Today’s event took place at Citi’s headquarters in Titanic Quarter and will be followed over the next fortnight by four similar events in city centre venues at which the Sinn Fein, Ulster Unionist, SDLP and Alliance Party Assembly leaders will address business audiences.

Speaking at this morning’s event, First Minister Peter Robinson said:

“This is an election where the main issues will be those relating to jobs and the economy. Indeed, growing our economy was the overarching priority of the last Programme for Government. In the face of so many other competing aspirations, this in itself was a considerable step forward.

“While we could not have predicted the unprecedented financial turbulence over the last few years, I have no doubt that we were right to make the economy the main priority over the last Assembly. The fundamental building blocks for prosperity are peace and stability and despite the setback of recent days Northern Ireland remains a society transformed. We saw the blight on investment and employment for the decades of the Troubles and now we are seeing the real potential of Northern Ireland being unleashed. I believe that settled and stable political institutions are a key ingredient of this progress.”

Speaking after today’s event, Francis Martin, President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, commented:

“This election is the most important for jobs and the economy in the history of Northern Ireland, with a reduction in corporation tax now a very real possibility and the stage is therefore set for Northern Ireland to seize the economic opportunities presented by this change.

“This event and the next four events mean that the business community can hear exactly how each party plans to make the most of these changes. We look forward to that economic debate evolving as we hear from the leaders of Sinn Fein, the SDLP, the UUP and the Alliance Party at the forthcoming ‘5 Leaders, 5 Days’ events.

“It is Chamber members and the rest of the Northern Ireland business community who will be directly affected by these and more general economic issues – today’s event provided a unique platform for the First Minister to spell out his views on the economy and for the Northern Ireland business community to contribute to, and inform, the debate on these critical issues. It is clear Northern Ireland must kick-start its economy, grow the private sector and reduce reliance on the public sector – we believe the ‘5 Leaders, 5 Days’ series will play a vital role in helping business leaders form an opinion on the best ways for these things to happen.”

The next 5 Leaders, 5 Days event will see Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness speak on Wednesday, April 13th at Belfast’s NYSE Euronext office, with SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie addressing the audience at McGrigors on Friday, April 15th. UUP leader Tom Elliot will speak at BDO on Monday, April 18th and Alliance leader David Ford will speak at Grafton on Wednesday, April 20th.

Speaking after today’s event, Brian McAreavey, Managing Director, Citi, said:

“We at Citigroup are well aware of how important the forthcoming election will be for the economy and of the opportunities for jobs and growth which must be taken. It was an honour to play host to the First Minister and members of the Northern Ireland business community at the first of the 5 Leaders 5 Days events, a series which we recognise as being vitally important in shaping the pre-election economic debate.”

“5 leaders, 5 days gives the leaders of each of our five political parties a platform to outline their plans for jobs and the economy. The firm bedding down of our political institutions and the consultation on the devolution of corporation tax-raising power means this election is the most important for jobs and the economy in the history of Northern Ireland.

“We have invited the leaders of five political parties in the Assembly to outline their plans for jobs at five city centre locations in the run-up to the election on May 5th. This will provide a unique platform for parties to spell out their views on corporation tax, entreprise zones, the investment strategy and a wide range of other economic issues.

“The events also allow the business community to contribute to and inform the debate on these and other vital issues. This is the first time that a series of structured events has been put in place and we are very excited to hear the contribution of the party leaders and the business community,” he added.

The first of the five events takes place on April 5th at Citi’s headquarters in Titanic Quarter where DUP leader Peter Robinson will outline his party’s plans for the economy. Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness will speak on April 13th at Belfast’s NYSE office. SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie will speak at McGrigors on Friday 15th April. UUP leader Tom Elliot will speak at BDO on Monday 18th April and Alliance leader David Ford will speak at Grafton on 20th April.

Chamber CEO Ann McGregor added: “Over the last year the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with local businesses and representative organisations in drawing up proposals which we believe would kickstart the regional economy, grow the private sector and reduce our reliance on the public sector. We have worked with political parties, government departments and government agencies to produce a manifesto which we think will enable Northern Ireland to reach its full economic potential. I look forward to seeing many of these proposals developed into policy over the next few years.

