Acheson + Glover (AG) has confirmed it has invested more than £1m at its Ballygawley Precast plant as sales of its innovative building materials soar across the UK and Ireland.

The family-owned firm which has its headquarters at Fivemiletown has invested around £0.6m on a new batching plant that will allow it to develop more advanced mix designs leading to more efficient and quicker production with better quality finishes in its precast products.

It has also refurbished a number of its Hollowcore beds used in the production of its market-leading Hollowcore flooring that has been used in many prestigious projects in the UK and Ireland.

Two other major capital expenditure items including a new Prensoland saw and an industry-specific vacuum have brought the investment figure to more than £1m.

AG Group Chief Financial Officer, Keith Scott says the investments are a response to the ‘strategic needs’ and ‘opportunities’ within the business.

“Recent significant increases in sales of our hard landscaping, building and structural precast products, especially in Britain, have driven the need to increase both efficiencies and capacity.

These investments, coupled with extended overtime shifts at both Ballygawley and one of other plants at Fivemiletown will equip us to continue our growth trajectory whilst driving up capacity across the business.”

Around 105 people are employed at AG’s Ballygawley plant which makes precast products used in a number of high profile construction schemes including Omagh Hospital, the Waterfront and Altnagelvin Hospital.

GB sales now account for almost 60% of group turnover which currently stands at £37m, up year on year from £35.4m.

Mr Scott said that success could be attributed largely to its focus on innovation and new product development.

“Our greatest success stories come from our desire to help solve problems through the creation of ground-breaking build materials.

“Our recently re-branded PlateSpan is a good example of a product that can save weeks on build programmes whilst our top-mix paving sought to solve the problem of fading colours by concentrating the colour in a stronger surface.

“TerraPave meanwhile was created to solve the problem of specifiers needing to import granite materials from places like China by factory-engineering a superior product that could be made locally.”

Londonderry based Global Equipment Spares Limited (GES) is more than doubling its workforce over the next three years as part of a strategy to grow its export sales six-fold.

With support from Invest Northern Ireland GES, which is located at Campsie Industrial Estate, is investing £1.9 million to upgrade its facility, purchase new machinery and create 61 new jobs across a range of roles.

“Invest NI’s offer of £396,000 is enabling GES to undertake growth development plans aimed at positioning the business so that it can manufacture and export more components, particularly into North America,” said Jeremy Fitch, Invest NI executive director of business and sector development.

“The 61 new jobs being recruited over the next three years range from manufacturing roles to procurement and sales positions and will generate £1.3million annually in additional salaries.

“GES’ investment marks a significant step change for the small business as it seeks to scale up its production capabilities to meet the growing opportunities for its products outside Northern Ireland.”

The company manufactures products from high strength and wear resistant steels for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of quarrying, mining, construction and agricultural equipment based in GB, the ROl, the EU and the US.

Its customers include major materials handling businesses including Terex, Telestack, Sandvik and McCloskey International as well as global companies such as Kleemann Wirtgen, Astec Industries and Kuhn Farm Machinery.

Managing director John McClenaghan said: “This expansion is part of a strategy to grow sales and increase both our workforce and our product offering to meet identified opportunities within new and existing markets.

“We have set ourselves a challenging target for new export business and will be focused on leveraging our reputation in the industry to secure new customers.

“Invest NI’s support is allowing us to fully implement our growth plans and create valuable employment opportunities across a range of disciplines in the North West.”

The inquest for the Kingsmills massacre has reopened with a lawyer for families of the deceased accusing the Garda of “a diet of obstruction and a failure to assist the legacy process”.

Ten Protestant workmen were gunned down by the IRA as they made their way home from work in a minibus near Kingsmills in south Armagh in January 1976.

The inquest opened on May 23, 2016 but adjourned a month later when the PSNI matched a palm print on the getaway minibus. In February the PPS said it would not prosecute the suspect as the minibus could not be linked to the crime scene.

Mr Alan Kane QC for the families opened proceedings yesterday, citing concern about the response from the Garda’s lawyer – the chief state solicitor in Dublin – to the latest request by the Belfast coroner for full disclosure on southern files on the atrocity.

Mr Kane said Dublin had raised “strange and amazing points” and despite writing that it was “anxious to cooperate” he said, then referred to the updated scope of the inquest, which the chief state solicitor said it has “now had sight of for the first time”.

