NI barristers on strike to seek urgency in tackling justice 'crisis'

CLAUDIA SAVAGE, Belfast Telegraph, and Irish News, January 5th, 2026

BAR CHAIRMAN SEEKS DOJ 'PRAGMATISM' AS ACTION BEGINS

Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland who are striking indefinitely from today have called for urgency in addressing the “crisis” in the justice system.

Donal Lunny KC, chairman of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland, said barristers will not resume work on legally aided Crown Court cases “until the department shows the pragmatism and the urgency that's required to resolve the issue of Crown Court fees”.

Counsel in the region had already withdrawn their services in some legal aid-funded cases last year due to the long-running dispute with Stormont's Department of Justice.

Barristers plan to increase their action from today by not participating in any current cases before the Crown Courts.

Of the 193 members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) who voted on the proposal, 89% backed a full withdrawal of services.

The CBA says fees for legally aided criminal work have not been increased since 2005, making them worth just 50% of their original value.

Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has committed to increasing their fee rates by 16%.

Mr Lunny said he recognised that Ms Long was in a “difficult position” as a result of funding cuts to the department, but that “in the overall scheme of the Department of Justice's budget and funds, a relatively small amount of money is all that's required to resolve this long-standing problem”.

Data breach compo

He said: “We know, for example, that the data breach case [compensation claim from PSNI officers whose details were made public in a 2023 data breach], a conservative estimate as to how much that will cost the Department of Justice and the PSNI is something like £119m — that's essentially the same: one issue, one incident, the same as the annual budget for legal aid.

“So as to how the minister and the department manage their money, that's a matter for them. But in overall terms, what's required to fix this is a relatively small amount of money.”

80,000 backlog of cases in England and Wales

Sir Brian Leveson's review of criminal courts in England and Wales showed a backlog of up to 80,000 cases, with new trials listed as far in the future as 2030, a five-year wait from the point of charge.

Mr Lunny said the criminal justice system in NI is headed the same way if the problems are not resolved.

“In a way, the strike is a red herring. The real crisis is that barristers and solicitors firms aren't doing criminal work because the legal aid rates are so poor.

“In England and Wales, even though the legal aid rates are much better than they are here, they can't attract sufficient numbers of barristers either to do the defence work or the prosecution work. And that crisis that they're having is where we will end up if the rates aren't improved and improved significantly.”

Mr Lunny said barristers “aren't blind” to the impact the strikes will have: “It won't just have an impact on victims — it will also have an impact on accused persons. It will have an impact on witnesses. It will have an impact on jurors, people who are asked to serve on juries. So our members are very aware of the impact it will have.

“It's important to recognise that it was very much a last-resort step. It was a step that was not lightly taken.

“As to how much of an impact it has, that's very much in the hands of the department... There is a crisis in the system that the department aren't showing any urgency in attempting to tackle.”

When industrial action was announced, Ms Long accused barristers of seeking to “leverage further trauma and stress on victims” and said she wasn't confident “the CBA is committed to meaningful engagement”.

Mr Lunny said Northern Ireland's Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan advised in November that the CBA and department engage with a specialist mediator, to which the barristers accepted and the department declined.

“We don't know their reasons... but we have always been and we remain willing, ready to mediate with the department if they change their mind,” he said.

The Justice Minister said she is “profoundly disappointed and frustrated” by the industrial action, which she described as “not justifiable or necessary”.

Ms Long said the Bar agreed to a roadmap as part of a working group chaired by His Honour Judge Tom Burgess: “The roadmap provided direction on all the areas the CBA has indicated must be addressed to enable members return to full service delivery. Yet, just a few days later, the CBA announced a complete withdrawal of services.”

She added: “Given Judge Burgess' unique insight into the discussions within the working group to date, I place significant weight on his continuing view that, without developing that evidence, there can be no basis for determining what is proper and reasonable remuneration, and that any mediation process will find itself in exactly the same position as the present process.

“The department has not received correspondence from the Bar requesting my reasons for not accepting that mediation is a viable or appropriate option... My department and I will continue to engage constructively with those serious about bringing about purposeful change.”

UVF units ‘stood down’ after killings

CONNLA YOUNG, Irish News, January 5th, 2025

THE UVF leadership ordered its units to ‘stand down’ and contacted the IRA after 10 Protestant workmen were shot dead at Kingsmill in south Armagh 50 years ago today.

The victims were killed outside the Co Armagh village on January 5 1976 when a group of republicans posing as British soldiers ordered them off a minibus on their way home from work.

The only Catholic on board was instructed to leave the area before the gang opened fire.

Of the 11 Protestant men who remained at the roadside, just one, Alan Black, survived despite being shot 18 times.

The Kingsmill killings took place near the village of Whitecross where Catholic brothers, John Martin Reavey (24) and Brian Reavey (22) were shot dead a day earlier by loyalists.