“I would also like to thank our five host organistaions, Citi, NYSE, McGrigors, BDO and Grafton for hosting these important events,” she added.

“2011 has to be the year which marks the turnaround for the Northern Ireland economy. The uncertainty over the Northern Ireland budget, the state of the Republic’s economy, and the Conservative/Liberal coalition means this is a very difficult time for business. It is clear that our over-reliance on the public sector is no longer sustainable and the onus is on us, businesses of all sizes, to take up the challenge to grow the private sector, rebalance the economy, and create much needed jobs.

“To make this happen we must work with our partners in government, in Belfast and in London, to provide incentives for existing businesses to grow and new businesses to come to Northern Ireland. By reducing corporation tax we can ensure that Northern Ireland becomes a serious player in attracting foreign direct investment. By providing a range of local incentives we can give support for indigenous business to grow and expand.” said Francis.

“It is vital that the Treasury publishes its paper on the Special Economic Zone for Northern Ireland economy as soon as possible, and vital that our own Executive agrees its budget as soon as possible. These measures can reduce some of the current uncertainty and bring some stability to the business environment.” he added.

Over 400 people from right across Northern Ireland attended the sell-out banquet, which was held at Belfast City Hall. Former Head of Government Communications Alasdair Campbell and easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall were the keynote speakers at the event.

Speaking before the event Alastair Campbell said: “I am looking forward to meeting with business leaders in Northern Ireland. The economy here probably faces even greater challenges than other regions and it remains to be seen if the crisis in the Republic of Ireland has a cross-border impact. But having been here through some very difficult political times I know that when politicians in Northern Ireland work together they can achieve great things. It is vital that the business community too works in partnership with the NI Executive to secure real and sustained economic growth.”

esyJet CEO Carolyn McCall said: “I’m delighted to be in Belfast and I’m equally pleased that my first public speaking engagement since becoming easyJet’s Chief Executive is at the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce President’s Banquet.  easyJet has been in Belfast for 12 years and we’re proud to be the biggest airline in Northern Ireland.

“We are fully committed to operating from Belfast and will continue to provide the people of Northern Ireland with a combination of low fares and friendly service; flying people to the most convenient airports at the most convenient time.  In this challenging economic environment, tourism and inward business investment are vital elements of the economy and we look forward to working with the Chamber of Commerce and the wider business community to bring more visitors to Belfast and Northern Ireland,” she added.

Belfast Lord Mayor Cllr Patrick Convery, NI Executive Ministers Alex Atwood MLA, Danny Kennedy MLA and Edwin Poots MLA, Namibian High Commissioner George M. Liswaniso joined current President Francis Martin and past Presidents Mike Mills, Lord Rana, Bro McFerran and Dr Ben Wilson at the dinner. Graham Sutherland from BT, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce’s communications partner also attended along with representatives from Chamber patrons FG Wilson, Grafton Employment Group, Grant Thornton, Investec, McGrigors, Royal Mail, TR Group, Ulster Bank, Northern Bank and the Ulster Business School.

Ernst & Young's Frank O'Keefe with President Mary McAleese and First Derivatives CEO Brian Conlon, who was named 2010 E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year

Founded by Conlon in 1996 First Derivatives plc is a leading provider of products and consulting services to the capital markets industry. Focused on financial institutions that work cross-asset, often with multi-system and/or high volume trading activities, the Company scopes, designs, develops, implements and supports a broad range of mission critical data and trading systems across front, middle and back-office operations.

First Derivatives plc is a publicly held company, trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE FDP.L) and Irish Stock Exchange (IEX:GYQ.I). The Company is headquartered in Newry, Northern Ireland from where it has established its research and development centre, its Capital Markets Competency Centre and its near-shore support facilities. The Company has continued to expand its service offering and now has operational bases in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia to service its global client base. It is recognized as one of the fastest growing capital markets service providers in the world. The company’s clients include nine of the 10 largest US investment banks, 30 of the world’s top hedge funds, two of the world’s largest Stock Exchanges and three of the largest retail banks in South East Asia. First Derivatives plc now employs over 450 employees worldwide.