The Garda lawyer advised the inquest that they would now have to consider their “legal and constitutional position” to be able to respond, which Mr Kane said they had already been saying “for months and months and months”.

“This is the latest helping in a diet of obstruction by the Garda and a failure to assist the legacy process in Northern Ireland into the deaths of 10 people,” he added.

The families were now faced with this “insulting letter” to say that cooperation with the inquest is continuing: “However the content of this letter is like a slimming biscuit – full of air but with no substance”.

Sean Doran QC for the coroner, confirmed that Dublin did not have sight of the updated scope for the inquest until last month.

However, Coroner Judge Brian Sherrard added that his representatives had attended a series of meetings with the chief state solicitor.

“I don’t think there has been any confusion about the purpose of the inquest,” the coroner added.

There was no doubt that there was an Irish dimension to the inquest and he was “accordingly very concerned” about the points raised.

He added: “I will not close the inquest until I am satisfied that all materials I believe should be before the court are before the court.”

An anonymous detective from PSNI Crime Operations also gave evidence from behind a screen on a series of intelligence reports which identified up to 20 suspects, referred to in court using codes.

One report said S37 was “a big man in the Provisional IRA in Dundalk” although S91 “was the man in charge” of the massacre. “He was a bit older then the others and speaks with a very funny accent, you would think he was English.”

Mr Doran noted that survivor Alan Black said the victims’ minibus had been stopped by a man who appeared to have an English accent.

The QC said one report said police had information about a planned attack but it only came in after the shootings had taken place.

Intelligence reports suggested two different IRA groups were involved in the attack, one from Omeath-Forkill and the other from the Co Louth-Crossmaglen area.

Some reports suggested one faction broke away from the IRA, citing “non-retaliation” for the murder of Catholics, thus forming the South Armagh Reaction Force/Group [SARF/G], the name used to claim responsibility for Kingsmills.

One report said of “a well known IRA man” and Co Armagh suspect, S114: “He has his own group and is not really one of the pros [Provisional IRA]. The pros accept him as he is too powerful to buck as everyone looks up to him.” If his group’s activities cause no outcry they belong to the IRA but if they do, then they are claimed by SARF/G, the report claimed.

But the last report coroner’s QC Sean Doran cited said of the title SARF/G that “this is considered a cover name for PIRA”.

Moors Murderer Ian Brady has died at the age of 79.

His death, revealed late on Monday night, came just hours after he was urged to “do the right thing” and reveal where the last of his child victims is buried.

A Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “We can confirm a 79-year-old patient in long term care at Ashworth High Secure Hospital has died after becoming physically unwell.”

The serial killer, who used the name Ian Stewart-Brady before his death, was a patient at Ashworth Hospital on Merseyside where he was reportedly receiving palliative care.

At a court hearing in February lawyers said he had been bedridden for the last couple of years and it was “fair to say” he was terminally ill, with emphysema among his ailments.

Brady and Myra Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s.

Four of the victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor in the south Pennines.

Brady was jailed for three murders in 1966 and had been at Ashworth since 1985.

He and Hindley later confessed to another two murders.

In 2013 he asked to be moved to a Scottish prison so he could not be force fed, as he could be in hospital, and where he could be allowed to die if he wishes.

His request was rejected after Ashworth medical experts said he had chronic mental illness and needed continued care in hospital.

In February he was refused permission to launch a High Court fight to have the lawyer of his choice representing him at a tribunal where the decision would be reviewed.

Terry Kilbride, whose brother John, 12, was also murdered by Brady, begged him to tell police where he dumped the body of Keith Bennett, who went missing aged 12 in 1964.

Before Brady’s death he had told The Sun: “I would beg him to do the right thing on his deathbed and tell us where Keith is.

“Now is the time for him to stop playing tricks and come clean.

“If he takes it to the grave, I will feel so sorry for Keith’s family.

“There will only ever be another search if there’s fresh evidence. That has to come from him.”

Mr Kilbride said: “We’ll certainly celebrate his death when it comes. Good riddance.”

He told ITV News: “I don’t drink but I will have a pint.

“And I think that will be the opinion of most people.”

Ian Brady and Myra Hindley snatched children off the street, sexually abused them and tortured them to death.

Their first victim was 16-year-old Pauline Reade, who vanished on July 12, 1963, on her way to a disco near her home in Gorton, Manchester.

She was lured to the moors by Hindley who said she had lost her gloves there and needed help finding them.

Four months after Pauline vanished, 12-year-old John Kilbride became Brady’s second victim.