A third brother Anthony (17) died weeks later from his injuries.

Three members of the O’Dowd family, brothers Barry (24) and Declan (19), were also killed with their uncle Joe O’Dowd (61) at Ballydougan, near Gilford in Co Down, by the same gang minutes later.

UVF ‘established contact with IRA after Kingsmill massacre’

The attacks were carried out in an area under the control of the Mid Ulster UVF and have previously been linked to a cell known as the Glenanne Gang, which was based at a farm owned by RUC reservist James Mitchell at Glenanne, near Whitecross.

It included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF and has been connected to multiple murders.

While the Kingsmill attack was later claimed by the South Armagh Republican Action Force, in 2024 a coroner found the IRA was responsible for what he described as an “overtly sectarian attack”.

A report published by the Police Ombudsman’s office last year also attributed the deadly attack to that organisation.

The activities of the Mid Ulster UVF have recently been reviewed by the Kenova investigation team as part of Operation Denton, which is expected to be published soon.

It has established that the Mid Ulster unit was closely linked to the organisation’s leadership in Belfast in the mid-1970s.

As part of the review some families have been provided with individual briefings about how their loved ones were killed.

Briefing notes linked to a meeting between Operation Denton officials and relatives of three people killed in a UVF attack at Donnelly’s Bar, Silverbridge, south Armagh, in December 1975, reveal how the loyalist paramilitary group reacted to the Kingsmill attack.

“After Kingsmill all UVF units were told to stand down by the leadership in Belfast,” the documents states.

The note also reveals that the UVF established contact with the IRA in the aftermath of the attack.

“The Belfast leadership also made contact with the IRA to stop things getting worse,” it reveals.

The document confirms that the UVF in Mid Ulster “start up again in March 1976”.

No further information is provided about the nature of the contact between the groups or what was discussed.

Sole survivor Alan Black is mindful of the landmark anniversary today.

“It does resonate a bit because it’s not the same as 49 or 51,” he said.

“What has surprised me up to now is the amount in young people that have shown an interest in this anniversary.

“Young people, in their late teens and early 20s, an awful lot of them, have started to show an interest in it, I didn’t think had any interest in it before.

Mr Black believes that wider attention “gained a bit of momentum” after the Police Ombudsman issued a report into the attack last year.

Tribute to Bessbrook residents

“Bessbrook was torn apart 50 years ago,” he said.

“Maybe it’s a bit clumsy of me putting it this way, but other towns have their Catholic estates and their Protestant estates, Bessbrook never had that, never, and still doesn’t.

“I am so proud of that, that Kingsmill didn’t drive people into their own camps, they still stayed neighbours with each other and on good terms, and I am so proud of that.

“Maybe years ago, people didn’t know how to approach it, but the young ones now are of a different era, and they would never allow it to go back to the way it was any more than I would.

“Our Catholic neighbours are our friends, and their Protestant neighbours are their friends – and really I can’t emphasise how proud I am to be a Bessbrook man.”

The survivor said that as the anniversary approached his thoughts returned to those who lost their lives, including John Bryans (46), Robert Chambers (19), Walter Chapman (23), Reginald Chapman (25), Robert Freeburn (50), Joseph Lemmon (46), John McConville (20), James McWhirter (58), Robert Walker (46), Kenneth Worton (24).

‘Small things set me off’

“Maybe small things set me off,” he said.

“Reggie Chapman was a great footballer, he was a wonderful footballer, and he was cut down in his prime,” he said.

“His brother Walter was an absolute party animal, he partied from he got [off] work on Friday ’til he came back in on Monday.

“He was a hell of a nice fella, I loved his company to be honest with you.”

Mr Black hoped to attend a memorial service in Bessbrook town hall last night to mark the anniversary.

“If I am able to make that, I will make it,” and I will do everything I can to make it,” he said.

“It will be very poignant and I keep thinking, ‘I watched my kids growing up, then I watched my grandkids growing up’ and the boys were denied all that.

“I don’t understand this tit-fortat stuff. An evil act shouldn’t be answered with an evil act.

“What happened to the Reaveys and O’Dowds was evil, that’s the only way you can describe it.

“And then for somebody to do another evil act at Kingsmill, and retaliation for two innocent families being shot down – what was their mindset?

“I don’t know, I don’t understand it.”

Every year

The 82-year-old said that he will simply reflect on the day of the anniversary.

“This happens every year… and I do what I have to do, I just sit quietly and lick my wounds to be honest with you, that’s the only way to describe it,” he said.

“I do suffer from survivor’s guilt, and the doctor told me years ago, he said you’ll never get rid of it completely.

“So, that’s what I’ll probably be feeling on Monday, and I’ll just sit quietly and lick my wounds as I say.

