to a house on Rodney Drive to deal with an oil boiler on fire inside a house.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire and isolated the tank. Two crews from Springfield Station and Cadogan Fire Station attended the scene.

The cause of the fire was determined as accidental and was dealt with at 9.41am.

King's Hall Health Centre Plans Postponed By Council

Plans for the first phase of the £100million Health and Wellbeing Park at the King's Hall have been deferred by Belfast City Council to allow for a planning committee visit to the site.

The plans involve the refurbishment of the grade B1 listed King's Hall building and surrounding road infrastructure to be transformed into a primary care centre, out of which GPs, physiotherapists and other health professionals will operate.

It has been proposed by the partnership of Benmore and Octopus Healthcare.

The Company's Chief Executive, David Burrows said: "Whilst we understand that the Committee must feel fully informed before making such significant decisions on development proposals, we are naturally disappointed by the decision taken by Belfast City Council Planning Committee to defer the application.

"However, we welcome the opportunity to work with the Council's planning department and elected representatives to provide any additional information and the clarity required to enable a positive planning outcome and support the existing recommendation to approve."