The body of the third victim, Keith Bennett, 12, has never been found. He died after leaving his home in Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester on June 16 1964.

Lesley Ann Downey, 10, was killed on Boxing Day in 1964, after being lured from a fairground. Her last moments were recorded on a 16-minute audio tape

The last victim Edward Evans, 17, was lured from a gay bar to a home then shared by Hindley and Brady on the Hattersley estate at Hyde.

Belfast Harbour is to continue the push to provide Grade A office space in the city with its latest City Quays waterfront development .

At 250,000 square feet, City Quays 3 will be one of the largest offices to be developed in Northern Ireland.

An applicatino for planning has now been submitted with the £46m project expected to provide space for up to 3,000 workers across 16 storeys and support up to 600 jobs during construction.

Subject to planning approval it is anticipated that construction work will begin at the end of this year with completion due late in 2019.

City Quays 3 is the latest development to be taken forward by Belfast Harbour and will join office buildings City Quays 1 and 2, and a 188-bedroom AC by Marriot hotel.

“Upon completion, Belfast Harbour will have invested £120m in City Quays and developed 450,000 square feet of Grade ‘A’ office space supporting both foreign direct investment (FDI) and indigenous businesses,” said Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director.

“As with the two previous offices City Quays 3 will be a speculative development, which is a reflection of how strong demand for this quality of office space in Belfast is.

“We will be tendering for a contractor in tandem with the planning process which we expect to be swift due to Outline Planning Approval being in place.

“City Quays 3 will be built to the BREEAM Excellent sustainability standard and will include roof terraces and winter gardens taking advantage of the waterfront cityscape views.

“Located between City Quays 2 and the new AC by Marriott hotel, the office will also benefit from its proximity to a new public square that is currently being developed as part of the wider scheme.”

Current City Quays tenants include Baker & McKenzie, Cayan, MACOM and NBC. City Quays 3 was designed by Belfast-based architects, RPP.

The UK has climbed back into the top 10 most attractive countries for investing in renewables - but uncertainty remains for the post-Brexit future, a report has said.

In the latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) report from EY, the UK has halted a slide which saw it fall from fourth place in 2013 to 14th in October 2016.

The UK’s investment environment is now more settled than it has been in previous years, when there were a series of subsidy cuts, but investors are still waiting for signs of what future support there will be for renewables, EY said.

While the UK is behind schedule to meet its European Union 2020 targets for renewable energy, coal power in the UK has declined to the point where Britain went a full day in April without electricity from the fossil fuel, and renewables have risen.

But the improved standing for the UK is more down to other countries doing less well, EY said.

Ben Warren, head of energy corporate finance, said: “The UK’s reappearance in the RECAI top 10 is the result of other countries falling away - notably Brazil which cancelled a wind and solar auction in December - rather than any particularly encouraging resurgence.

“The UK continues to underwhelm investors who are waiting to see if future UK policy will support and encourage the renewable energy industry towards a subsidy-free environment, where consumers can benefit from the UK’s excellent natural resources for renewable energy.

“Investors are still waiting for clarity around the post-Brexit landscape.

Award-winning chef Niall McKenna today (Tuesday 12th May 2017) announced the launch of his fourth consecutive Chef Apprentice Programme for the 2017/18 academic year, amid real concerns of a skills gap in the sector.

The scheme within the James Street South restaurant group, in collaboration with Belfast Met, has provided considerable ‘front line’ experience for the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Previously endorsed by the Department for the Economy, the apprenticeship programme is open to 16-24 year olds who are given the opportunity to learn and hone essential skills from some of the best chefs in Northern Ireland.

Working across the group, which includes the flagship James Street South, the Bar & Grill, Hadskis, The Cookery School and Cast & Crew in the Titanic Quarter, the 12 successful students will combine this on-the-job training with two days’ attendance at the Belfast Met to gain their professional qualifications.

Niall is also spearheading the college’s latest course for 12 students within the school of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Students in the new Front of House Apprenticeship will have the opportunity to spend two days in college with three days of practical across the James Street South Group.

“We are extremely proud of this initiative and it has been empowering to see so many of our former students continue to pursue careers in the local hospitality sector, with many still working across the group,” said Niall.

“There is a severe shortage in the number of skilled professionals in Northern Ireland to fill roles in the new hotels, restaurants and venues opening or planned across the city and province.