“I don’t really want company to be honest with you, I don’t want my kids, and I don’t want my grandkids around me on that day, I just want to sit quietly and think, remember.

“I think it’s the only way, because I couldn’t go out and socialise and smile at people, I just couldn’t do it.”

'I can still have the smell of death in my nostrils'

ALF MCCREARY, Belfast Telegraph, January 5th, 2025

ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KINGSMILL MASSACRE WHICH SAW TEN PROTESTANT WORKMEN SHOT DEAD BY AN IRA GANG WHO AMBUSHED THEIR MINIBUS, ALAN BLACK, WHO WAS PUMMELLED WITH 18 BULLETS YET MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED, RECALLS THAT HORRIFIC JANUARY DAY AND SPEAKS OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH THAT STILL HANGS OVER HIM

In his mind, it's always 1976. The years, and the decades, may pass by, but Alan Black can never escape that awful January night.

He can still remember the banter among his workmates as their minibus left the Glenanne textile factory, and the flash of a torchlight which brought it to a stop at Kingsmill.

He can never forget the chaotic sound of the gunfire, or the horrific sight of 10 of his friends lying fatally wounded.

There are the physical reminders too, and the lingering scars from being shot 18 times and left for dead.

It's 50 years now — another landmark anniversary — but it may as well be yesterday.

Sitting in his small, mid-19th-century terraced house in Bessbrook, not far from the place where he was born, he tells the Belfast Telegraph: “I can still hear the screams of the boys who died that night, and I still have that smell of their death in my nostrils — for there really is a smell of death, you know.”

Alan is aware that the 50th anniversary of the massacre is a big landmark in the history of the Troubles, and the shadow of death still hangs over him.

‘I can't eat or sleep or talk for several days’

He said: “This feeling comes on gradually and the bleakness and horror of what happened seeps all over me to the point where I can't eat or sleep or talk for several days.

“The only thing that keeps me going is the realisation, each time, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Yet there are other, better days when the sun is shining and things seem better. I almost believe then that the awful thing which happened to me must have happened to somebody else.”

Yet there is a time every year when the memories of the massacre are unstoppable: “It starts after Christmas and, each day in the run-up to the anniversary on January 5, I can't get it out of my mind. Those are the times when I hear the screams in my ears of my friends who died, and yet again [smell] that awful smell of death.”

Alan's words are made even more poignant because the names of those who died are carved in gold on a black marble memorial in honour of the Kingsmill victims which stands outside the local town hall, only two minutes' walk away from where he now lives.

As he talks about what happened, the memories flood back as if they had never left him. He remembers being ordered out of the van which was carrying the men after their shift ended at the textile mill, a few miles away. They were lined up by around 12 armed men with their faces blackened; the only Catholic worker among the group was told by the murderers to run for his own safety.

Trying to protect Catholic colleague

Tragically, the others tried to protect him, because they thought that it was the lone Catholic who was being targeted.

Then the 10 Protestants were mown down mercilessly in less than a minute. Kenneth Worton. Robert Walker. John Bryans. Walter Chapman. Reginald Chapman. Robert Freeburn. John McConville. Joseph Lemmon. James McWhirter. Robert Chambers.

This was a savage act of ethnic cleansing by republican paramilitaries who allegedly were taking revenge for an attack carried out the night before, on the members of two local Catholic families — the Reaveys and O'Dowds — who were murdered by dissident south Armagh loyalist gunmen.

When the shooting stopped in Kingsmill, Alan Black, whose body was riddled by 18 bullets, remembers lying in a gully at the side of the road, with the rainwater trickling past his cheek, on that cold and wet night. He also remembers a shocked passer-by who had appeared on the scene and helped to turn his shattered body over to the other side to help relieve his pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, Alan was lifted into an ambulance which sped to Daily Hill Hospital in Newry. Though badly injured, he was still able to hear the radio messages passing between the ambulance staff and the medical consultants in the hospital who were preparing for a major operation to try to save his life.

He recalls: “I was taken to the A&E department, and while I was being prepared for the operating theatre, a Newry priest, who was the only hospital chaplain available that night, came to me and held my hand. He said: 'Alan, would you like me to say a prayer for you?' I replied: 'I am not of your flock, Father, but I could do with a prayer anyway.'” The priest then prayed for him.

Alan was wheeled into the theatre and he survived, almost miraculously, during the long operation by the highly skilled medical staff.

His slow and painful recovery afterwards took many weeks, but he still found it hard to come to terms with what had happened.

“I talked about this to my wife, Margaret, and I was in a mess. Eventually we decided to go away to Scotland, where nobody would know me. I said: 'Let's try it for a couple of years and if you want to go back to Bessbrook, I won't stand in your way.' So we came back. And I felt that spending time in Scotland had helped to clear my head.”

