June 2025: Looking back on the Derry defining stories of the year

While June was bursting out all over, the 'underrepresentation' of Protestants working in one of Derry's Housing Executive offices was highlighted by East Derry MP Gregory Campbell.

Mr Campbell said there is a 'massive imbalance' in the number of Protestants working for the Housing Executive compared with Catholics.

He added: “The working age population in Northern Ireland is 44% Protestant, this is the benchmark against which a NI wide public body should be assessed in terms of whether its employment is broadly representative or not on the basis or community background. The overall NIHE workforce is 39% Protestant.

“The underrepresentation of Protestants has been consistent since the inception of the NIHE over 50 years ago. Those recruited into NIHE over the last four years show a worsening trend in a relatively short time frame.”

The veteran DUP MP said Protestants were “severely underrepresented” in the city's main Housing Executive office, currently in Richmond Chambers.

“When the West of Northern Ireland is looked at the position is worse still. Here the working age population is 30% Protestant but the NIHE workforce is 18% Protestant.

“The office with most employees in the West is based at Richmond Chambers in Londonderry, where there are more than 120 employees and the Protestant composition is 8%, just four years ago Protestants accounted for 14%. So in just four years Protestants who were already severely underrepresented have dropped by almost half again, (14% down to 8%).

“There is a massive irony in these latter figures as Londonderry, the city where Nationalists protested about the lack of jobs and houses for Roman Catholics there have historically been few Protestants and now almost none in jobs to oversee housing.”

Children having a great time watching Parky the magician at the St Columba’s Day Family Fun Day.

Outpatients waiting list

June also brought the news that nearly 82,000 people were waiting for a first outpatient appointment in the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT), which provides services to approximately 300,000 people.

As of March 31, 2025, the exact figure was 81,640 - an increase of 8,125 on the same date last year.
An outpatient appointment enables a patient to see a consultant or a member of their team following an outpatient referral - most of which will be from a GP.

The ‘Quarterly Northern Ireland Outpatient, Inpatient and Day Case, and Diagnostic Waiting Times Statistics’ released in June also revealed the WHSCT had failed to meet the Department’s of Health’s draft target waiting times for first outpatient appointments; inpatient and daycase admissions; diagnostic services, and diagnostic reporting turnaround times.
In fact, the statistics showed none of the Health and Social Care Trusts in the North had met any of these draft target waiting times.

The draft waiting time target for a first outpatient appointment states 50% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for an appointment, and no patient should wait longer than 52 weeks.

The draft waiting time target for inpatient / daycase treatment states 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks, and no patient should be waiting longer than 52 weeks; waiting time begins from the date the clinician decided to admit the patient.

The draft waiting time target for a diagnostic service states 75% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.

The target for all diagnostic reporting times is all urgent diagnostic tests should be reported on within two days of the test being undertaken.

Additionally, the draft target for diagnostic waiting times aims for 75% of patients to wait no longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.

There were multiple appeals for calm following two nights of violence in Derry, in June.

Foyle Valley AC Development Squad athletes meeting rock legend Paul Weller in Ebrington Square during the Modfather's visit to the city, where he paid homage to the late great Eamon Friel. Pictured with Weller is Foyle Valley AC Development Squad coach and local drummer, Tom Doherty.

Derry disorder

Petrol bombs were thrown at police in the Nailors Row area of the city after disorder broke out for a second evening.

During the disorder, multiple petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry, planks of wood and bricks were thrown at police who were deployed outside Alexander House.

Eleven arrests were made – eight male teenagers aged between 14 and 17 and three men aged, 29, 30 and 47 years old.
Local politicians condemned the violence and called for calm and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher branded the scenes as “blatant sectarian violence”.

A section of the large crowd that turned Shipquay Street 'Red for Gaza'. PHOTO: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics.

Respite for children with disabilities

The ongoing lack of respite provision for children and young people with disabilities in the Western Health and Social Care Trust’s northern sector came to light in June.

Parents and guardians were informed of the situation at a private meeting with the Trust’s Children’s Disability Managers held in Derry’s Destined Centre.

The lack of respite provision - short break services - in the Derry / Limavady and Cityside / Strabane areas has been caused by the closure of Rosebud Cottage, a six-bed, short-term respite centre situated in the Racecourse Road area of the city, according to an attendee.

Speaking to The Derry News, a carer who wished to remain anonymous said there had been “a lot of frustrated, very angry parents and tension in the room”.

They added: “The Trust’s head of service for children with disabilities, who was also at the meeting, was asked directly how many respite beds were free within the Western Trust right now for families, for children with disabilities and he said, ‘zero.

There are no beds available within the Western Trust for any child with a disability right now for respite’.

“He was then asked if he realised the impact this was going to have on the 60 families of children with disabilities directly affected by the lack of respite provision. We didn’t get a response.