“Our Apprentice Scheme provides a solid investment in the future of world-class hospitality here and I would urge any aspiring chefs with a determination to succeed to apply before the September deadline.”

Dr Andrea Cooper, the Met’s course administrator said: “This apprenticeship programme is part of a significant curriculum reform which will shape education and training for the Hospitality industry.

“We are delighted with the success of the professional cookery programme to date, and look forward to welcoming our second cohort of trainee chefs, as well as our first front of house students, in September this year.”

Consumer confidence in Northern Ireland rose sharply in the first quarter of 2017 as consumers got some more clarity around the Brexit process, according to Danske Bank research.

The bank’s Northern Ireland Consumer Confidence Index increased from 132 in 2016 Q4 to 141 in 2017 Q1. The index was four points higher compared with the first quarter of 2016.

“Despite the fact that inflation is rising and exerting some pressure on households’ spending power, consumer confidence surprised on the upside in the first quarter of 2017,” said Danske Bank economist Conor Lambe.

“Our Index shows that consumer confidence in Northern Ireland is at its highest level since the third quarter of 2015.

“This strong bounce back could, in part, be due to consumers now having more clarity about the UK Government’s planned approach to the Brexit negotiations, and that the UK and EU have both shown willingness to find a solution to the border issue.

“The rise could also be interpreted as a sign that, while economic growth is expected to slow, consumers now feel confident that the short-term impact of the EU referendum on the economy is not going to be as severe as first thought.”

Household expectations of how people felt their financial position will change over the next 12 months improved by 13 points over the quarter.

“The sharp rise on this particular measure appears surprising given that rising inflation will have an adverse impact on real wage growth as we move through this year,” said Mr Lambe.

“However, when considered alongside the large fall observed on this part of the index at the end of 2016, the latest data really just shows that we are now back where we were in the second and third quarters of last year.”

A victim of the 1972 Claudy bombing has called for the level of scrutiny and investigation into the Bloody Sunday killings in Londonderry to be applied to atrocities carried out by the IRA.

Marjorie Leslie was one of dozens of people caught up in the three no-warning car bombs which exploded in the Co Londonderry village on July 31, 1972, almost exactly six months after Bloody Sunday.

She was badly injured in the bombing, and lost the achilles tendons in the heels of one of her feet.

The bombing, which claimed the lives of nine civilians and left survivors such as Ms Leslie to live with the mental and physical scars of the carnage, is widely believed to have been carried out by the IRA but no one has ever been brought to justice for the slaughter.

On Friday, it emerged that the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is considering a range of charges, including murder and attempted murder, against 18 soldiers over their involvement in Bloody Sunday.

A spokesperson for the PPS said: “Investigation files in relation to Bloody Sunday were passed to the PPS in December 2016 and are presently under active consideration.

“No prosecution decision has yet been taken in relation to these files and it is likely to be some time before any decision will issue.”

Marjorie said she would like to see the Claudy bombing receive a similar level of scrutiny.

“I would like to see a similar focus on the Claudy bombings that there has been on Bloody Sunday,” she said.

“We feel forgotten about, very much so. Things seem to have come to a full stop with Claudy. There are people living today with their grief and their suffering and no one has ever been held responsible.”

She added: “I was injured in the bombing. I lost my achilles tendons in my left heel. I lived in Claudy at the time. My husband worked in a garage at that time and my children were very young.

“The bombing came right on the back of Bloody Sunday. There was Bloody Sunday and then we had the bombs in Claudy just a short time later.

“There isn’t much said about Claudy.”

The DUP has voiced concerns about an explosion in the use of proxy voting in Northern Ireland.

The party said it sees “little rational explanation” for a very sharp leap in the numbers of proxy voters, with proxy voter numbers having increased by roughly half from the time of the 2016 Assembly election to the 2017 one – from 6,644, up to 9,920.

In addition, some areas of the country have a level of proxy voting vastly greater than other places.

The 2017 figures show such voters were concentrated overwhelmingly in six constituencies – Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Mid Ulster, Newry & Armagh, West Belfast, West Tyrone and Foyle. All are predominantly nationalist/republican Assembly seats.

Across these six seats, proxy numbers ranged from 982 such voters in West Tyrone to a peak of 1,557 in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

By contrast, the seat with the lowest number of proxy voters was unionist-dominated Lagan Valley, where just 136 were registered – a number roughly 11.5 times smaller than the figure in Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

The DUP said it had “concerns” and will seek “further clarification” from the Electoral Office over the figures.

