Other News In Brief

City Hall Service Marks 112th Anniversary Of Titanic Sinking

A short service to mark 112 years since the sinking of RMS Titanic has been held at the Titanic Memorial at Belfast City Hall today, Monday 15 April.

Susie Millar, President of Belfast Titanic Society, and Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy, laid wreathes to remember the lives of the 1,512 people who perished at sea in the early hours of 15 April 1912 after the Belfast-built RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage.

The annual event is organised by Belfast Titanic Society.

Major Roadworks Scheme Underway In Comber

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has announced that a £460,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme on U9107 Belfast Road in Comber has gotten underway today, Monday 15 April 2024.

The scheme will involve 900 metres of carriageway resurfacing and footway reconstruction of the Belfast Road from the main A22 Belfast Road to the Mill Street junction.

Department Minister John O'Dowd said: "This substantial investment for the Comber area will deliver significant benefits for residents and road users and demonstrates my commitment to improving our road network, which is vital for connecting our businesses and communities. This work which will greatly improve the strength and surface quality of this section of the road network is expected to be substantially completed by Friday 5 July 2024. I would like to thank residents, local businesses and commuters for their patience while this essential infrastructure work is carried out."

To facilitate the safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to implement a series of weekday lane and road closures from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm, from Monday 15 April 2024 through to Friday 5 July 2024. The road will be open to traffic overnight and at the weekends.

SDLP Raise Concerns Of Children Impacted By Waiting Lists

The SDLP has said that "many children are being failed by the long wait for healthcare". Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath made the comment after the publishing of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report 'Worried and waiting: A review of paediatric waiting times in Northern Ireland'.

South Down MLA Mr McGrath said: "The waiting times that this report has highlighted are an embarrassment. The failure of our politics to function the way it should and the lack of a transformation plan has left children facing longer waits for care, with a significant negative impact on the lives of many children and their families.

"This report lays bare the real need that there is in our community for health services that cater to our young people, and how these services have been on a downward trajectory over the last eight years in particular.

"Giving our children and young people the best possible start in life is critical if we are to ensure they reach their full potential. However, there are many barriers out there and children are being let down in a number of areas - poverty, deprivation, access to services and indeed timely access to them to mention just a few.

"This report offers solutions that have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of children across the North. However, we need the Minister to hear those solutions so he can bring them to the Executive and most importantly, implement the changes necessary. It was regrettable that the Minister did not attend the RCPCH event at Stormont on Monday to hear the voices of the young people who contributed to this report.

"We're two months on from the restoration of the institutions and I would sincerely hope the Minister and his Executive colleagues are ready to begin bringing forward some legislative solutions to the myriad of problems impacting our health service, patients and staff. It is unacceptable that young people in particular should have to worry about waiting lists, yet disgracefully, that is the position we are now in as the crisis within our health service deepens."