Enright Welcomes Council Cash Reserve U-Turn
DOWN District Downpatrick Councillor Cadogan Enright’s has welcomed a decision taken to allow “excessive cash reserves” in the Council to be used to help keep the next round of rates at a lower level preventing a huge hike being passed on to the ratepayer. Down News understands that these cash reserves can now be used by the Council to draw down which were previously unavailable.
Read more: Enright Welcomes Council Cash Reserve U-Turn
Tributes For The Late Councillor Peter Craig
THE flag is currently flying at half mast at Down District Council's headquarters following the death of SDLP Councillor Peter Craig who passed away on the early hours on Sunday 1 January 2012. Leading the many tributes, Down District Council Chairman, Councillor Dermot Curran said: "I am deeply saddened at losing Councillor Craig as my party colleague and will miss his wisdom and support. He was an unfailingly considerate and courteous man and my thoughts are with his wife Angela and family at this very sad time."
Read more: Tributes For The Late Councillor Peter Craig
SDLP Select Rogers To Replace Ritchie At Assembly
NEWRY and Mourne Councillor Sean Rogers has been selected by SDLP party members to replace South Down MP Margaret Ritchie in the Assembly during a selection convention held in the Burrendale Hotel in Newcastle.
Sean Rogers is a father of five children. He is a former principal of St Louis Grammar School in Kilkeel and is a long-serving community worker in his local parish and GAA club.
Read more: SDLP Select Rogers To Replace Ritchie
Sinn Féin Refuse To Nominate To New District PCSP
AT a meeting at Down District Council last night (24th October), Sinn Féin refused to nominate their three representatives to the new Police and Community Safety Partnership for the district. The item on the agenda was discussed privately ‘In Committee’.
The PCSB’s are being set up across Northern Ireland and will replace the current system of Community Safety Partnerships and District Policing Boards that is in place. It is expected that the PCSB’s will be operating by early summer next year.
Local Downpatrick Sinn Féin Councillor Liam Johnston said after these meeting, “We did not nominate our representatives because our party at Northern Ireland level is still not happy with a number of issues and we are in discussion about them with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Alliance Leader Visits Newcastle
ALLIANCE Deputy Leader Naomi Long MP has visited Newcastle to meet with Down District Alliance Councillor Patrick Clarke to discuss growing the local economy, promoting tourism and work in relation to building a shared future.
Naomi Long MP said, “I met with Newcastle Councillor Patrick Clarke to discuss the work he is doing in Down District Council and to discuss growing the local economy and promoting tourism . We talked about the importance of the tourism industry to local growth and the impact that the global economic situation is having on homes and business in the area.
Ritchie Supports Call For Definition On Collusion
FOLLOWING the findings of the Police Ombudsman over the Loughinisland Massacre, SDLP Leader and South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has said there must be legislation on the definition of collusion to strengthen the Police Ombudsman’s Office and enable the community to deal with the tragedies of the past and move to the future.
Ms Ritchie was speaking during a Stormont motion calling for restoration of confidence in the Office of Police Ombudsman on Monday.
She said, “The failure of the Ombudsman to reach the conclusion of collusion in the Loughinisland Report has piled more grief and hurt onto the families of those murdered.