But Chief Electoral Officer Virginia McVea told the News Letter she “couldn’t say that there is a concern, because it’s entirely lawful”.

She added “no systemic practices that are untoward or illegal” had been drawn to her attention.

Proxy voting essentially entails a person – Voter X – allowing another person to vote on their behalf.

In law, proxy voting is allowed if Voter X “cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person at the polling station” – not just because it would be inconvenient to go.

The main reasons for this are because of illness, or because they are travelling.

If a proxy vote is due to illness, then a medical professional must verify this.

However, no checks are done if someone simply says they are travelling.

If a proxy vote is granted, then a Voter X’s polling card will be posted out ahead of polling day, they will instruct their proxy how to vote on their behalf, and that proxy will then go along to the polling station on the day in their place.

The DUP pointed out that in Wales – with a population of about 3.1 million people – there were just over 3,000 proxy voters in its 2016 Assembly election, compared with 9,920 in Northern Ireland, with a population of just over 1.8 million people.

It said leader Arlene Foster met representatives from the Electoral Office (which manages elections) to discuss how it is dealing with proxy applications, and the checks it has in place to prevent electoral fraud.

It said in a statement afterwards: “With individual voter registration and the requirement to use photographic identification Northern Ireland has strong measures in place to tackle potential electoral fraud.

“There are concerns however around postal and proxy votes.”

When it comes to the recent growth in proxies, and why Northern Ireland seems to have so many compared to Wales, she said “there appears to be little rational explanation”.

She added: “Similarly there appears to be no reason why the number of proxy and postal votes cast are particularly geographically concentrated within certain areas...

“All applications for postal and proxy votes must be assessed by the Electoral Office and as such, the high number of applications obviously puts a pressure on staffing resources to ensure that all checks are properly carried out before postal or proxy votes are issued.”

She concluded: “It is vital the Electoral Office can assure the public that proper checks are in place to not only ensure that valid applications are processed on time but that any fraudulent applications are identified and refused.

“I will be seeking further clarification from the Electoral Office on this issue as well as holding discussions with the Electoral Commission who produce a report on each election, including on electoral integrity.”

An analysis of the March Assembly election, carried out by the Electoral Commission (which monitors the work of the Electoral Office) found that the surge in “absent votes” (both proxy and postal ones) had placed “significant pressure” on the Electoral Office – although “the overall process ran well”.

As to the reasons why proxy votes have increased, Ms McVea said: “Because it’s entirely lawful and has no threshold, it wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate for me to be looking for reasons... It is entirely open to people, wherever they are, to make these applications within the law.”

Northern Ireland’s most senior health official appears not to have taken any advice before seeking to restrict medics’ free speech in a way which a QC has said may be unlawful.

Just days before March’s Assembly election, the News Letter obtained a leaked copy of an email which Richard Pengelly, permanent secretary of the Department of Health, sent to the chief executives of Northern Ireland’s five heath trusts in which he said he was “increasingly concerned” at the number of “overtly political” tweets from health staff.

The two tweets he said were inappropriate were critical of the DUP and Sinn Fein and had been sent from two doctors’ personal accounts.

Mr Pengelly – whose wife, Emma Little-Pengelly, was a DUP MLA but lost her seat in the election – said that “whilst clinically independent, front line colleagues must remember that they are employees of the service, and thus such public statements are not appropriate”.

Mr Pengelly – who since the collapse of devolution has been the single most senior figure over the health service in the absence of a democratic minister – then cited two tweets from doctors containing criticism of the DUP and Sinn Fein.

One of the tweets cited said that if people spoilt their ballots next week then the DUP and Sinn Fein would “get to feck it all up again”.

Many medical staff reacted furiously to the advice.

The News Letter submitted a Freedom of Information request to the department asking for all material relating to the email, including advice about its contents.

The department said it was releasing the entirety of what it held on the matter but no advice prior to the email is revealed.

Instead, the documents appear to show that Mr Pengelly only began asking for advice on the legal position after the News Letter and others questioned his actions.

On February 28 – the day after the email was made public – a senior official wrote to Mr Pengelly and others, referring to an earlier discussion, and included a copy of election guidance for civil servants.

The email added that for health staff “I would suggest this is a matter for an individual and their employer”.

Another of the documents shows that someone within the department – whose name has been blacked out – suggested that Mr Pengelly should say that he stood over the comments.

The suggestion was made in response to a question from the News Letter at the time.

