Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Environment and climate: remove filter
- Infrastructure and transport: remove filter
- Constitutional affairs: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
- Disability and equality: remove filter
5,795 releases
-
Gaston exposes Assembly squander on Irish translation
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston says over £437,000 has been spent on Irish language interpretation in the Assembly, calling it a waste, and criticises the simultaneous translation system made permanent after a six-month review. His release also cites Assembly Commission answers on the Interpretation and…
Disability and equality Public finance and taxation Issue: Assembly Commission review of Irish language interpretation service Original release: Gaston exposes Assembly squander on Irish translation (opens in a new tab)
-
Givan announces £1.2m Pre-School Support Fund for children with…
Education Minister Paul Givan announces a £1.2million pilot Pre-School Education Inclusion Support Fund for young children with special educational needs. Settings with a child undergoing statutory assessment will receive £750 per month per class, with payments in tranches.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Pre-School Education Inclusion Support Fund pilot announcement Original release: Givan announces £1.2m Pre-School Support Fund for children with… (opens in a new tab)
-
Ferguson welcomes 674 new homes for Derry
Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson welcomes planning approval from Derry City and Strabane Council for 674 homes in the Waterside, a development she says is worth over £100 million. She also urges London to provide fairer funding to the Executive so more social and affordable housing can be built.
Housing Local government Issue: Derry City and Strabane Council approval of 674 Waterside homes Original release: Ferguson welcomes 674 new homes for Derry (opens in a new tab)
-
We should protect life: Lockhart
DUP MP Carla Lockhart says the NHS must focus on protecting life and the vulnerable ahead of Friday's Commons debate on assisted dying. She argues palliative care must be properly addressed, claims assisted suicide schemes widen over time, and says the bill's safeguards lack detail on preventing…
Health Issue: Commons debate and vote on assisted dying bill Original release: We should protect life: Lockhart (opens in a new tab)
-
‘Positive news’ medical students now able to access tuition fee loans for Magee – Delargy
Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy welcomes an announcement by Economy Minister Conor Murphy that graduate entry medical students at Magee can access tuition fee loans from September 2025. He says the change removes a barrier to study and supports staffing in health services.
Education Health Issue: Tuition fee loans for graduate entry medical students at Magee Original release: ‘Positive news’ medical students now able to access tuition fee loans for Magee – Delargy (opens in a new tab)
-
Assisted dying bill "an act of humanity for those facing the end of life" - Lesley Veronica
Green Party deputy leader Lesley Veronica backs the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ahead of the Commons vote, rejecting claims it would undermine palliative care and citing other countries' figures on who requests assisted dying.
Health Issue: Commons debate and vote on assisted dying bill Original release: Assisted dying bill "an act of humanity for those facing the end of life" - Lesley Veronica (opens in a new tab)
-
Armstrong welcomes increased health support for people in receipt of Universal Credit.
Alliance Strangford MLA Kellie Armstrong welcomes plans to extend free sight tests, dental treatment and hospital travel help to Universal Credit claimants in Northern Ireland, saying realignment with the UK should happen within six months, followed by a six-week consultation.
Health Social security and welfare Issue: Universal Credit eyecare and health cost entitlement realignment with UK Original release: Armstrong welcomes increased health support for people in receipt of Universal Credit. (opens in a new tab)
-
Other parties' decision to protect polluters shameful, says Blair, following AERA Committee vote.
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair calls the AERA Committee's rejection of tougher penalties for repeat waterway polluters "shameful", blaming Sinn Féin, DUP, UUP and SDLP for blocking the restrictions and demanding they account for their reversal on environmental protection.
Environment and climate Issue: AERA Committee vote on tougher waterway pollution penalties Original release: Other parties' decision to protect polluters shameful, says Blair, following AERA Committee vote. (opens in a new tab)
-
Record health waiting lists product of political dysfunction, says McAllister
Alliance Health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA says record diagnostic waiting list figures, showing 506,612 people awaiting specialist diagnosis as of September, reflect political dysfunction at Stormont. She calls on all parties to back health reform.
Health Issue: Quarterly diagnostic waiting list statistics published November 2024 Original release: Record health waiting lists product of political dysfunction, says McAllister (opens in a new tab)
-
North Antrim MP joins All Party Parliamentary Group for British Buses
TUV MP Jim Allister says he has joined the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Buses to help shape government policy supporting the bus-building sector, which he says matters to North Antrim's economy. He calls for government investment in hydrogen infrastructure and says Wrightbus should…
Economy and employment Infrastructure and transport Issue: Jim Allister joins All Party Parliamentary Group for British Buses Original release: North Antrim MP joins All Party Parliamentary Group for British Buses (opens in a new tab)
-
Relevant decision makers must be held accountable for hospital fiasco…
Upper Bann MLA Diane Dodds, the DUP's health spokesperson, welcomes the Belfast Trust and Department of Health being called to brief the Health Committee on the new Royal Victoria maternity hospital. She calls for accountability over delays, rising costs and bacteria in water pipework.