Frank O’Keeffe, partner-in-charge of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year said: “Brian Conlon has demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial vision with an innovative and successful business model.  He is at the forefront of Irish companies contributing to the new global economy.”

“All of our 24 finalists’ creativity and risk-taking ability will continue to be a significant source for our future economic wellbeing,” he added.

Staff from First Trust Bank, accompanied by their trade union representatives from the Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA), today met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Belfast to outline their serious concerns about the potential implications of the proposed sale of the bank by AIB plc. Today’s meeting follows earlier engagements with Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson MP MLA, and the NI Assembly’s Finance Committee.

Speaking before the meeting, IBOA General Secretary, Larry Broderick, said:

“The surprise decision by the AIB Group to put First Trust Bank is irresponsible, short-sighted and damaging for jobs and the Northern Ireland economy. First Trust Bank has existed in Northern Ireland in one form or another for decades and is a vital part of the community. The staff of FTB – the vast majority of whom are IBOA members – have worked hard to serve businesses, home-owners and personal customers for many years. However, their loyalty and hard work is being repaid by rash decisions based on expediency and short-termism following the appalling mistakes made by the senior management of AIB Group  in Dublin.

“Forcing a sale of First Trust Bank at a time when international financial markets are in the doldrums will almost inevitably result in a fire sale – which would be an open invitation to an asset stripper with little or no commitment to FTB’s branch network, to its current levels of employment or to the wider economy of Northern Ireland.

“The future economic prosperity of Northern Ireland relies on a strong local banking sector, committed to lending, businesses and employment. A sale of First Trust Bank in the present climate could see the Bank’s presence reduced significantly, both in terms of employment and in terms of providing credit to the economy which would in turn result in less competition and longer dole queues.

“At today’s meeting we will be inviting the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to add their voices in support of our efforts to lobby the AIB Group Board and the Department of Finance in Dublin, as AIB’s biggest share-holder, to rescind this short-sighted decision,” he said.

Stakeholder's Mark Sterling interviews DETI Minister Arlene Foster at the launch of 'The Future of Tourism and Hospitality looks like this'

BDO Managing Partner, Francis Martin, this morning launched a wide-ranging profile of the tourism and hospitality sector in Northern Ireland entitled ‘The Future of Tourism and Hospitality looks like this’.  He was joined, for this second publication in the ‘The Future of Business’ series, by Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster, Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons,  and Chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Board, Howard Hastings, at the breakfast event in Belfast.The publication features interview with key players in the tourism and hospitality sector, including hotel owners and managers, those in the licensed trade, policy makers and those behind some future big attractions. The nine companies featured have a combined annual revenue of some £110m and employ over 3000 people. The publication includes a snapshot of expansion plans at three companies: Beannchor Ltd, Galgorm and Benedicts.

Speaking at the launch Francis Martin said: ‘Over the last three months we have spoken to companies and organisations right across the tourism and hospitality sector. What is clear is that the sector is resilient, able to adapt and ready for growth.

“Those we spoke to are now fully aware that competition comes not only from local or national venues, outlets and regions, but that Northern Ireland as a whole now competes internationally to attract visitors and tourism spend. There is a confidence in the market as we expand to attract these visitors and develop new markets, but there is also a continued focus on ensuring the traditional welcome that we are so used to locally remains central to our offering.

“It is especially encouraging to see that three of the companies featured are currently engaged in or are planning expansions. As well as the completion of the extension to the Merchant Hotel which opens in July, Beannchor Ltd also expects to announce plans shortly for a second hotel on Skipper Street in the Old Bank of Ireland Building . In addition, they are opening the second of their ‘Little Wing’ pizzerias next week on the Lisburn Road with further plans to open in Ballyhackamore, Bangor and on various sites in the Republic.

“Galgorm Resort, which underwent a £11m refit in 2007, also has plans to build between 35 and 50 new rooms in the next few years and will extend its banqueting suite over the next 18 months. Edmund Simpson of Benedicts Hotel also has plans for an exciting new hotel right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter on the old Easons site and Botanic Inns has just opened a new venue in East Belfast, Horatio Todds.  McKeever Hotels, owned by the current President of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, Eugene McKeever, has also recently acquired the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena and has plans for its refurbishment.