Sadly, Margaret died last year, and Alan Black now lives alone in his native village, with help from his grown-up family. He has severe respiratory problems, which make normal movement difficult, but he remains mentally strong.

He has always been very eloquent, and he has fond memories of better days when he was growing up and when Bessbrook was a peaceful and integrated community, known as 'The Model Village'. He has a great and lifelong interest in greyhound racing and has helped to train some champions.

His only regret is his primary school days, which he hated “with a vengeance, because of the brutality of one of the teachers. I never met anyone else like him.”

After school, Alan trained as a diesel mechanic and worked at one stage with the chief mechanic to the Bentley racing team at Brands Hatch. He spent several years in the Merchant Navy and travelled to North America and Africa as a ship's engineer.

After coming ashore, he worked in the Goodyear factory at Craigavon with the legendary Belfast champion boxer John Caldwell, and later took a job in the textile business. Ironically, he started working in the Glenanne factory because it had better shift hours, and he had only been there for a few weeks when the Kingsmill massacre took place.

Alan is now left with so many different memories, but he is pleased that the importance of the special anniversary of the Kingsmill slaughter is being recognised. He has also detected a growing interest in the massacre, especially among young people in the area.

A service marking the 50th anniversary took place at Bessbrook Town Hall yesterday afternoon, while a second service will take place at the Kingsmill memorial wall today.

Over the years Alan has been involved in a high-profile campaign to help to bring justice for the victims of Kingsmill, but so far no one has been prosecuted for the heinous crime. However, he has vowed to keep on campaigning.

Despite all that has happened, he does not hold bitterness: “When an IRA man died recently, and he was allegedly linked to the killings, I felt no hatred. But I know that he and the others will stand before their maker some day, and I am content to leave it at that.”

Good Community Relations

Alan is aware of the need for continuing good community relations, which must not be overshadowed by what happened at Kingsmill.

“I believe that we were attacked by the IRA and not by representatives of the Catholic community. And the same applies to the Catholics who were killed by the Protestant paramilitaries.

“I can't be bitter. And I was given good advice by another man who lost his son during the dissident republican attack on Omagh. He said: 'Alan, you can try to forgive those who caused such great hurt to you, but not for what they did to other people. That's up to them.'”

Alan was brought up as a Presbyterian and he still has his own thoughts about the Christian faith: “I envy those people who sincerely are able to believe in God. I try to pray and I hope that when I do so, there is a God there to hear me. I firmly believe that there has to be something beyond the grave.”

Alan Black, 50 years on, remains one of the undoubted heroes of the Troubles for his courage, vision, determination not to bear grudges and, above all, for his remarkable survival against all the odds.

The consequences of Stormont’s political failure are all around us

CHRIS DONNELLY, Irish News, January 5th, 2025

AND so a new year begins, with little expectation amongst those very well-acquainted with one another in Stormont that a cup of kindness will be passed around the executive table when MLAs return to work later this month.

The problems keep stacking up at the big house on the hill, and there is little sign of the shared sense of endeavour and purpose that would be required to take the difficult decisions needed to begin tackling the many problems besetting this society.

Relationships that have rarely been above lukewarm headed south over the past 12 months, with all evidence pointing to further confrontation ahead.

Our water infrastructure is in a dire state, severely restricting potential house-building as planning permission cannot be obtained for projects without NI Water being able to connect new-build homes to a sewer network that is not fit for purpose.

The lobby group for construction firms, Build Homes NI, has stated that completion rates are at their lowest for six decades, just around 6,000 a year, nowhere near the level required to meet the lengthening waiting list for social homes.

The root problem is, of course, a funding gap. NI Water continues to require significantly greater amounts of annual funding than it gets from Stormont. In the absence of water rates, either stand-alone or disguised as a part of increased annual rates bills, this would appear to be a problem running out of road in which to kick the can.

Meanwhile, the lack of decisive action by politicians and officials to address the Lough Neagh crisis continues, as we reap what has been sown by decades of decision-making at the highest levels to prioritise profits in the agricultural economy at the expense of the environment.

We’re long past the point at which getting that balance right would entail politicians taking decisions which would provoke a backlash from elements within the farming community.

The absence of any decisive planning betrays the unwillingness of politicians of all hues to take the tough decisions that are required to make the difference.

The news broke prior to Christmas that the annual cost to the taxpayer of school transport had rocketed from £20m to £40m in a matter of years.

This is a consequence of the unprecedented rise in children recorded as having a ‘special need’ and the eligibility criteria and process used by the Department of Education to select children who have an entitlement to receive free home to school (and back to home) transport.

