The OPW Minister says flood relief in Blackpool will take longer than other schemes in the city.
Minister Patrick O'Donovan was speaking in the city yesterday following a meeting between officials from the OPW and the City Council.
Tender documents are due to be sent out for the Morrison's Island scheme this year, with construction expected next year.
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Aid workers say getting into Syria following the earthquake has been made harder because of the country's broken infrastructure after years of war.
Nearly 8,000 people are now confirmed dead - there and in Turkey.
International teams have now joined rescue efforts - with temperatures dropping below zero also making things difficult.
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Support staff working in the Health Service receive significantly less financial support when assaulted compared to health professionals, clerical officers and nursing staff
Figures provided by the HSE show staff like healthcare assistants, porters, catering, cleaning and security staff, are the second biggest category impacted by serious physical assaults in the workplace after nurses.
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The cost-of-living crisis continues to hit families, with the numbers struggling with food poverty on the rise.
Research carried out for Barnardos and ALDI shows 29 per cent of parents skipped meals or reduced portion sizes so their children would have enough to eat, in the last 12 months.