“The draft Tourism Strategy aims to increase visitor numbers from 3.2m to 4.5m and earnings from £520m to £1bn all by 2020. These are ambitious targets but I am confident that these plans will ensure that the sector is well positioned to make the most of future growth,” he added.

Tourism Minister Arlene Foster said: “While 2009 was a challenging  year for the tourism industry, Northern Ireland has experienced growth, especially in the number of visitors travelling from the Republic. Tourism supports over 40,000 jobs in Northern Ireland and is a key driver for the economy.

“The Executive is fully committed to the success of tourism but tourism is everyone’s business. We need a common approach that involves other government departments, local authorities and the private sector. I am delighted to see so many from the private sector here at today’s launch and I look forward to working with the sector in the future, to boost visitor numbers and visitor spend.

‘”With progress in the Signature projects and the development of the Tourism Strategy, along with Tourism Ireland’s global campaign, we are well poisitioned to increase tourism’s contribution to the overall economy,” she added.

LISTEN HERE Radio Future of Tourism & Hospitality

Pictured at the first day of St Killian's College are Catherine Black from Carnlough, St Killian's Principal Jonny Brady, Chair of the Board of Governors Bishop Donal McKeown, Vice-Chair Sean Doherty and Kieran Brown from Larne.

Students at Northern Ireland’s newest post-primary school got behind their desks today at the school’s two sites on the Antrim Coast and in Larne. St Killian’s, an all ability school, will cater for 830 pupils, with an admissions number for Year 8 of 140, will operate from the former St MacNissi’s College site at Garron Tower and the former St Comgall’s College site in Larne. Pupils from Cushendall’s St Aloysius’ College have been attending St MacNissi’s for this academic year. The school will be a co-educational 11- 18 college providing access to the highest quality educational provision for all the young people in the Glens and East Antrim area.

The school is named after St Killian, an Irish saint who travelled with St Colman and St Totnan to modern day Bavaria where they led the conversion of much of the local population to Christianity. St Killian’s Day is celebrated on July 8^th. Killian was chosen because of local connections with the area. St Killian was the patron of a church in the Glenariffe parish

The school’s new motto, Caritas et Veritas, meaning ‘Love and Truth’ reflects the values of the new school, and those which it will impart to its students. The school will offer a wide and varied curriculum, including 24 subjects at GCSE and 27 subjects at A Level.

The school’s new principal is Jonny Brady, former Principal at St Paul’s College Kilrea. Speaking on the school’s first day, he said:

“The opening of St Killian’s College is the start of a new era for education in the Glens and East Antrim. The school will cater for students from a wide catchment area and will offer a broad range of subjects which will cater for the interests of all those attending the College.

“One of our greatest ambitions is that all children at St Killian’s will be happy. A happy child is a child who is confident in their own ability, ambitions and dreams for the future. They will, as a result, achieve their full potential in whatever walk of life that they choose. St Killian’s will be a centre of excellence in all that we as a community will strive to create. Initially St Killian’s will be based on two sites but we are currently in negotiations with the Department of Education to ensure that this is for as minimum a time as possible.”

“The school’s new uniform will be rolled out from September. Our Board of Governors will provide a subsidy to those requiring a new uniform and we are negotiating with suppliers so they match our subsidy. Our distinctive badge is one that was designed by our students and we are very proud of it. I look forward to building relationships with our parents and the wider community to ensure that St Killian’s is a true community college.” he added.

Bishop Donal McKeown, who will Chair the new school’s Board of Governors said:

“The opening of St Killian’s has been the result of many years of work and consultation with those with a stake in the provision of post-primary education in this area. I would like to thank the Principals and Governors of each of the three schools for their unfettered commitment to ensuring that post-primary education in the area remains fit for purpose and ready for the challenges of the twenty-first century.

“Central to the Catholic ethos is the provision of high quality education for all pupils and the opening of St Killian’s will ensure that no child loses out due to geography or demographics,” he added.

The new school opened on Monday 12^th April with a full formal opening due at the beginning of the school’s first full school year in September 2010.

Pictured at the first day of St Killian's College are Catherine Black from Carnlough, St Killian's Principal Jonny Brady, Chair of the Board of Governors Bishop Donal McKeown, Vice-Chair Sean Doherty and Kieran Brown from Larne.