There seems little sign of the shared sense of endeavour required to take difficult decisions at Stormont

“The step change required at a political leadership level would be challenging even for a coalition of the willing, which we simply do not have in a Stormont, where the DUP have determined that antagonism and division will continue to define relationships

The sharp increase in annual transport payments is related directly to the introduction of specialist provision classes in mainstream schools, itself a consequence of not enough places in special schools to host all the children deemed as not being able to be taught in a mainstream classroom setting.

Those tasked by education authorities with hosting special needs classes are overwhelmingly working-class primary and non-grammar secondary schools, the very same schools experiencing the greatest decline in pupil attendances in the post-Covid era.

We now have mainstream schools with overall average annual attendances of less than 80%, equating to every kid missing at least one day every week.

The achievement gap between poor pupils and their wealthier peers is widening once again when compared with pre-Covid statistics, and the decisions taken by those in charge – whether by accident or design – appear almost destined to ensure that worrying trend will continue.

Our health service continues to provide regular evidence that it is in a permanent state of dysfunction.

In the north of Ireland, one in five people are on a health waiting list, as opposed to just one in 12 in England.

More than half a million people are waiting to see a consultant, with waiting times exceeding a year for some 50% as opposed to just 5% in England.

Unlike England, we are due to remove hospital parking charges later this year. In England, there is a small charge on single prescription items, but those who know they will need more than a single item per month can buy Prescription Prepayment Certificates to receive an unlimited number across 3 or 12-month periods, an arrangement not dissimilar to what we had in place prior to Stormont abolishing fees in 2010.

We have become accustomed to prioritising the short-term buzz provided by populist legislative decisions over mature and responsible longer-term planning which requires a degree of pain upfront in order to build better for the future.

And then there is the case of the Belfast maternity hospital which is 10 years behind schedule and, according to the health minister, likely to remain a work in progress for a further two years.

The new hospital, sited in the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital, was originally scheduled to be completed in 2015, two years after Casement Park closed as part of a planned rebuild that remains no closer to fruition.

The consequences of political inactivity and failure are evident all around us.

The step change required at a political leadership level to address this would be challenging even for a coalition of the willing, which we simply do not have in a Stormont, where the DUP have determined that antagonism and division will continue to define relationships, with consequences that will continue to be felt by all.

Environment minister hits out over Lough Neagh - politicians ‘more interested in clicks on TikTok’

JONATHAN McCAMBRIDGE, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph, January 5th, 2026

ENVIRONMENT Minister Andrew Muir has accused some politicians of a “deliberate attempt to undermine the science and evidence” around the ecological crisis at Lough Neagh.

In a wide-ranging interview, the minister also said he thinks it is likely that a private member’s Bill will be brought to the assembly around the introduction of an independent environment protection agency (EPA), after the DUP blocked his plans to create one.

Mr Muir also insisted there would be no change to ambitious emissions targets set out in Northern Ireland’s Climate Change Act.

The Alliance Party minister said he had a number of priorities for 2026, including tackling climate change and improving water quality.

He said he wanted executive support for his plans to strengthen regulation enforcement in relation to sewage pollution.

The minister also said work would continue to implement actions in the Lough Neagh Recovery Plan agreed by the executive.

The lough, Britain and Ireland’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, has been blighted by noxious blooms of blue-green algae for the last three summers.

The cause has been put down to an excess of nutrients from a number of sources, including waste water, septic tanks and agriculture, exacerbated by climate change and the invasive species Zebra Mussels.

Lough Neagh supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water and sustains a major eel fishing industry.

Mr Muir said: “Since taking up office, I’ve been very clear that the situation in Lough Neagh has been a result of decades of neglect and there are no quick fixes.

Heart breaking death of Lough

“It breaks my heart to see the situation unfold year after year in the lough.

“What we’ve got to do is take the actions to reduce the level of pollution that’s going into the lough and also to be very conscious of the impact that climate change is having.

“That requires tough decisions in terms of reducing the amount of pollution, whether it’s coming from agricultural sources or in relation to sewage pollution or septic tanks.”

Asked if he believed the will existed within the powersharing executive to take the decisions he wanted, Mr Muir said “time will tell”.

He added: “I believe that we should respect the science and evidence that tells us that in terms of remediation of the lough, partly as a result of the sediment and the phosphorus that is absorbed, that this will take decades to remediate.

“When you respect the science and evidence, it delivers lots of inconvenient truths. We should respect those, and then we should take the tough decisions around it.

“What I have seen, particularly in 2025, is a deliberate attempt by some to undermine the science and evidence around this, and I will stand four-square in defence of the scientists who are delivering the facts.

“We have peer-reviewed academic research that’s been referred to as ‘magical figures’. I think that’s grossly insulting to the individuals who have pulled that research together.”

Mr Muir said Northern Ireland is an “outlier” in being the only part of the UK without an independent EPA.