The official asked Mr Pengelly if he was happy to issue the questions in a way outlined in the email. In response to the question of whether Mr Pengelly stood over his comments, the suggested response was “Yes”.

Then, when asked if his instruction applied to every health trust employee, from cleaners to consultants, the suggested response was “yes, HSC employees”. However, those responses were never issued.

Instead, the News Letter was ultimately given the same line that had been issued the previous day, which did not address the questions but said that staff “have the right to express their own personal opinions on social media. However this should be in line with the HSC Code of Conduct”.

When asked yesterday why Mr Pengelly issued a sweeping instruction without first clarifying the law, the department said: “The permanent secretary did not issue a ‘sweeping instruction’ nor any other form of instruction to staff. His email to chief executives simply asked that they ‘re-enforce the need for common sense’ when using Twitter.”

Yesterday it emerged that the British Medical Association (BMA) has obtained legal advice questioning what Mr Pengelly did.

In a letter to BMA members, the body’s Northern Ireland chairman John Woods said that many doctors had been “concerned at what they saw as an inappropriate attempt to extend valid restrictions on what they can say in public while in their working roles, into their non-professional, private lives”.

He went on: “In order to clarify your position the BMA instructed John Hendy QC of Old Square Chambers London, a recognised legal expert in employment law, to provide a detailed opinion.

“This legal advice states that doctors using social media must follow their employer’s employment policies and procedures where these are contractual and lawful ... However, the QC’s opinion is that it would be unlawful for Mr Pengelly or the chief executives of HSC trusts to seek to prevent clinical staff from, or to punish clinical staff for, expressing their political views on Twitter or any other form of social media in their time away from their work, so long as such ‘tweets’ do not transgress any contractual restrictions.”

The BMA said that it wrote to Mr Pengelly a fortnight ago about the issue but received no response so again wrote to him last week.

A Co Down foster couple who have recorded more than a decade’s worth of feeds, sleeps and first smiles have been given fostering’s top award in the Province.

William and Valerie Newell from Annalong were named Foster Carers of the Year in Northern Ireland at the weekend after 13 years during which they have looked after many babies, sibling groups and children with complex needs as well as bringing up three children of their own.

The couple were nominated by two of their foster children who described them as “loving, kind, amazing and special people”.

The children’s heartfelt handwritten nomination, complete with drawings, details William and Valerie’s incredible efforts for the children they care for, including how they record every feed, sleep and first smile for the babies they foster.

One of the couple’s foster children who made the nomination said: “My brother and I lived with six foster families before we came to live with Valerie and William, but this is where we are staying.

“We are so happy and safe here. They are always there to help and guide me and get me the support I need.

“This is the most brilliant place a child could grow up and have a brilliant life. They mean the world to us and any child lucky enough to live here would be happy and healthy like I am now.”

William and Valerie, who got involved in fostering through family links, were given the accolade from The Fostering Network at Northern Ireland’s 2017 Foster Carer of the Year Awards, on Saturday at the Hilton Hotel in Belfast.

At the ceremony lifetime achievement awards were given to Gerard and Marion Lennon from Downpatrick, and Rita and Robert Cranston from Ballinamallard.

Over 2,200 children live with over 2,000 foster families across NI each day.

Arlene Foster appears to have been honestly and innocently answering a question during a rapid-fire ‘word association’ game when she turned the focus on Michelle O’Neill’s appearance.

The immediate impact of the rumpus over her honest answer will almost certainly be advice from political spin doctors not to properly answer any question which could be remotely controversial, leading to the sort of bland responses which, ironically, leave so many voters disillusioned with politics.

After months of political battering over her role in the RHI scandal and subsequent events, it was a demonstrably more confident DUP leader who just a week ago launched the party’s election campaign and fielded questions from journalists.

There seemed to be a pronounced attempt to remove some past red lines for re-entering a devolved Executive and to generally rehabilitate Mrs Foster’s image among nationalists as well as among unionists – all part of the DUP’s tactics as it attempts to persuade Sinn Fein to go back into power at Stormont.

Although there will be plenty of voters – and not just unionists – who will be baffled by how a row has ensued after Mrs Foster, seemingly in all sincerity, complemented her rival’s appearance, the fact that Mrs Foster herself paused in the interview before making the comments shows that she was aware of at least the potential for a backlash.

That she then continued to say what she thought may concern some of her DUP colleagues.