Health Infrastructure and transport Issue: Belfast Trust and Department of Health appearance before Health Committee on maternity hospital Original release: Relevant decision makers must be held accountable for hospital fiasco… (opens in a new tab)
-
Website launched to build support for Mutual Enforcement Bill
TUV leader Jim Allister says a new website urges people across the UK to write to their MPs backing his Mutual Enforcement Bill ahead of its Second Reading on 6 December. He highlights support from Unionist MPs, several Conservative and Reform UK figures and Labour MP Graham Stringer.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Website launch to build support for Mutual Enforcement Bill Original release: Website launched to build support for Mutual Enforcement Bill (opens in a new tab)
-
Flynn welcomes plan to improve addiction services
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn welcomes the health minister's newly launched plan to strengthen substance misuse support for vulnerable people and their families. She says drug and alcohol deaths continue, often in working-class areas, and calls for a Belfast-based residential rehab service.
Health Issue: Health minister's substance use plan launch Original release: Flynn welcomes plan to improve addiction services (opens in a new tab)
-
Robinson challenges Prime Minister
DUP Leader Gavin Robinson MP says he challenged the Prime Minister over the Labour budget in a Westminster meeting, claiming it is taxing businesses to death. He calls on Labour to implement Safeguarding the Union commitments and says Intertrade UK and the Independent Monitoring Panel must be…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Labour budget and DUP meeting with Prime Minister Starmer Original release: Robinson challenges Prime Minister (opens in a new tab)
-
McAllister calls for urgency in reforming children’s social care services.
Alliance Health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA calls for more urgency in reforming children's social care services, saying the lack of progress since the Ray Jones review's 53 recommendations is embarrassing and that the Health Minister and department must move faster.
Health Issue: Ray Jones children's social care review implementation conference Original release: McAllister calls for urgency in reforming children’s social care services. (opens in a new tab)
-
McKeown urges public to support City Hall appeal for Palestinian medical aid and Children's Hospice
SDLP councillor Gary McKeown urges the public to donate at a charity box beside the Belfast City Hall Christmas tree, with this year's funds going to Palestinian medical aid and the children's hospice service.
International affairs Local government Original release: McKeown urges public to support City Hall appeal for Palestinian medical aid and Children's Hospice (opens in a new tab)
-
McLaughlin urges Executive to do more to support women and girls
SDLP Opposition MLA Sinéad McLaughlin says the Executive must do more to support frontline services, after Women's Aid's annual report showed almost 11,000 referrals in 2023/24, up 600 on the previous year. She calls for greater investment across all departments.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: Women's Aid annual report 2023/24 referrals increase Original release: McLaughlin urges Executive to do more to support women and girls (opens in a new tab)
-
Eirgrid Project yet Another Example of Government Waste and a Litany of Broken Promises
Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín, a Meath East candidate, says EirGrid's refusal to meet residents over its 17-year North-South project is wasteful and calls for government accountability for over €30 million in taxpayer spending. She also criticises government TDs for not co-signing Peadar Tóibín's…
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: EirGrid refusal to meet communities over North-South Interconnector pylons Original release: Eirgrid Project yet Another Example of Government Waste and a Litany of Broken Promises (opens in a new tab)
-
Dublin silence on border checks highlights hypocrisy: Dodds
DUP peer Lord Dodds says Irish immigration checks on people crossing the border expose Irish governments' earlier opposition to a hard border as hypocrisy, calling for the UK government to assert sovereignty over the Irish Sea border and pointing to mutual enforcement as an alternative.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Irish immigration checks on people crossing the border Original release: Dublin silence on border checks highlights hypocrisy: Dodds (opens in a new tab)
-
‘Decisive general election can be a watershed for a new future’ – Kearney
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney MLA writes in An Phoblacht that voters in the 26 counties face a choice between Sinn Féin's plan for change and more of the same from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. He calls for unity referendum dates to be set before the decade ends, citing housing…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Irish general election 2024 Sinn Féin campaign and Irish unity Original release: ‘Decisive general election can be a watershed for a new future’ – Kearney (opens in a new tab)