Muir calls for action to tackle abandoned advertising lorries

A coordinated government response is required to tackle problem concerning advertising lorries abandoned on bridges across main roads across Northern Ireland.

 

I have raised the issue as a result of on-going problem with many lorries abandoned on the Holywood Exchange Flyover on the A2 Bangor to Belfast Road advertising a range of items including Pony Rides, Electrical Goods, Furniture and grass cutting for many days.

 

Over the last few months I have been liaising with various government agencies to resolve this matter which has caused a significant number of complaints. Many motorists fear that the distractions could cause an accident and a disabled resident has contacted me unable to travel to Sainsbury's via her electric scooter as a result of lorries parked on the pavement.

Muir condemns cut in library opening hours

I have launched a petition at http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stoplibrarycuts against the proposed drastic cut in opening hours at Holywood and other libraries. I am concerned that the cuts could mark the end for some libraries whilst also restricting access to these vital community resources.

Holywood Library

Libraries NI recently announced plans to cut the opening hours of many libraries across Northern Ireland. Locally, Holywood Library will suffer drastic cuts with opening Hours slashed from 53.5 hours to 40 hours. Bangor Library will also have its opening hours cut from 65 to 57 hours. Whilst I recognise that Libraries NI need to balance their budget making such cuts at the behest of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure could be the death knell of some libraries reducing visitors to an unsustainable level with the next logical step closure.

Help save a man from execution

In a few days a man will be executed. Unless action is taken Troy Davis will be killed by lethal injection on Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 7pm, US time.

Troy Davis was convicted of murder in 1991 and has been on death row for 20 years despite a raft of evidence highlighting his potential innocence and a strong campaign supported by Amnesty International calling for a new trial or hearing and clemency.

Killing another human being is, I believe, fundamentally wrong for many reasons including, most importantly, the reason cited by Martin Luther King Jnr. who once said that “The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind”.

Two days before Troy is due to be executed Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles will hold a clemency hearing. This meeting will take place tomorrow and decide whether his execution should proceed or whether his sentence should be commuted.

His execution is therefore not inevitable. Take action now and contact the Board of Pardons and Paroles via www.amnesty.org.uk Let’s cherish and protect human life rather than extinguishing it.

Muir welcomes reprieve for Ballysallagh Reservoir

I welcome news from NI Water that planned sale of Ballysallagh Reservoirs have been put on hold. I have been lobbying NI Water to halt their plans to sell Reservoirs across North Down and beyond and serve on the joint North Down and Ards Council committee to Save Portavo Reservoir near Groomsport. I am also involved in the newly formed Portavo Preservation Group.

Whilst the main focus is currently on Portavo Reservoir which is scheduled for sale during 2012/13 I am keen to ensure that remaining redundant Reservoirs across North Down are not sold to the highest bidder. It is vitally important that these beauty spots and wildlife havens are retained and protected for future generations not lost to private developers who may drain the Reservoirs, or worse.