But fundamentally, this row is unlikely to lose the DUP – a party whose members have been far more outspoken in the past – many votes.

What the DUP cannot know is what the impact will be within nationalism, where in the last election Mrs Foster’s likening of Sinn Fein to a “crocodile” enraged many nationalists, driving them to vote for Sinn Fein.

However, the caution in Ms O’Neill’s statement last night – in which she did not even say that she found the remarks offensive – perhaps suggests that Sinn Fein does not have the same electoral expectations of this row.

Detectives remain at the scene of the deaths of a 51-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man at a house in the Abbey Road area of Lisnaskea yesterday afternoon.

Detective Chief Inspector Eamon Corrigan said: “Post mortem examinations will be carried out in due course and at this stage we are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"Although our enquiries are at an early stage, we are treating the death of the woman as murder.

"The injuries to a man, aged in his 30’s, who was also in the house at the time of the incident and who suffered stab wounds to his abdomen, is being treated as attempted murder.

"He is currently in hospital in a stable condition. We are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident at this time but I would ask anyone with any information which could assist us with our enquiries to contact detectives at the Incident Room in Lisnaskea on 101 quoting reference number 774 15/05/17.”

Teachers’ unions in Northern Ireland must cease their industrial action or risk damaging children’s education, a DUP candidate has warned.

Thousands of teachers across the Province have been instructed by unions to refuse to cooperate with school inspections, as a dispute over pay and workload rumbles on.

In a letter sent out to teachers on Friday, Education Authority CEO Gavin Boyd said the industrial action was “seriously affecting the education of children and young people” and “the effective operation of schools”.

Teachers unions have reacted angrily to Mr Boyd’s letter, branding it “patronising” and “fake news”.

But DUP general election candidate and former teacher Sammy Wilson said no amount of industrial action will change the fact that the additional money sought by the unions “simply isn’t there”.

In the correspondence, Mr Boyd says teachers in NI are better paid than their counterparts in England and Wales.

“The average teacher’s pay in Northern Ireland is just over £40,000 per annum,” he added.

“This compares very favourably with other graduate professions locally and is actually higher than the average teacher’s pay in England and Wales.”

Mr Boyd said that teaching unions had rejected an overall offer of 2.5% on pay in 2015/16.

“There have been no reductions in teacher’s pay,” he said.

However, he did concede that national insurance and pension contributions had risen, but added these were “part of a wider government strategy to ensure public sector pensions remain affordable and sustainable”.

East Antrim candidate Mr Wilson said he “does not have much sympathy” for teachers when it comes to the issue of a pay increase.

He added: “Regardless of what action is taken by teachers, it is not going to change the situation regarding pay because that is a decision made by central government.

“Even if there was an Executive up and running in Northern Ireland, an education minister could not just magic money out of thin air.

“And even if every MLA wanted to increase teachers’ salaries, there simply is not the wherewithal to do it.”

However, Mr Wilson said a devolved government would have the power to cut through some of the red tape, which teachers maintain is putting major strain on their workload.

The former economics teacher added: “I know there are massive demands on teachers’ time when it comes to non-classroom work, and I agree they should be freed up rather than having their time taken up by so much bureaucracy.

“But there are other ways to achieve this than by resorting to industrial action which is damaging to youngsters’ education.”

Avril Hall Callaghan, general secretary of the Ulster Teachers Union (UTU), condemned the Education Authority’s response to their current industrial action as “Trumpesque”, and said a “very difficult” situation had now been made even more problematic.

Rebutting the assertion that teachers were harming pupil’s education, she added: “The current industrial action has, rather than negatively affected children and young people, given teachers more time to spend tailoring lessons to meet the individual needs of pupils.”

Justin McCamphill, of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) Northern Ireland, said Mr Boyd’s letter to teachers was patronising and offered “nothing by way of substance or fact”.

As for Mr Boyd’s claim that teachers in Northern Ireland were better paid than their counterparts in Great Britain, Mr McCamphill accused him of “not comparing like with like”.

He told the News Letter: “The pay scale in England is slightly higher than the pay scale here. However, many teachers across the water are quitting before they get to the top of the pay scale, which means there is a larger number of teachers at the bottom of the scale. This pulls the average wage down.

“Therefore a 40-year-old teacher in Northern Ireland would not be earning as much as a 40-year-old teacher in England.”

Peadar Phair, 55, and 51-year-old Concepta Leonard were found dead at a house in the Abbey Road area of Lisnaskea in Co Fermanagh on Monday afternoon.

