Latest news with #BrianSmyth
Belfast Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Hill Street saga continues as councillor hits out at MLA: ‘The brass neck of this'
Belfast councillor Brian Smyth aired his criticism of the SDLP over its alleged role in the scheme, given that former SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon was Infrastructure Minister when Hill Street was pedestrianised in a pilot project in 2020. This week, the SDLP posted a video on X of several party representatives standing on Hill Street calling for progress in its pedestrianisation. In the footage, Stormont Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole tells the camera: 'Some things in politics are difficult, others are expensive, and sadly lots of things are difficult and expensive. 'But this isn't either. It should be easy, but ministers won't get on and do it.' Brian Smyth took issue with the clip, responding: 'The brass neck of this. It was an SDLP minister who first trailed pedestrianising Hill Street during Covid & was never made permanent. 'The same SDLP minister who failed to use that period as the window to accelerate change. Don't try to pin all this on the current Executive.' Elsewhere, TUV leader Jim Allister has submitted an early day motion in the Commons calling for a museum to be founded in Belfast in honour of Harry Ferguson, the father of the modern tractor. The motion notes that Ferguson filed his master patent for his tractor in Belfast 100 years ago and Mr Allister said 'as Northern Ireland's most celebrated inventor, his life and work deserve a permanent and inspiring home.' Just how popular a tractor museum would be is unclear. Meanwhile, it has emerged that a new film loosely based on the £26.5m Northern Bank robbery in 2004 is to begin shooting in June. Interesting, Chasing Millions won't be a straight crime flick, but rather a 'dark, character-driven comedy', according to director Stephen Burke. For some reason, the film is also set to feature a 'determined young Australian police detective' who finds herself investigating the heist while on a family visit to Northern Ireland. Certainly a unique take.
Belfast Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast Diary: Hill Street saga, a tractor museum and a unique interpretation
Belfast councillor Brian Smyth aired his criticism of the SDLP over its alleged role in the scheme, given that former SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon was Infrastructure Minister when Hill Street was pedestrianised in a pilot project in 2020. This week, the SDLP posted a video on X of several party representatives standing on Hill Street calling for progress in its pedestrianisation. In the footage, Stormont Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole tells the camera: 'Some things in politics are difficult, others are expensive, and sadly lots of things are difficult and expensive. 'But this isn't either. It should be easy, but ministers won't get on and do it.' Brian Smyth took issue with the clip, responding: 'The brass neck of this. It was an SDLP minister who first trailed pedestrianising Hill Street during Covid & was never made permanent. 'The same SDLP minister who failed to use that period as the window to accelerate change. Don't try to pin all this on the current Executive.' Elsewhere, TUV leader Jim Allister has submitted an early day motion in the Commons calling for a museum to be founded in Belfast in honour of Harry Ferguson, the father of the modern tractor. The motion notes that Ferguson filed his master patent for his tractor in Belfast 100 years ago and Mr Allister said 'as Northern Ireland's most celebrated inventor, his life and work deserve a permanent and inspiring home.' Just how popular a tractor museum would be is unclear. Meanwhile, it has emerged that a new film loosely based on the £26.5m Northern Bank robbery in 2004 is to begin shooting in June. Interesting, Chasing Millions won't be a straight crime flick, but rather a 'dark, character-driven comedy', according to director Stephen Burke. For some reason, the film is also set to feature a 'determined young Australian police detective' who finds herself investigating the heist while on a family visit to Northern Ireland. Certainly a unique take.
Belfast Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Needle finds in Belfast show ‘drug crisis' and urgent need for overdose prevention centre, says councillor
A Belfast city councillor has reiterated the need for an overdose prevention facility to deal with the 'drug crisis' after hitting out at an image of a pile of needles found in the city centre. Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth said he is often sent photos of needle finds in the city centre. He shared one from 9am on Tuesday morning which he reported to have since been cleaned. 'Some in Belfast City Council want to ignore the issue and for me to be quiet. I'm not going to and I'll get louder, we need an overdose prevention centre: Save lives and build collective safety,' Mr Smyth added. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph he said there is a 'serious drug crisis going on in Belfast city centre' right now. The Lisnasharragh representative explained he is aware of 20-30 people injecting every day, with charity Extern lifting approximately 600-700 needles from private land around the city centre and the council collecting similar. 'You don't have to look far away from the city centre,' he said, 'this all goes back to the need for an overdose prevention facility.' Mr Smyth has been raising the need for such a facility for years and said other parties are beginning to get on board, but claimed some councillors are reluctant to highlight the issue. It comes just days after an interview with the city's Lord Mayor Micky Murray, in which the Alliance Party politician told Hot Press magazine the city needs to 'look at things like safer injection spaces or overdose prevention facilities'. Making reference to the city centre living plan, set out in the Belfast Agenda and the council's Bolder Vision for Belfast, Mr Smyth said there is an aim to grow the city by 66,000 residents by 2035. He believes by taking drug usage off the streets and into a facility, it will make the city centre a more attractive proposition, while accepting it is 'not a silver bullet solution'. The latest figures from the NI Research and Statistics Agency (NISRA) show that in 2023 there were 63 drug-related deaths in Belfast, which was the highest rate of any local government district at 14.3 per 100,000 of population. 'This problem is not going away; if anything it's getting worse. We need a facility to save lives and make the city centre safer,' he said. 'Nobody has died at an injection facility. Police don't have the resources to deal with these issues. It would free police up to pursue those higher up the chain who are flooding the city with drugs. 'We need to reduce the stigma. There are drug injection facilities in Glasgow and Dublin, why can there not be one here? 'The council has been playing its part, along with a handful of organisations, it is time for Stormont to step up.' Belfast City Council said it continues to work closely with partner agencies, their outreach teams and the PSNI to develop longer term solutions to address substance misuse and anti-social behaviour in Belfast city centre. 'We are also continuing to engage with our partners to seek a suitable location for the installation of specific needle/drug waste bins,' a statement added. 'When council receives reports of discarded needles or other drugs paraphernalia, we act to remove them as quickly as possible. 'Any incidences of discarded material can be reported directly to sharps@ where they are dealt with as soon as possible.'
