Andrew Madden

1 week ago | independent.ie | Andrew Madden

Keith Ratcliffe has shared images of ducks in potholes that have become “large craters” on the Marlacoo Road in the town. Potholes, not just in Portadown but across Northern Ireland, have long been an issue, with Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure blaming historic underinvestment in the roads network for the problem. Mr Ratcliffe said: “I am frankly fed up with the lack of action from the Department of Infrastructure when it comes to potholes.

1 week ago | belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Andrew Madden

Politics Unplugged Suzanne Breen's newsletter with expert analysis of what's important at Stormont Please check your inbox to verify your details

1 week ago | belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Andrew Madden

Revealed: The scale of grievances and whistleblowing in StormontFormal complaints reach 1,800 in five years but Executive Office refuses to reveal its figures In the past five years, more than 1,800 formal grievances have been filed against Stormont departments and their arms-length bodies. Figures also show that, in addition, almost 1,300 whistleblowing complaints have also been made over the same period.

1 week ago | belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Andrew Madden

Top officer says the response of on-call and non-frontline teams over last few weeks magnificentA Fire Service chief has thanked his part-time colleagues for responding in droves to the recent wildfires. Around half of crew here have day jobs, but stand ready when called to emergencies. In recent weeks there has been a spate of gorse blazes, with several taking a day or more to bring under control. Overnight on Saturday, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) responded to 26 reports.

1 week ago | belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Andrew Madden

The Fire Service responded to 26 reports of gorse fires overnight on Saturday, following a spate of wildfires over the last week. One of the more significant fires was in the Glenshane Road area of Maghera, where dozens of firefighters and 10 appliances attended. Over recent days there have been significant gorse fires across Northern Ireland, including in the Mourne Mountains and on Black Mountain.