Detectives believe Ms Leonard was murdered inside her isolated home in the lakeland county.

A third person, a man aged in his 30s who is believed to be Ms Leonard's son, suffered stab wounds.

Investigators are treating that attack as attempted murder.

He is in hospital in a stable condition.

Police Service of Northern Ireland detective chief inspector Eamon Corrigan said: "We are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident at this time."

Former Fermanagh and South Tyrone SDLP Assembly member Richie McPhillips said Ms Leonard was a businesswoman involved in catering, as well as a musician.

Police established a large cordon around the Abbey Road house last night, with forensic officers in white suits working into the night.

Officers carried out door-to-door enquiries.

The house is large and detached, at the top of a hill. Forensics experts combed it for clues.

Detective chief inspector Corrigan added: "Post-mortem examinations will be carried out in due course and at this stage we are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"Although our enquiries are at an early stage, we are treating the death of the woman as murder."

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police.

A major search for arms and explosives related to the Troubles is under way at a river in Portadown.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Doug Beattie said the operation is taking place in the vicinity of the Corcrain River.

It is being conducted by the PSNI and naval explosive search teams.

Mr Beattie, a Westminster election candidate, said, “It is clear the PSNI have credible intelligence that some explosive ordnance may well have been either dumped in the river or the surrounding area.

“Such is their concern they have now deployed Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Units to the area which is accessed through the Garvaghy Road.”

He added, “The search is a major operation and is likely to take a number of days. It shows the PSNI have absolute commitment to keep all citizens of Upper Bann safe and I commend that courage and commitment and that of the military personnel taking part in this dangerous operation.”

A PSNI spokesperson said, “Army technical officers were tasked by local police following a report that there may be a suspicious object in the People’s Park area of Portadown.

“No further details are available at this moment.”

A report detailing the price of residential property in Northern Ireland was published on Tuesday morning.

The report, which was published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (N.I.S.R.A.) is for the first quarter of 2017.

The standardised price for residential property in Northern Ireland as a whole is £124,007 and ranges from £109,411 in Derry City and Strabane District Council to £146,662 in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

House Price Index and Standardised Price in each council area Q1 2017:

Antrim and Newtownabbey

Index: 111.3

Quarterly Change: -2.2%

Annual Change: 6.0%

Std Price: £127,920

Ards and North Down

Index: 106.4

Quarterly Change: -0.2%

Annual Change: 2.2%

Std Price: £142,807

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon

Index: 114.2

Quarterly Change: 1.3%

Annual Change: 4.5%

Std Price: £112,532

Belfast

Index: 109.6

Quarterly Change: -2.3%

Annual Change: 4.4%

Std Price: £115,868

Causeway Coast and Glens

Index: 117.7

Quarterly Change: -1.4%

Annual Change: 3.6%

Std Price: £127,081

Derry City and Strabane

Index: 115.6

Quarterly Change: 1.7%

Annual Change: 8.4%

Std Price: £109,411

Fermanagh and Omagh

Index: 117.2

Quarterly Change: -0.6%

Annual Change: 2.2%

Std Price: £112,358

Lisburn and Castlereagh

Index: 109.2

Quarterly Change: -1.3%

Annual Change: 3.0%

Std Price: £146,662

Mid and East Antrim

Index: 111.0

Quarterly Change: -3.1%

Annual Change: 3.8%

Std Price: £114,932

Mid Ulster

Index: 111.7

Quarterly Change: 0.5%

Annual Change: 2.0%

Std Price: £124,950

Newry, Mourne and Down

Index: 115.8

Quarterly Change: 2.3%

Annual Change: 7.9%

Std Price: £130,322

Police are investigating two separate altercations between visitors at last week’s Balmoral Show.

Two people were arrested following an incident on the Halftown Road area of Lisburn, which reportedly happened in the vicinity of a beer tent after the show finished on Thursday evening.

Officers were also called to another altercation on Friday night, which police say was not linked to the earlier incident.

PSNI Constable Richard Taylor said: “Enquiries are ongoing, however we would appeal for anyone who witnessed anything to come forward. If you can help, please call the 101 number. Alternatively, information about crime can be passed on anonymously via the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.”

Police in Larne are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a man in the vicinity of the Inver River in the town at around 7.00 pm last night, Monday May 15.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “A postmortem will be carried out in due course.”

There are no further details at this time.