A recommendation for an EPA was made in a recent review of environmental governance and the minister has repeated his commitment to progress plans to create the body.

However, the DUP has consistently raised concerns over how an EPA would be funded and how it would interact with existing regulatory bodies.

Mr Muir said: “This has been with the executive for a significant period of time. I’ve been told by the DUP the answer is no. There’s no rhyme or reason behind that.

“It is entirely undemocratic that one party can block a proposal which was given quite significant support in the assembly just before Christmas.

“That needs to be progressed, and if it isn’t progressed, it’s very likely that a privately drafted bill will arrive in the assembly.

“I think it’s unfortunate we have to go down that road because one party seeks to block progress.”

Need for independent Environmental agency

He added: “It’s rather bizarre the DUP are prepared to draw a very hard line around the Irish Sea and create a border in relation to environmental protection when the rest of the UK have independent regulators.”

A climate change act was passed by the assembly shortly before the institutions entered a period of suspension in 2022.

The legislation sets out the proposed path the region will take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, as well as achieving a carbon budget target of a 33% average annual reduction in emissions between 2023 and 2027.

Mr Muir said the targets are “ambitious, but achievable”.

He added: “I think it’s regrettable that some political forces, particularly in relation to Nigel Farage or Donald Trump, are taking a very different approach.

“But I’m not led by them. I’m led by the science and the evidence which states that climate change is a reality today.

“It’s important we meet that obligation and that we actually confront the opportunities that are also set out for us.

Asked if he would consider reducing the targets, the minister said: “I’m very clear and very consistent that I will not be doing that.”

He added: “Climate change is a defining issue of our generation. The assembly passed unanimously at final reading the climate change legislation.

“We lost two years in relation to implementation of it (because of the collapse of the assembly).

“I’m continuing the work to ensure that we meet our obligations, and we realise the opportunities.”

Former loyalist chief is arrested after sting by 'paedo hunters' group

LIAM TUNNEY, Belfast Telegraph, January 5th, 2026

FOOTAGE OF CONFRONTATION WITH HIGH-PROFILE EX-PARAMILITARY POSTED ONLINE

A former loyalist paramilitary chief arrested after being caught in an online sting carried out by a self-styled 'paedo hunters' group in Belfast has been released on bail.

Footage of the man being confronted by members of the vigilante group appeared online this week, with a photograph of the suspect also posted on the group's social media pages.

The individual at the centre of the sting was at one point one of the most senior loyalist paramilitary figures in the South East Antrim area.

In the video, which lasts approximately 20 minutes, group members presented the ex-terror chief with a series of documents, claiming to have evidence, including chat logs, showing alleged conversations between the man and a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl.

During the confrontation, some details of the suspect's alleged exchanges with the decoy were also read out.

The live footage ends with the arrival of the PSNI, who later confirmed the man had been arrested and subsequently released on bail.

“A 52-year-old man was arrested in Belfast city centre on Tuesday, December 30 on suspicion of attempted sexual communication with a child,” said a spokesperson.

“He has since been released on bail to allow for further enquiries.”

Previous allegations led to expulsion from UVF

It can also be revealed that the same individual had previously faced expulsion from the UVF a number of years ago amid allegations he had sent inappropriate sexual images to a teenage girl.

The Sunday World previously reported that the man had faced a “kangaroo court” in relation to the allegations and that he had faced similar claims a number of years beforehand.

The alleged sex offender had been warned that repeated behaviour would result in “discipline and likely exile”.

It is understood he had been living in the south Belfast area and had been targeted through a threatening graffiti campaign when the allegations first arose.

The UVF in South East Antrim is currently facing a time of uncertainty.

It's understood a number of members attached to North Down UVF have switched allegiance to East Belfast.

The UVF in the east of the city has been gaining an ever-stronger foothold with membership in the area.

In recent weeks it is understood a significant number of members under the previous leadership have moved across and signed up with the new leader.

The new leader was parachuted into the east by the Shankill leadership in an attempt to dampen the old leader's influence and quell local fears over drug dealing.

Eight members of the former leadership structure were stood down in November 2023 and, after an initially uncertain period, he appears to have gained the upper hand.

But there is anger the new leader has failed to curb drug dealing in the area.

He now has significant numbers under his belt, with North Down UVF looking to swing in behind him.

East Belfast drug-dealing activities have stretched into Holywood and Bangor and even as far as Newtownards.

Sources have said there is anger that little has been done to downgrade criminal activity.

UUP leadership contenders reflect the general malaise in unionism

JOHN MANLEY POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, January 5th, 2025

ANALYSIS

MIKE Nesbitt’s decision to stand down as Ulster Unionist leader was not unexpected. When he said six months ago that he’d make up his mind about his future after Christmas, few believed the health minister, who’ll be turning 70 around the time of next year’s assembly election, would choose to stay on.

