Latest releases
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2,847 releases
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Bradshaw welcomes exploration of reissuing existing birth certificates in Irish
South Belfast Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw welcomes the Department of Finance considering reissuing existing birth certificates in Irish or bilingual English and Irish, following a written question. She urges the Finance Minister to make new certificates available as soon as possible.
Disability and equality Issue: Department of Finance consideration of reissuing birth certificates in Irish Original release: Bradshaw welcomes exploration of reissuing existing birth certificates in Irish (opens in a new tab)
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Alliance secures steps towards inclusive play parks across Belfast
Alliance Councillor Ross McMullan welcomes Belfast City Council's agreement to begin work on inclusive play, with officers tasked to produce a full report, while saying the delay is disappointing. He cites PlayBoard NI and Mae Murray Foundation research on families excluded from play parks and…
Disability and equality Local government Issue: Belfast City Council motion on inclusive play parks Original release: Alliance secures steps towards inclusive play parks across Belfast (opens in a new tab)
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Free school meal payments over summer holidays welcome- Sheehan - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan welcomes confirmation that summer holiday payments will continue for around 100,000 children and their families. He urges the DUP to end its boycott of the Executive and Assembly so a permanent scheme can be delivered.
Social security and welfare Education Issue: Education Minister's summer school holiday food grant announcement Original release: Free school meal payments over summer holidays welcome- Sheehan - Sinn Féin (opens in a new tab)
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Others should follow Education Minister's positive example
Upper Bann MLA Diane Dodds welcomes Education Minister Michelle McIlveen's announcement of a £12.6million holiday food grant for families of children entitled to free school meals this summer. She urges other parties and ministers to follow that example, criticising them for blaming others.
Social security and welfare Public finance and taxation Issue: Education Minister's summer school holiday food grant announcement Original release: Others should follow Education Minister's positive example (opens in a new tab)
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Investigation Needed into Funding of Orange Order and Flute Band at the Centre of Vile McAreavey Song. - Tóibín
Aontú's Peadar Tóibín expresses disgust at a viral video of a group mocking the murder of Michaela McAreavey and calls for scrutiny of state and council funding to the Orange Order and loyalist flute bands. He says Aontú is submitting questions to Stormont, councils, the EU and the southern…
Community relations and legacy Public finance and taxation Issue: Video mocking Michaela McAreavey's murder at centenary event Original release: Investigation Needed into Funding of Orange Order and Flute Band at the Centre of Vile McAreavey Song. - Tóibín (opens in a new tab)
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Summer Food Payment Clarity Welcomed
Green Party councillor Brian Smyth welcomes the Education Minister's announcement of a £12.6million summer school holiday food grant, paying £13.50 per week for each eligible child from 1 July to 31 August. He calls for long-term action on child poverty, low wages and social security reform.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Education Minister's summer school holiday food grant announcement Original release: Summer Food Payment Clarity Welcomed (opens in a new tab)
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Armstrong uses Carers Week to call again for respite and day centre provision to reopen
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong repeats her call for all respite and day care services for disabled people and older people to reopen during Carers Week. She says carers are exhausted, notes the Health Minister has asked for a review of each Trust's reopening pathway, and says carers now need support.
Health Disability and equality Original release: Armstrong uses Carers Week to call again for respite and day centre provision to reopen (opens in a new tab)
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McCrossan welcomes summer free school meals payment
SDLP Education Spokesperson Daniel McCrossan welcomes £12.6m for summer holiday payments to families of children receiving free school meals, but says support must continue for the rest of the year. He calls on the DUP to return to Stormont to secure longer-term funding.
