Call For Increased Pre-School Entitlement

Sinn Féin MLA Nicola Brogan has said increased pre-school entitlement must be part of a broader approach to improve early education and childcare.

Education Minister the West Tyrone MLA said: "I welcome commitments from the Minister to progressively increase the provision of pre-school entitlement to 22.5 hours a week.

"Childcare costs are a significant burden on young families and parents, particularly at a time when people are struggling with a cost of living crisis.

"Delivery of better childcare and early education must be grounded on evidence based planning and that requires the department to bring forward a review of current provision and the development of a childcare strategy to meet the needs of parents, children and childcare workers in the north.

"We need an Executive up and running now to deliver a childcare strategy and to extend pre-school entitlement."

PM Urged To Support NI Households Impacted By Energy Costs

Ulster Unionist Party Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MLA has urged the Prime Minister to ensure that support for households impacted by increasing energy costs is swiftly delivered to Northern Ireland.

Mr Allen said: "The additional measures announced today by the Prime Minister are welcome, however, in the absence of an Executive it is imperative these measures are swiftly delivered to Northern Ireland.

"The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, has stated that the same level of support will be made available to households in Northern Ireland.

"However the important question is how will it be delivered and when? As we already know when equivalent support under the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme was announced by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, it took several months before minds were focused on delivering this scheme to Northern Ireland, with households still in the dark as to when they will receive it. The same cannot happen with these support measures.

"Households across Northern Ireland, many of whom are beyond crisis point, are not in a position to wait. In the absence of an Executive this support needs to be swiftly made available to the people of Northern Ireland. With each passing day that the support is not delivered here, it will result in more people coming to harm."

Belfast Trust Urged To Ensure Neurology Patients Get Access To The Truth

Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín has said the Belfast Trust must ensure all patients affected by the Neurology scandal get access to the truth about what happened to them.

The North Belfast MLA said: "It is disappointing that the cases of a further 19 neurology patients are being reviewed by the Belfast Trust in what is the fifth recall to date, in a scandal which has affected thousands of patients.

"It is vital these patients are reviewed as soon as possible.

"The continuous drip feed of recalls has been very traumatic and very damaging for former patients of Michael Watt and the Belfast Trust.

"These former patients and their families are entitled to thorough and transparent investigation of this scandal which leaves no stone unturned in establishing the truth and providing whatever redress is necessary to patients.

"It is unacceptable that these former patients are still waiting for truth and accountability.

"The Belfast Trust must ensure that all patients affected by the Neurology scandal are kept up to date throughout this process."