Having given up the UUP leader’s role in 2017, some would argue prematurely, Mr Nesbitt took on the task for the second time in September 2024 by default. When Doug Beattie stepped down there was no obvious or willing successor, so the former news anchorman seemed the best candidate to steady the ship. Yet it was always going to be a stopgap rather than a long-term arrangement.

Mr Nesbitt leaves the UUP in a relatively healthy state. A survey in November on behalf of the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Irish Studies showed support for the party had increased marginally since the 2022 assembly election to 12%. It’s not the force that once dominated Northern Ireland politics but its support appears to have stabilised, meaning the new leader isn’t necessarily facing an immediate electoral crisis.

Yet there’s an identity problem for the Ulster Unionists, though that’s nothing new. A broad church that represents both traditional ‘big house’ unionism as well as those with more all-embracing, liberal tendencies, it has struggled in the modern era to find a coherent and consistent message. Many of those who vote Ulster Unionist do so on the basis that it’s not the DUP, which rather than ideological differences is more to do with historical animosity and a touch of snobbery.

Mr Nesbitt’s decision to quit some 16 months out from the Stormont election means the new leader will hopefully have time to stamp their identity on the party before going to the polls. At the minute, it looks like there will be just two contenders to succeed the health minister – current deputy leader Robbie Butler and Jon Burrows, the former police officer who was co-opted into the assembly in August.

While both are capable and no doubt have support within the party membership, there’s a sense that they are in some way second best. Arguably both the departing leader and his predecessor Doug Beattie have a higher standing among party members and voters but for various reasons they don’t want the top job, which makes both contenders appear like the last turkeys in the shop.

The unlikely couple

There are also issues around both men’s credentials. Robbie Butler previously indicated that he didn’t want the leader’s job and also made an unsuccessful attempt to get out of politics by applying for the children’s commissioner’s job in 2023.

Mr Burrows’ problem is that he’s barely been a UUP member for six months and has yet to contest an election. He’s an assured media performer but untested in terms of his engagement with party members and the electorate. There appears to be a nervousness in the ranks about allowing this new kid on the block to take the reins without a proven track record, which goes some way to explaining why Mr Butler is being put forward to stand against him.

In terms of the choice for members, it may be more about who they don’t want rather than who they do.

The party can take some comfort from the fact that the leadership upheaval of recent years hasn’t dented its support. However, if it is seeking to grow by exploiting the recent DUP lurch to the right, then it will require a strong, combative leader who’s able to highlight what makes the UUP different from its larger rival.

The party will also need to be united, ensuring any damage inflicted by a potentially adversarial leadership contest is put to bed quickly.

The circumstances of the forthcoming contest perhaps say a lot about the state of unionism and regional politics more generally. The changing political landscape makes the need for unionist co-operation greater.

It may transpire that whoever assumes the Ulster Unionist leader’s role, could well be the last.

PSNI probe after house and car in Bangor hit by arsonists

Belfast Telegraph, January 5th, 2026

The PSNI has appealed for witnesses after an arson attack on a car and house in Bangor.

Two people were in the property at Ashbury Gardens during the incident at 4.15am yesterday, but were able to escape.

The PSNI said: “It was reported that two masked men in dark clothing were seen dousing the car and house in accelerant and setting them on fire, as well as smashing windows, before making off.

“The car was completely burnt-out, with damage caused to the front door of the property.”

North Down MLA Stephen Dunne condemned the attack.

“This was a despicable and utterly reckless act that could very easily have resulted in serious injury or loss of life,” he said.

“Setting fire to a home in the middle of the night shows a complete disregard for human safety and will have caused enormous distress to those affected and to the wider community within this quiet residential part of Bangor.

“There is absolutely no place for this kind of violence or intimidation in Bangor or anywhere else.

“I would strongly encourage anyone who witnessed suspicious activity, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage, to contact the PSNI.”

Tributes to social justice campaigner Sr Brigid Reynolds

BAIRBRE HOLMES, Irish News, January 5th, 2025

SISTER Brigid Reynolds, the co-founder and former co-chief executive of Social Justice Ireland, has died aged 82, the organisation said.

A statement said: “Sr Brigid’s life and work serve as an example of dedicated commitment to human dignity, social justice and the common good.

“Brigid’s steadfast advocacy combined academic expertise and moral conviction.”

Born and raised on a farm near Mohill, Co Leitrim, Sr Brigid was educated with the Marist Sisters in Carrick-on-Shannon and graduated with a science degree from University College Dublin.

She entered the Marist Sisters Religious Order and worked as a teacher and lecturer in northern Nigeria.

She returned to Ireland in 1980 and a year later was recruited by the Conference of Religious of Ireland, where she spent 25 years leading its Justice Commission with Fr Sean Healy.