Social security and welfare Education Issue: Education Minister's summer school holiday food grant announcement Original release: McCrossan welcomes summer free school meals payment (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP to support Assembly recall petition
SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole says the SDLP is backing a petition to recall the Assembly over the cost of living crisis and strikes at Caterpillar sites. He urges the DUP to support Patsy McGlone as Speaker so emergency legislation can unlock unspent funds.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Assembly recall petition over Caterpillar strike and cost of living Original release: SDLP to support Assembly recall petition (opens in a new tab)
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‘Sinn Féin propose £70k boost to hardship fund’ - Jackson - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin Council Group Leader Christopher Jackson proposes adding about £68,000 in unused Covid-era funding to Derry City and Strabane District Council's hardship fund to help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. He urges councillors across parties to back the proposal at Tuesday's…
Local government Public finance and taxation Issue: Derry City and Strabane council hardship fund £68,000 proposal Original release: ‘Sinn Féin propose £70k boost to hardship fund’ - Jackson - Sinn Féin (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP Leader urges parties to back emergency legislation
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP urges Stormont party leaders to support emergency legislation that would let a group of Ministers allocate hundreds of millions of unspent cash to a new energy‑costs scheme for struggling households, and calls for the nomination of a Speaker to get the bill onto the DÃ?
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Emergency legislation to allocate unspent Stormont funds for energy costs Original release: SDLP Leader urges parties to back emergency legislation (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson – VAT should be axed from electricity bills
DUP MP for East Antrim and Treasury spokesman Sammy Wilson says VAT should be removed from electricity bills, arguing it would give households an immediate 5% saving and avoid the need for a support scheme, and urges the Government to set protocol worries aside.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: VAT on electricity bills Original release: Wilson – VAT should be axed from electricity bills (opens in a new tab)
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Latest electricity price hike will hit struggling workers and families - Archibald - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald says a 33% Airtricity electricity price rise will hit workers and families hard, and calls on the DUP to form an Executive to release £435 million to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: SSE Airtricity electricity price increase announcement June 2022 Original release: Latest electricity price hike will hit struggling workers and families - Archibald - Sinn Féin (opens in a new tab)
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McLaughlin: PSNI must act over sexist WhatsApp group
SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin calls on the PSNI and Chief Constable Simon Byrne to send a clear message that sexist, pornographic and racist messages shared by serving officers in a WhatsApp group will not be tolerated. She says the case raises concerns about PSNI culture.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: TV documentary allegations about PSNI culture Original release: McLaughlin: PSNI must act over sexist WhatsApp group (opens in a new tab)
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Action Needed On Cost Of Living Crisis To Protect Women And Girls
People Before Profit Councillor Maeve O'Neill says Derry and Strabane Council will hear from a women's rights agency on its Feminist Recovery Plan and early research into violence against women and girls. She calls for action on the cost of living crisis to protect women.
Justice and policing Economy and employment Issue: Derry and Strabane Council gender‑based violence meeting Original release: Action Needed On Cost Of Living Crisis To Protect Women And Girls (opens in a new tab)
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Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research
DUP MP Carla Lockhart welcomes the Government's £31m investment in alternatives to fossil fuels, particularly hydrogen, but says the Government should have funded research before banning red diesel in construction. She claims the ban raised quarrying and construction costs.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Government £31m investment in hydrogen and fossil fuel alternatives Original release: Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson welcomes the Chief Secretary to the Treasury’s pledge that Northern Ireland will receive the autumn energy‑support payment, saying the Chancellor confirmed every household will get it and praising the DUP’s role in shaping the funding.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Treasury commitment to NI energy support payment Original release: Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments (opens in a new tab)
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Beattie calls for the Finance Minister to re-open Budget consultation
UUP Leader Doug Beattie writes to Finance Minister Conor Murphy asking the department to re‑open the public budget consultation so locals can influence spending, and asks Civil Service head Jayne Brady to convene all‑party talks on a Programme for Government.
Public finance and taxation Issue: Re‑opening of budget public consultation Original release: Beattie calls for the Finance Minister to re-open Budget consultation (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urges the DUP to back Patsy McGlone as Speaker so the Assembly can pass emergency legislation releasing over £300m held in Stormont accounts for cost-of-living support. He says the DUP's boycott is blocking help over the £400 energy bill discount.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson says Sinn Fein is cynically using vulnerable people for political gain and calls for the Chancellor's £650 cost-of-living payment to reach every Northern Ireland household, with energy firms passing on discounts directly as in Britain.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable (opens in a new tab)