The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed on a budget for the 2025/26 financial year following a meeting on Thursday. Finance Minister John O’Dowd said the Executive are determined to “work together to deliver.”
After Translink said they had commenced work on the introduction of Irish language signange at Belfast Grand Central Station on Tuesday morning, they have now said that work has been paused due to ‘potential legal action’.
Jessica Bamford will represent the Alliance Party on Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, after she was co-opted to replace Peter Kennedy, who stepped down due to ill health.
Speaking at the annual Northern Ireland Bureau breakfast in Washington, D.C., Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has highlighted Northern Ireland as a “place of transformation, ambition and opportunity.”
Several politicians from Northern Ireland, including Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, have met US President Donald Trump as part of celebrations for St Patrick’s Day. The President said he hadn’t heard about the boycott of the event by some parties.
Martin Hearty will represent
Sinn Féin on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, after he was co-opted to replace Aoife Finnegan in the Slieve Gullion District Electoral Area (DEA).
The new deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is Michelle McIlveen MLA, party chairman Lord Morrow has confirmed. Party leader Gavin Robinson has also been re-elected.
In the first of a new series of UK-Ireland summits, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheal Martin have spoken about their desire to further develop the relationship between the islands. They have agreed a range of commitments that they will take forward to 2030.
The announcement of the Programme for Government has been delayed after an Executive meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning was postponed, after Alliance Minister Andrew Muir said he hadn’t seen the updated document after ministers were asked for feedback.
