Latest releases
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5,414 releases
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O’Toole: Stormont Brake distraction from real issues
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA says ongoing debate over the Stormont Brake distracts from real issues, and calls on the Secretary of State and UK Government to pursue a permanent EU solution recognising Northern Ireland's dual market access.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Stormont brake debate and dual market access Original release: O’Toole: Stormont Brake distraction from real issues (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister will be judged on delivery of SEN provision, says Alliance representatives, calling for urgent action.
Alliance Education MLAs Nick Mathison and Michelle Guy urge the Education Minister to publish a detailed delivery plan for special educational needs, saying his recent statements lack concrete actions, timescales and funding and that his performance will be judged on SEN provision.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education minister's SEN transformation statement Original release: Education Minister will be judged on delivery of SEN provision, says Alliance representatives, calling for urgent action. (opens in a new tab)
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Foot and Mouth restrictions should be based on protecting farmers -…
DUP MP Carla Lockhart questions why Northern Ireland farms face higher Foot and Mouth Disease risk than Great Britain, noting Germany's restrictions on cattle, sheep, pig and dairy imports are stricter locally due to the Windsor Framework. She calls for full protection for NI agriculture.
Agriculture and rural affairs International affairs Issue: UK ban on animal imports from Germany over foot and mouth disease Original release: Foot and Mouth restrictions should be based on protecting farmers -… (opens in a new tab)
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Conor Murphy demands action on Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the North and the diaspora
Sinn Féin Seanad candidate Conor Murphy urges the incoming government to extend presidential voting rights to citizens living in Northern Ireland and abroad, noting the draft Programme for Government omits the issue and a 2017 referendum commitment has stalled.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Draft Programme for Government omits presidential voting rights for citizens abroad Original release: Conor Murphy demands action on Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the North and the diaspora (opens in a new tab)
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Communities Minister marks Holocaust Memorial Day at PRONI
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons spoke at a PRONI event marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2025, which examined the story of Holocaust survivor Walter Sekules and his family's move to Kilkeel. Lyons calls for lessons from the past to be applied so that genocide and persecution are never repeated.
Disability and equality Original release: Communities Minister marks Holocaust Memorial Day at PRONI (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna welcomes Irish Government commitment to Northern Ireland
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomes the draft Irish Government Programme for Government, citing its reflection of SDLP proposals on a skills task force, cross-border environment and waterways, and Erasmus access, plus a €1bn-plus Shared Island Unit commitment and a John Hume Fund.
Constitutional affairs Infrastructure and transport Issue: Draft Programme for Government omits presidential voting rights for citizens abroad Original release: Hanna welcomes Irish Government commitment to Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Corridor care can’t become the norm
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA says corridor care cannot become the norm in hospitals, after an RCN report found some patients dying in corridors. He calls for proper workforce planning and health service transformation, and warns the situation in the North may be worse than…
Health Issue: Royal College of Nursing report on corridor care across Britain and Northern Ireland Original release: McGrath: Corridor care can’t become the norm (opens in a new tab)
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Allister comments on Secretary of State’s upcoming decision on the Stormont Brake
TUV leader Jim Allister KC MP sets out limits of the Stormont Brake and Applicability Motion ahead of the Secretary of State's decision, arguing they offer only restricted rights against EU law and urging unionists to oppose the arrangement while backing his Mutual Enforcement Bill.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Secretary of State's Stormont Brake decision on EU Regulation 2024/2865 Original release: Allister comments on Secretary of State’s upcoming decision on the Stormont Brake (opens in a new tab)
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Allister Hails Significant Moment in Fight against the Sea Border
TUV leader Jim Allister welcomes a Commons division forced on the Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 2024, saying it broke a 'glass ceiling' with 77 MPs backing Northern Ireland against the Irish Sea Border. He also points to his Mutual Enforcement Bill as an alternative avoiding a hard…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Draft Official Control Amendment Regulations Irish Sea border vote Original release: Allister Hails Significant Moment in Fight against the Sea Border (opens in a new tab)
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Detail and reform needed to provide reassurance about future public emergencies, says Bradshaw
Alliance Executive Office spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA welcomes the Executive Office's acceptance, at least in part, of the ten UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 recommendations. She calls for clarity on rejected recommendations, implementation timescales and reform of Northern Ireland's government…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Executive Office response to UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 recommendations Original release: Detail and reform needed to provide reassurance about future public emergencies, says Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Executive squabbling won’t solve health crisis
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath calls for an end to Executive infighting over the health service crisis, criticising Health Minister Mike Nesbitt's statement on the draft budget's equality impact assessment as a list of grievances. He urges parties to work together on solutions.
