Latest releases
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2,358 releases
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Brogan welcomes plan for two new special schools
Sinn Féin MLA Nicola Brogan welcomes Education Authority plans to build two new special schools, citing a rise of about 500 pupils in special schools in a year to around 7,150 in September 2022.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Authority plan to build two new special schools Original release: Brogan welcomes plan for two new special schools (opens in a new tab)
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Sheehan welcomes plan to increase Irish medium schools
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan welcomes Education Authority plans to expand Irish-medium post-primary provision across the north, citing rising enrolments. He calls on the EA to deliver the plan and secure new first-class facilities for Irish-language pupils.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Authority Irish-medium post-primary expansion plan Original release: Sheehan welcomes plan to increase Irish medium schools (opens in a new tab)
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McCrossan: Schools need answers over plans for new buildings
SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan backs a call from the Construction Professionals' Council of Northern Ireland for Education Minister Michelle McIlveen to publish a timetable after delays to 28 new school buildings. He says the Minister must clarify the position for schools and contractors…
Education Infrastructure and transport Issue: CPCNI call over delays to 28 new school buildings Original release: McCrossan: Schools need answers over plans for new buildings (opens in a new tab)
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Let's Stop Speeding in Farm Lodge
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, backed by MLAs Danny Donnelly and Stewart Dickson, launches a petition calling on the Department for Infrastructure to act on speeding in Farm Lodge, citing risks to families with young children and elderly residents.
Infrastructure and transport Original release: Let's Stop Speeding in Farm Lodge (opens in a new tab)
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Green Party call for the devolution of local transport powers to councils.
Green Party leader Councillor Mal O'Hara brings a motion to Belfast City Council calling for local transport powers to be devolved to councils, arguing Stormont departments failed to reprioritise road space after the pandemic. Cllr Aine Groogan seconds it.
Infrastructure and transport Local government Issue: Belfast City Council motion on devolving local transport powers Original release: Green Party call for the devolution of local transport powers to councils. (opens in a new tab)
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Common sense needed to resolve rural broadband issue, says O'Lynn
Alliance North Antrim MLA Patricia O'Lynn calls on Economy Minister Gordon Lyons to apply common sense to rural constituents denied broadband access under Project Stratum due to administrative errors, including misrecorded addresses and wrongly classed new builds.
Infrastructure and transport Economy and employment Issue: Project Stratum rural broadband administrative errors affecting North Antrim constituents Original release: Common sense needed to resolve rural broadband issue, says O'Lynn (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan: NIHE property maintenance in disarray as contractors walk away
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan raises serious concerns after 11 of 13 contractors left NIHE maintenance contracts worth £455m, warning of impact on 85,000 properties. He says Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey was lackadaisical and calls on her and NIHE to act urgently.
Housing Economy and employment Issue: NIHE maintenance contractors terminate £455m contracts Original release: Durkan: NIHE property maintenance in disarray as contractors walk away (opens in a new tab)
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Tennyson launches new All Party Group on LGBTQIA+ Equality
Alliance MLA Eóin Tennyson says he is launching an All Party Group on LGBTQIA+ Equality to make LGBTQIA+ rights a priority this Assembly term. It will examine healthcare inequalities, school bullying, hate crime, the long-delayed LGBTQI+ strategy and banning conversion therapy.
Disability and equality Issue: Launch of All Party Group on LGBTQIA+ Equality Original release: Tennyson launches new All Party Group on LGBTQIA+ Equality (opens in a new tab)
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Acute Transport Crisis Affecting Children with Special Needs - Brolly
Aontú's education spokesperson Gemma Brolly has asked the Infrastructure Minister to urgently review school transport arrangements, especially for children with special educational needs, citing a shortage of licensed taxi drivers and operators. She urges reinstating earlier support measures that…
Education Infrastructure and transport Original release: Acute Transport Crisis Affecting Children with Special Needs - Brolly (opens in a new tab)
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O’Dowd needs to restore transparency on A6
DUP MP Gregory Campbell calls on DfI Minister John O'Dowd to give a clear completion date and timeline for the £220m A6 Londonderry to Dungiven dual carriageway. He says delays persist and claims the Department has been non-transparent about any disputes causing them.
