Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
40k vaccines every week in the SSE Arena
Claims by female crew in show’s end of year review
CENTRE SSE Arena in Belfast
BELFAST’S SSE Arena could administer around 40,000 jabs a week when it opens later this month. Health Minister Robin Swann revealed the complex would be used as a vaccination centre for Northern Ireland’s adult population.
Director of the South Eastern Trust’s vaccination programme Roisin Coulter said the centre was due to open on March 29.
She added everyone here should be offered their first dose by mid-summer.
In addition to the SSE Arena, Trusts will continue to operate large vaccination centres with GPS running local clinics.
EXPERIENCED
Access will then be opened up further with community pharmacies providing jabs on the high street.
Ms Coulter told the BBC: “We will be able to administer up to 40,000 doses of the vaccine every week.
“We will staff it in a twin-track approach, from all of our existing experienced vaccinators and support teams from the Southeastern Trust and then we are already working actively to try and draw in as many people as possible from the health and social care public workforce appeal.”
On Monday, the Department of Health confirmed the vaccine programme has been extended.
Ms Coulter said the SSE Arena would “really push the numbers up” by May.
She added: “All our vaccination slots are full in the Ulster Hospital vaccination centre and we’re doing 1,200 a day, so going by that I would expect the level of interest to be constant and to fill the available slots.
“You don’t have to come from Belfast, in fact anyone in Northern Ireland at the minute can book on to any of the centres across the province.”
GEMMA Atkinson flashes a huge sparkler on a sunny stroll with new fiance Gorka Marquez.
The Hollyoaks actress, 36, gave fans a first glimpse of her diamond ring near their home in Manchester.
She and Strictly Come Dancing pro Gorka, 30, got engaged on Valentine’s Day.
Gemma, who welcomed daughter Mia in 2019, kept it casual on the walk in shades, puffer coat and trainers. She recently admitted it was “tough” while Gorka was away for Strictly.
We are satisfied appropriate action has been taken CHANNEL 4
ANT Middleton was axed by Channel 4 after complaints were made by female crew over “inappropriate comments”, the Mirror can reveal.
Yesterday we told how TV bosses said they will never work with the star again because of his “personal conduct”.
And the decision came months after he was heavily criticised in June last year after he branded Black Lives Matter protesters “absolute scum”.
But his BLM remarks were not the sole reason for the decision to ditch him from the SAS Who Dares Win series.
A number of staff raised concerns with makers Minnow Films and Channel 4 during an end of year review where they were allowed to speak anonymously. At the end of 2020, the allegations and complaints from a number of women regarding Ant’s comments towards them on set were then investigated. They felt the way he spoke to them was “inappropriate”.
Following the investigation, Channel 4 held meetings and decided to stop working with Ant, 40, and informed him of this decision on Monday.
The station told the Mirror: “We can’t comment on anonymous allegations, however, we take issues of welfare very seriously. We clearly set out our expectations of behaviour in our Supplier Code of Conduct. We are satisfied appropriate action has been taken.” Minnow Films said: “The welfare of those working on our productions is of paramount importance. We have robust procedures in place to allow members of staff to come forward and confidentially raise any concerns.”
At the end of the 2019 series consultants investigated the production process. Improvements were made but some staff were still left upset by the way Ant had treated them during filming last year. The decision to axe Middleton follows him losing several other jobs in the last year.
The ex-special Forces soldier, who recently appeared with actress Rebel Wilson on his series Straight Talking, was removed from ITV’S Soccer Aid in August amid fears his involvement would offend ethnic minority players.
And in the same month he stood down from the role of Chief Cadet of the Volunteer Cadet Corps, a youth group affiliated to the Royal Navy, after being appointed in November 2019.
Last night, Middleton was asked about leaving the show.
He said: “I think that ultimately what has happened is that the people that make the show and I have very different opinions on where the show started and where it is going in the future.”
IRELAND’S leader Micheal Martin has pledged the Republic will do “whatever we can” to land the World Cup.
And Sports Minister Jack Chambers has revealed the Government has a “special events division” already set up to work on bringing the Fifa World Cup to Ireland.
Late on Monday night it was sensationally revealed the Government has joined forces with Boris Johnson’s administration to launch a joint bid to bring the event to the UK and Ireland in 2030.
Mr Martin said on his way into this week’s Cabinet meeting: “It is very interesting, and it is obviously very early days, but we are very happy to co-operate with the UK, and indeed all of the football associations involved, because obviously the whole idea of Ireland as a location for major sporting events is something that successive governments have been pushing for now and this falls into that category.
