Derry's year in review: June 2023

In June the decision to arrest a Derry woman on the suspicion of organised crime was condemned.

A 27-year-old was arrested by officers from the PSNI's Paramilitary Crime Taskforce.

The PSNI said the woman had been arrested on suspicion of Being Concerned in the Supply of a Class B controlled drug, as part of a “proactive” investigation linked to the INLA.

The woman’s solicitor, Ciarán Shiels of Madden & Finucane described the woman's arrest as a ‘distasteful and deplorable abuse of powers’ by the PSNI.

She had no criminal record and was arrested at her place of work where she was ‘a well respected health care professional’.

Following the publication of a report by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, it was revealed 99% of GP respondents in the Western Trust considered Trust waiting list communication with their practice to be ineffective.

It was also found that if a patient is referred to the Western Trust, it is unlikely that they would receive an acknowledgement.

The first waiting list correspondence they are likely to receive is a booking/appointment letter, approximately six weeks prior to an expected appointment.

Later in June Derry's Ulster University Magee campus received a 45 million euro allocation from the Irish Government to build a new teaching and student services building.

The project was one of a number of cross-border projects to have funding approved by the Irish Government as part of the Shared Island initiative.

A sadness fell over Derry on 23 June when teenager Caitlin McLaughlin (16), passed away suddenly after taking an ecstasy tablet at a concert.

Mourners at her funeral heard she had a 'smile that radiated so much joy, a smile that would melt you'.

On 26 June Derry man and veteran activist Micheál Kerrigan led the Dublin Pride parade. It came half a century after he co-founded a group that organised the first ever Gay Pride demonstration in Ireland.