Last night Councillors on Belfast City Council agreed a £1 million fuel poverty hardship fund scheme proposed by Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn.

Under this scheme, eligible households in the Belfast City Council area will be able to apply for one-off £100 payments towards fuel to heat their homes this winter.

Cllr Flynn said "I welcome Council members agreeing a way forward for administration and delivery of a fuel poverty hardship fund in our city, this will provide much needed one-off intervention for those most in need this winter."

"In the wake of the UK government & the DUP's failure to deliver support for the people of NI, the Green Party will do what we can where we can to provide much needed support for the most vulnerable in our society."

Further info on how to apply for this support to come soon.

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Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn proposed that Belfast City Council establish a Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund, to help provide a safety net for those most at need this winter.

Cllr Flynn said "I am glad that council has agreed our proposal today to set up an emergency scheme, intended to provide much needed support for vulnerable people and families this winter who are due to face immense hardship."

"I intend this fund to provide one-off £100 payments to those people & families most in need across our city."

"However, it should not be up to the council to provide this much needed relief, we should have a functioning executive with ministers ready to implement a region wide relief scheme, with a fuel poverty strategy to back it up and an energy strategy fit to meet our long term goals of energy security, but we are where we are and where the executive parties fail, the Green Party will do what we can to support people this winter"

A further report detailing administration of the scheme will come over the next few weeks.

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Cllr Flynn said “I welcome the news today that over 60 animals have been rescued at Belfast port and taken into care and want to commend our animal welfare teams, as well as the police and all other organisations involved in operation Delphin across the UK & Ireland.”

“The scale of the puppy farming industry on the island of Ireland is enormous, and this seizure today gives a small insight into the motivations of those responsible.”

“Licensed industrial puppy breeders as well as legal breeders are both involved in ruthlessly exploiting dogs and cats for profit, causing misery not just to the animals but to the unsuspecting public who are often left with a sick or dying pup.”

“The dogs that have been seized would be worth thousands of pounds in the GB market and barely scratches the surface of the scale of the problem”

“Previous executive ministers with responsibility for animal welfare have failed to address concerns of animal welfare charities and have not produced adequate legislation, such as lucys law or new regulations to deal with the online selling of pups. Green councillors in two local councils have previously raised concerns and been sold empty promises.”

Cllr Flynn concluded “We need more resources put into our local animal welfare teams so that they have the appropriate tools to carry out this important work and to put a stop to this callous industry, these decisions lie with the DEARA minister.”

Green Party Councillors Aine Groogan & Anthony Flynn attended the 50^th anniversary of the bloody Friday bombings, which included a memorial service at Belfast city hall.

Cllr Aine Groogan said “We are here to pay tribute to the victims and families of those impacted by the Bloody Friday atrocity, it is important that we remember our past and those we have lost and work towards a peaceful future for all of our people.”

The event remembers lives tragically lost when a series of IRA bombs exploded in the city centre, causing 9 deaths and 130 injuries.

Cllr Anthony Flynn concluded “Belfast is in a much different place now than it was on that dark day in 1972, we have come so far and yet events of today remind us how far we still have to go to ensure victims & survivors get the justice that they deserve.”

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