Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has welcomed the benefits of collaboration between PRONI and Conflict Archive on the INternet (CAIN).

Finance Minister, Conor Murphy is encouraging businesses eligible for the £5,000 and £10,000 top up grant schemes being administered by Land & Property Services to go online and apply.

I have in recent weeks had many grass maintenance related issues from residents about council-maintained areas – for example drying areas in council housing estates like Logie, Pentland and Tullideph – where grass is long and in dire need of cutting.      

This issue is not in relation to biodiversity areas but areas that the council maintains in the traditional maintenance way.

I am aware this is a city-wide not just a West End issue but I took it up with the Head of Environment who has given me the following assurance :

“As we are now reaching the peak of the growing season, and due to the prolonged dry hot spell being experienced, the council is receiving a high number of requests to resume grass cutting in all locations. The service is also being impacted by higher than usual sickness related absence due to covid related issues.

However, I can update that the area teams are concentrating at the present time on having all areas that are currently behind caught up within the next 7-14 days.

I would be very grateful for your continued patience at this moment as our frontline teams are working hard to get round all sites at the earliest opportunity.”

Health Minister Robin Swann today launched the new Mental Health Strategy 2021 – 2031 setting the strategic direction for mental health in Northern Ireland for the next decade. 

Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has launched the 2021 Rural Business Development Grant Scheme, which will provide grant funding to rural micro businesses to help with their sustainability and development, as well as assisting recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.