In 2009, the pair co-founded Social Justice Ireland, a secular organisation that focuses on social justice, sustainable development and equitable economic policies.

They ran the organisation together before retiring in 2023.

The following year Sr Brigid was awarded an honorary doctorate from South East Technological University in acknowledgement of her “lifelong dedication to social justice and the empowerment of marginalised communities”.

She died on Saturday night, 10 days before her 83rd birthday.

The organisation’s chief executive John McGeady said: “Brigid made an indelible mark on social justice advocacy in Ireland.

“Guided by a vision of society in which each person’s dignity is honoured, Brigid was dedicated to addressing inequality, poverty and social exclusion.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Brigid’s sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, and to the Marist Sisters.”

Sr Brigid’s funeral will take place in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Professor Tony Fahey, chairman of the board of Social Justice Ireland, said: “Brigid Reynolds was a leading member of that generation of men and women in the religious life in Ireland who, in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, brought a new energy, vision and range to the traditional Christian commitment to service of the poor and afflicted.

“She combined the spirituality of a religious vocation with the warmth of a deep human sympathy and the energy, skill and practicality of a tireless social campaigner.”

Kingsmill: Events to mark 50 years of pain for victims' families, amid calls for justice

By Iain Gray, Belfast News Letter, January 5th, 2025

A memorial event is to be held at the site of the Kingsmill Massacre tomorrow morning (5th), marking 50 years of grief and pain for families of the victims.

The 11am service comes amid renewed calls for justice, as no one has ever faced trial for one of the most infamous events of the Troubles.

A permanent memorial wall now stands on the roadside south Armagh site of the January 5, 1976 sectarian gun attack that killed 10 men and seriously wounded another.

Victims group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) were instrumental in having the wall built, and tomorrow stage a commemorative event there for the 50th anniversary.

Speaking in advance, a spokeswoman for FAIR described the massacre as “an evil attack to ethnically cleanse protestants from the community”.

Added the spokeswoman: “There can be no justification for the murders of these innocent men who had just returned after their Christmas break, without knowing that was the very last Christmas they would ever enjoy with their loved ones.

“Let’s remember the 10 workmen who lost their lives on that fatal night, who were callously and cowardly murdered by IRA terrorists. Let’s remember their families and all the many victims’ families at this sad time, as we think about sole survivor Alan Black and the critical time he endured as a result of men with murder on their minds.”

Area UUP councillor David Taylor said the massacre “left a lasting impact on the protestant community in south Armagh”.

“The families and Alan Black have endured decades of pain and trauma as a result of what happened at Kingsmill,” he said, “and it is all the more regrettable that justice has yet to be achieved for this heinous crime.

“I will be attending a number of commemorative events locally over the coming days to show my support for Alan Black and the Kingsmill families, including remembrance services at Bessbrook Town Hall today and at the Kingsmill roadside memorial tomorrow.”

Doug Beattie says UUP leadership race still open as he floats third potential candidate

By David Thompson, Belfast News Letter, January 2026

​Doug Beattie says the UUP leadership race is still open – and suggested that Diana Armstrong is also a potential candidate after Mike Nesbitt stood down last week.

The former leader wouldn’t be drawn on who he would back in any contest, but praised the abilities of the two main frontrunners for the post – and floated the idea that Fermanagh MLA Mrs Armstrong could also put her hat in the ring.

Speaking to the BBC’s Nolan Show, Mr Beattie said that despite speculation about Jon Burrows and Robbie Butler running for the post, “it’s open to everybody”.

Asked by presenter Eve Rosato about speculation that Diana Armstrong could be crucial in deciding who wins, he said she has the ability to put herself forward for leader.

“She will look at that, and she will assess that, and I think she's right to be able to do that. I think Diana is an exceptional MLA and a real asset to our team.

“As is Robbie Butler, who I've known since 2016. We both became MLAs together, and for those people who don't know, Robbie is probably one of the most hard working MLAs, not just in the party, but in that assembly that I've ever seen.

“A really diligent, gentle, but yet forceful individual. And Jon Burrows, it was me that brought Jon Burrows into the party. It was me that persuaded Jon Burrows to stand for the North Antrim seat…

“And I've known Jon since he was a policeman… another really good, good person.

“So we can speculate where we're going, but right at this moment in time, nobody's name has been put forward, and there could be any number of names”, the Upper Bann MLA said.

Mike Nesbitt stood down as leader last week, after months of speculation prompted by comments he made during a podcast interview last year, in which he said that he would make a decision on whether to run again in early 2026.

In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, announcing Mr Nesbitt’s decision to step down, the Ulster Unionist Party said it “marks a pivotal moment as the party builds on strong foundations and accelerates towards a bold, forward-looking vision for the 2027 elections”.