Infrastructure and transport Original release: O’Dowd needs to restore transparency on A6 (opens in a new tab)
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Long secures more EV charging in Belfast
Alliance Councillor Michael Long welcomes the rapid installation of two electric vehicle charging points in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. He says there are still too few across Belfast and calls for more to be rolled out to other council facilities.
Infrastructure and transport Local government Issue: Two EV charging points installed at Belfast City Hall Original release: Long secures more EV charging in Belfast (opens in a new tab)
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Communities and Infrastructure Ministers should convene summit to address housing crisis - Allen
UUP MLA Andy Allen calls on the Communities and Infrastructure Ministers to hold a summit on Northern Ireland's housing crisis, citing just 835 new social homes completed in the last year against a 100,000-home target.
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O’Dowd presiding over MoT Fiasco
DUP South Down MLA Diane Forsythe says Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd must tackle the MoT testing backlog after a DVA reply failed to set out a realistic plan. She claims July 2022 test numbers match those of 2014 and 2015 and asks why earlier capacity was not increased.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: DVA reply on MoT testing backlog and capacity plan Original release: O’Dowd presiding over MoT Fiasco (opens in a new tab)
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O’Lynn writes to Minister as house prices continue to soar
Alliance MLA Patricia O'Lynn says she has written to the Communities Minister about rising house prices in Northern Ireland, citing Causeway Coast and Glens, where average prices rose 12.5 per cent in early 2022, and urges more affordable housing and action on holiday lets.
Housing Issue: Ulster University Quarterly House Price Index Q1 2022 rise Original release: O’Lynn writes to Minister as house prices continue to soar (opens in a new tab)
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Armstrong calls for clarification around the end of free lateral flow tests
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong calls for health Trusts to clarify how ending free lateral flow COVID tests from Monday will affect respite and day‑care provision, urging assurances that these services are restored to pre‑pandemic levels.
Health Disability and equality Issue: End of free lateral flow COVID tests Original release: Armstrong calls for clarification around the end of free lateral flow tests (opens in a new tab)
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Sinn Féin to meet DFI and contractors on A6 and Dungiven Bypass
Sinn Féin councillor Kathleen McGurk says she, MLA Caoimhe Archibald and Cllr Sean McGlinchey will meet the Department for Infrastructure and the contractor after the planned A6 closure this weekend was postponed, seeking to complete the A6 dualling and Dungiven bypass swiftly while limiting any new
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Postponement of planned A6 closure Original release: Sinn Féin to meet DFI and contractors on A6 and Dungiven Bypass (opens in a new tab)
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O’Dowd needs to get a grip of MoT fiasco – Lockhart
DUP MP Carla Lockhart calls on Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd MLA to publish the DVA plan to cut record MOT and driving test waiting times, saying the existing plan has failed and needs rewriting. She also urges the use of Temporary Exemption certificates for motorists affected by the delays.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: MOT testing backlog at DVA centres Original release: O’Dowd needs to get a grip of MoT fiasco – Lockhart (opens in a new tab)
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Begley expresses sympathy following A5 death
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley expresses sympathy to the family of a young man killed in an accident on the A5 near Omagh, and pays tribute to the emergency services. She says it is the second fatal A5 crash within a month and calls for the long-overdue A5 upgrade to be delivered.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Fatal A5 collision near Omagh Beltany Road August 2022 Original release: Begley expresses sympathy following A5 death (opens in a new tab)
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Lack of an Executive exacerbating homelessness issue, says Armstrong
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong says the lack of an Executive is worsening homelessness, citing a Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey response on a 45 per cent rise, linked to private landlords leaving the rental sector. She calls for the Executive and Assembly to be restored before winter.
Housing Issue: Communities Minister response on 45 per cent rise in homelessness Original release: Lack of an Executive exacerbating homelessness issue, says Armstrong (opens in a new tab)
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Time to ‘supercharge’ town centre regeneration, says Blair
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA calls for a Green New Deal and investment in town centre regeneration, including EV charging hubs, to boost footfall, decarbonise the economy and create green jobs. He also blames ongoing political deadlock for risking economic growth.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Original release: Time to ‘supercharge’ town centre regeneration, says Blair (opens in a new tab)