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Department of Health Equality Impact Assessment of 2025‑26 budget Original release: McGrath: Executive squabbling won’t solve health crisis (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan urges Infrastructure Minister to review winter services plan
SDLP Opposition Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA calls on Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to review the department's winter services programme, saying road gritting criteria and grit box provision are not serving all areas well. He says reviews should involve other agencies to…
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Winter weather road gritting and grit box provision by DfI Original release: Durkan urges Infrastructure Minister to review winter services plan (opens in a new tab)
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Jim Allister raises the Protocol threat to a UK-US trade deal with the Prime Minister
TUV leader Jim Allister says the Prime Minister failed to answer his PMQs question on a UK-US trade deal given Northern Ireland's continued subjection to EU trade law. He argues his Mutual Enforcement Bill would avoid a hard border and calls on the PM to restore full UK sovereignty before…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Allister's PMQs question on US trade deal and Northern Ireland EU law Original release: Jim Allister raises the Protocol threat to a UK-US trade deal with the Prime Minister (opens in a new tab)
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Rose Conway-Walsh welcomes vital and gamechanging tool for the development of economic policy across the island
Sinn Féin public expenditure and reform spokesperson Rose Conway-Walsh TD welcomes the new macro‑economic modelling tool created by ESRI and NIESR for the north of Ireland, saying it will enable island‑wide policy forecasting and urges the incoming government to use it for positive economic outcomes
Economy and employment Constitutional affairs Issue: ESRI report on a new economic model for the North Original release: Rose Conway-Walsh welcomes vital and gamechanging tool for the development of economic policy across the island (opens in a new tab)
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Action required on dual market access and skills to maximise economic potential over rest of decade, says Honeyford.
Alliance Economy spokesperson David Honeyford calls on the Economy Minister to prioritise promoting dual market access in Invest NI's marketing and to improve alignment between education and business skills needs. He also urges the Infrastructure Department to speed up planning, including on…
Economy and employment Infrastructure and transport Issue: ESRI report on a new economic model for the North Original release: Action required on dual market access and skills to maximise economic potential over rest of decade, says Honeyford. (opens in a new tab)
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Health Minister must accept responsibility for making tough decisions, says McAllister.
Alliance Health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA says the Health Minister must take responsibility for difficult choices and adopt a stronger stance on efficiency and reform after the Department of Health released its Equality Impact Assessment of the draft 2025‑26 budget.
Health Issue: Department of Health Equality Impact Assessment of 2025‑26 budget Original release: Health Minister must accept responsibility for making tough decisions, says McAllister. (opens in a new tab)
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McReynolds questions lack of promotion around DfI consultation on taxis in bus lanes.
Alliance spokesperson Peter McReynolds MLA criticises the Department for Infrastructure for insufficient promotion of its consultation on extending taxi use of bus lanes in Belfast city centre. He says the February 5 closing date is too short and urges the Minister to reverse the scheme.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: DfI consultation on taxi use of bus lanes Original release: McReynolds questions lack of promotion around DfI consultation on taxis in bus lanes. (opens in a new tab)
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This week the Government Has Blown Its Irish Sea Border Cover
TUV leader Jim Allister, MP for North Antrim, argues in a News Letter opinion piece that Government regulations on goods movement effectively treat Northern Ireland as a third country, and says the Irish Sea border is unworkable. He says he will press for a Commons vote opposing the draft Official…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Draft Official Control Amendment Regulations Irish Sea border vote Original release: This week the Government Has Blown Its Irish Sea Border Cover (opens in a new tab)
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Well done Protocol Implementers!
TUV leader Jim Allister says Northern Ireland is excluded from the UK-wide ban on animal imports from Germany after foot and mouth disease was confirmthere, because NI remains subject to EU rules that still permit imports. He links this to MLAs' recent vote on the Windsor Framework.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: UK ban on animal imports from Germany over foot and mouth disease Original release: Well done Protocol Implementers! (opens in a new tab)
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Attack on nurse ‘shocking’ and ‘disgraceful’ – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn describes as disgraceful an assault on a young nurse from the Royal Maternity Hospital on Saturday evening, expressing her thoughts for the victim. She says nurses are the backbone of the health system and calls the attack shocking, and she urges a man who intervened…
Justice and policing Health Issue: Assault on nurse at Royal Maternity Hospital, Saturday evening Original release: Attack on nurse ‘shocking’ and ‘disgraceful’ – Flynn (opens in a new tab)