Almac has shown significant growth in the last year, with employee numbers growing by 15% in the UK and 10% in the US. For the Diagnostics division, this trend continues through the expansion of the Bioinformatics Department and the subsequent opening of a dedicated bioinformatics facility in Manchester (UK).

Professor Paul Harkin, President and Managing Director of Almac Diagnostics said:  “With our commitment to the delivery of personalized medicine, we have extended our bioinformatics group to increase our expertise in companion diagnostic development, pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers, disease classification and prognostic markers. Our extended expert bioinformatics capability assists our dedication to the advancement of patient care through translational genomic solutions”

Almac’s Bioinformatics group specialise in gene selection, disease characterisation and classification. Bioinformatics is well recognised as a major bottleneck in genomics and the expansion of the bioinformatics group greatly expands Almac’s capacity and hence reduces this problem.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern listens to Queen's Politics Professor Paul Bew at yesterday's book signing

Mr Ahern, who was the first Irish politician to win three elections in a row and helped broker the Good Friday Agreement, will be at the bookshop from 12.45 on Thursday to sign copies of his autobiography. He will be joined by Lord Bew, Professor of Politics at Queens University, who was also involved in the negotiations in the run-up to the Northern Ireland peace accord.

Tim Smyth, Manager of the Bookshop at Queen’s said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the Bookshop at Queen’s. Many graduates and staff, current and former, were involved in the political negotiations in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement and it is fitting that the former Taoiseach will be at the University to sign copies of his autobiography. Following the success of his first signing in Belfast we expect significant interest in this event and advise those interested in attending to get here early.”

Mr Ahern’s authobiography is a frank and revealing account of his political life and the personal story that accompanies it.  He shows the cost to his family of a life played out in the public eye and, for the first time, discloses what really happened in his final weeks in power. The book includes detail of the negotiations in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement, the accession of Eastern European countries to the EU as well as domestic political events during his term as Taoiseach.

So often we are told to look elsewhere to see business success and to understand how things should be done. As these profiles and interviews show, success flourishes right here in Northern Ireland’. That was the message delivered today by BDO Managing Partner Francis Martin at the launch of a document featuring six major Northern Ireland companies who continue to trade successfully through the recession.

‘The Future of Business looks like this’ contains six interviews with well known and highly respected companies across Northern Ireland who continue to trade successfully through the recession. The interviews, carried out by News Letter Business Editor, Adrienne McGill, feature Haldane Fisher, Henderson Group, Titantic Quarter, Williams Industrial Services, Grafton and Moy Park.

“As one of Northern Ireland’s leading business advisory firms we saw at first hand the difficulties experienced by many companies in the region over the last eighteen months. It was also true that other clients continued to trade successfully, and in some cases even increased their order book. We sought to profile these companies and explore what traits lay behind their success during these difficult times.

“What emerged was a pattern whereby businesses across a wide range of sectors and industries had undertaken similar processes, internally and externally, and were focused on adapting, changing and preparing for the future. By acting quickly and strategically, these businesses have secured their future. So often we are told to look elsewhere to see business success and to understand how things should be done. These profiles and interviews show that success flourishes right here in Northern Ireland,” he added.

DETI Minister Arlene Foster also attended the event and welcomed the publication of the document.

Speaking at the event, Nigel Dunlop, Chief Executive of Moy Park, one of the companies featured in the document said: “In many ways the challenges over the last couple of years in our specific industry meant that Moy Park have had to respond radically, and as a result were already well into a full scale review of practices before the credit crunch arrived. With the continued willingness of everyone at Moy Park to adapt to the need of our consumers and the marketplace, I believe we will be in an even better position to capitalise on opportunities for continued growth, locally and internationally, going forward.”

Adrienne McGill, News Letter Business Editor added: “Reporting in these challenging and economic times required balance and objectivity. It is important to appreciate that while many companies are facing severe problems, there are underlying strengths that help them overcome adverse conditions.

Senior management and staff from all six companies and from BDO gathered at the firm’s headquarters in Belfast for the launch of the document. Copies are available from BDO directly.