“Look, it’s early days, but we’ll certainly do whatever we can do add value to that proposition because I think sports fans would be particularly happy with that and it’s something we would look forward to.”
There will be huge competition for hosting when the bidding process opens next year, as 2030 will be the
Micheal Martin centenary staging of the huge tournament. The Irish Government’s “special events division” is still in place after it launched a high profile bid to land the 2023 Rugby World Cup ahead of decision day on that event in 2017 with France ending up hosting the event.
Monday night’s major announcement from the two governments puts the UK and Ireland in an early strong position to land the soccer world cup.
Mr Chambers told RTE’S Morning Ireland: “We have an ambitious bid across the two islands to try and work together to bring the biggest football, and one of the biggest tournaments in the world to our shores – it’s really positive.
“We are going to do everything we can to work with the different football associations and the British Government to try and advance this in a really positive way.” Mr Chambers also indicated the bid would be leveraging the use of world-class stadiums outside Dublin and Belfast to host top-tier matches.
There are really only two venues large enough to host World Cup matches, Windsor Park and the Aviva, so other stadiums from the rugby and GAA codes would be required.
The minister also expressed confidence the gaffe-prone FAI was capable of getting its house in order for the opening of the big bid process next year.
COMMENTS
We are very happy to co-operate with UK MICHEAL MARTIN YESTERDAY
HOLIDAY firm Pontins used a “blacklist of popular Irish surnames” to keep Traveller families out of its UK park, it has emerged.
The list was uploaded on to its intranet and was used in a system of routine discrimination against Traveller families. The company has agreed to change its working practices after it was reported the holiday firm used a blacklist of Irish surnames titled “undesirable guests.”
The i Paper reported call handlers were instructed that people using these names were “unwelcome”.
An investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found the firm used discriminatory practices.
The Britannia Hotel Group, which owns Pontins, has now signed a legally binding agreement with the watchdog to comprehensively address the issues raised by the whistleblower.
It requires bosses to investigate the scandal, review booking policies and run annual equality and diversity training for staff. The EHRC said by declining to provide its services to guests of a certain race or ethnic group, Pontins was “directly discriminating on the basis of race” and “breached the Equality Act”.
Travellers are recognised as distinct racial groups under the 2010 Act, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, protecting them against discrimination.
The EHRC said Pontins had been monitoring calls to its contact centre and refusing or cancelling bookings made by some people with Irish accents or surnames, as well as using its commercial vehicles policy to exclude Travellers from its holiday parks.
If Pontins does not follow the terms of the agreement, the EHRC could launch a more wideranging investigation.
Alastair Pringle, the EHRC’S executive director, told the paper: “It is hard not to draw comparisons with an ‘undesirable guest list’ and the signs displayed in hotel windows 50 years ago, explicitly barring Irish people and black people.
“Banning people from services based on their race is discrimination and is unlawful. To say that such policies are outdated is an understatement. It is right to challenge such practices and any business that believes this is acceptable should think again before they find themselves facing legal action.
“We will continue to work with Pontins and Britannia Jinky Jersey to ensure our agreement is adhered to.”
A spokesman from Britannia Jinky Jersey said it had “agreed to work together with the EHRC to further enhance its staff training and procedures in order to further promote equality throughout its business”.
Martin Collins, co-director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre told the Imirror: “This shows not only how discrimination against Travellers is an ongoing issue –but also discrimination against Irish people in the UK.
“People with an Irish accent were targeted by Pontins for negative treatment as well as Irish Travellers.
“This highlights the vulnerability of minority groups to discrimination. We
know anecdotally similar bans on Travellers is a common practice throughout Ireland especially in restaurants, bars, hotels and retail. Banning a particular ethnic group is despicable. It precludes people from participating equally in society and this case shows how important it is that legislation exists.
“We know there is huge underreporting of incidents of discrimination among Irish Travellers and we urge the Government to raise awareness on equality legislation as part of its National Action Plan Against Racism.”
The Traveller Movement said it was “disappointed but unsurprised” to hear of the “appalling” blacklist.
CEO Yvonne Macnamara said: “We’ve heard holiday camps do this sort of thing all the time. We are pleased to see the EHRC taking this course of action and really using its powers appropriately.
“We hope this sets a precedent, both for whistle blowers and for other holiday camp providers. This treatment of Irish Travellers is completely unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated.”
The Britannia Hotel Group were asked for comment by the Mirror.
Banning a particular ethnic group is despicable MARTIN COLLINS PAVEE POINT SPOKESMAN