Housing: Markets best for long-term finance
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Housing associations need to think outside the box and seek out non-banking sources of income, Nigel Perryman tells Peter Cheney. “Don’t put all your funding eggs in the one financial basket” is Nigel Perryman’s main message to housing associations as he encourages them to consider seeking finance on the capital markets. Perryman is The Housing Finance Corporation’s relationships manager and has worked in finance for large corporations, housing associations and within the wider property sector. Speaking at the Northern Ireland Housing Conference, he noted that banks’ current...[full story]
Corporate Q&A: Theresa Donaldson
Friday, April 15th, 2011Craigavon Borough Council’s new Chief Executive, Dr Theresa Donaldson, reviews her first four months in post and looks ahead to the challenges coming up after the election. Please describe your career to date. I qualified as a social worker in 1984 and worked for 12 years in community-based children’s services before taking up the post of Deputy Director (Northern Ireland) at the Guardian Ad Litem Agency in 1996. This varied role involved working at the interface of children’s services and the courts, providing a voice for children subject to care proceedings. In addition to my...[full story]
North West: What Derry means to me
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010The Maiden City scales the divide and means all things to all people. Rich in history, it saw the siege in 1689 but also the birth of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Three figures acutely associated with the walled city tell agendaNi what it means to them. Mark Durkan “Yes!” is the greeting in Derry. So it is a positive city. A border city Janus-like, in Brien Friel’s phrase. Looking into two states and wanting better for and from them both together. Also able to look both backward and forward and both inward and outward. For a small city, denied much, it has always had...[full story]
Education: Testing times
Monday, March 8th, 2010Since 2008, when primary school pupils sat the last official transfer test, the education sector has increasingly become embroiled in turmoil. Caitríona Ruane has insisted the exam was “out-dated and unfair” and a four-party group, excluding Sinn Féin, has called for reinstatement until a solution is agreed. agendaNi reviews the situation. “There will be no more state-sponsored testing of 10-year old children,” was the Education Minister’s latest response to the four-party 11-plus talks group, which stated, on 12 February, that a CCEA test should be used in the interim period...[full story]
Political Platform: Sue Ramsey MLA
Monday, March 1st, 2010Sue Ramsey is one of Sinn Féin’s five West Belfast MLAs. Her political career started on Lisburn Borough Council as a councillor representing Dunmurry Cross in 1997, a seat she held until standing down in 2005. Elected to Stormont for West Belfast in 1998, she lost her seat in the 2003 election but regained it by cooption the next year. Previously a chef, Sue chairs the Employment and Learning Committee and also sits on the Assembly’s Health Committee. She is the party’s spokeswoman on employment and learning, and also children and young people. How did you become interested in...[full story]
Julian King: Shared challenges
Friday, February 5th, 2010The UK Ambassador to Ireland, Julian King, speaks to Meadhbh Monahan about his desire for the UK and Ireland to become “better neighbours” and the need for Northern Ireland’s political parties to deal with political problems “effectively.” Since his arrival in Dublin six months ago, Julian King has been getting straight down to the “business” of leading the British Embassy in its various political, economic and consular roles. Aged 45, King admits many people were surprised that such a young Ambassador was appointed to Ireland. He has no qualms about his age and says that...[full story]
: Getting the message out
Monday, September 1st, 2008It’s all change for Arlene Foster after making the journey from the Department of Environment to take her role as Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister. Owen McQuade caught up with her to see where her priorities lie. Arlene Foster taking up office has coincided with a series of high profile, timely announcements of foreign direct investment into the province. Bombardier has announced its largest investment in its Belfast plant to date, with £520 million going towards building the new C Series jet, French IT firm Steria announcing 63 new jobs in Belfast and Citigroup has added...[full story]
