Latest releases
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2,932 releases
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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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‘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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Robinson welcomes opening of Muckamore Inquiry
DUP MP Gavin Robinson welcomes the start of the public inquiry into alleged mistreatment of patients at Muckamore Abbey, paying tribute to families. He says the Belfast Trust adopted a closed, defensive stance and calls for real change within the Trust.
Health Issue: Muckamore Abbey Hospital public inquiry hearings begin Original release: Robinson welcomes opening of Muckamore Inquiry (opens in a new tab)
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Muckamore public inquiry needs to provide truth, transparency and accountability, says Bradshaw
Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA sends best wishes to patients and families as public hearings open into alleged abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. She says the inquiry is long overdue and calls for answers on governance failures, including unanswered complaints and an unmonitored…
Health Issue: Muckamore Abbey Hospital public inquiry hearings begin Original release: Muckamore public inquiry needs to provide truth, transparency and accountability, says Bradshaw (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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Nurses' formal pay dispute 'deeply worrying development' - Gildernew - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew describes the nurses' formal pay dispute as deeply concerning and accuses the UK government of treating frontline health workers with contempt. He calls for unions' concerns to be heard, fair pay secured, and the Department of Health to engage urgently with health…
Health Economy and employment Issue: Nurses' formal trade dispute over pay Original release: Nurses' formal pay dispute 'deeply worrying development' - Gildernew - Sinn Féin (opens in a new tab)
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Cllr Brian Smyth - Latest energy price rises will plunge yet more into poverty
Green Party councillor Brian Smyth calls for urgent intervention after SSE Airtricity announced electricity price rises affecting nearly 160,000 households from next week. He says the Executive can mitigate fuel price increases without Westminster and criticises its failure to publish a fuel…
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: SSE Airtricity electricity price increase announcement June 2022 Original release: Cllr Brian Smyth - Latest energy price rises will plunge yet more into poverty (opens in a new tab)
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Ulster Unionists welcome launch of Child Funeral Fund
UUP Councillor Julie Flaherty welcomes the Communities Minister's confirmation that the Child Funeral Fund is now running in Northern Ireland, from 1 June 2022, after years of campaigning. She credits her council's early backing for pushing other councils to follow.
Social security and welfare Local government Issue: Child Funeral Fund launch in Northern Ireland Original release: Ulster Unionists welcome launch of Child Funeral Fund (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan welcomes establishment of Child Funeral Fund
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan welcomes the launch of the Child Funeral Fund, a one-off £3,056 payment to help bereaved families meet funeral expenses for children and stillbirths after 24 weeks. He urges that families be made aware of it and that applications be simple.
Social security and welfare Issue: Child Funeral Fund launch in Northern Ireland Original release: Durkan welcomes establishment of Child Funeral Fund (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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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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Allen meets with the Utility Regulator to discuss rising energy costs
East Belfast UUP MLA and Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MBE says he met Utility Regulator John French to discuss rising energy costs. He calls for a review of the regulator's powers, energy efficiency investment, a fuel poverty taskforce, and a Programme for Government.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Original release: Allen meets with the Utility Regulator to discuss rising energy costs (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan welcomes Health Minister Robin Swann's commitment to establish a review of the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme, which he says would extend support to low-income parents of sick children. Durkan says the commitment followed his written Assembly question.
Health Social security and welfare Issue: Hospital Travel Costs Scheme review commitment by Health Minister Original release: Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children (opens in a new tab)
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‘Executive should be formed today’ – O’Neill
Sinn Féin First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill calls for an Executive to be formed immediately, says the DUP’s dispute harms the public rather than the EU, welcomes Wrightbus securing a German hydrogen‑bus contract as proof of single‑market benefits, and urges all parties and the UK government
Constitutional affairs Health Issue: Wrightbus contract with German operator RVK for hydrogen buses Original release: ‘Executive should be formed today’ – O’Neill (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O'Toole accuses the DUP of putting its own interests first by blocking the election of an Assembly Speaker, and says this stalls support for families facing rising costs and health waiting lists.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame (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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‘Incoming Executive must invest in proper services to support new mothers and their babies’ – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn calls for an incoming Executive to fund accessible postnatal support after an inquest into a young woman's 2018 death highlighted failings. She says she will press the health minister for a staffed maternal support unit, and urges the DUP to end its Executive boycott.
Health Issue: Inquest into 2018 death of young woman after childbirth Original release: ‘Incoming Executive must invest in proper services to support new mothers and their babies’ – Flynn (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)
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Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill
Green Party NI MLA Ciara Henry welcomes the opening of Ballycopeland Windmill to the public from 2 June as a heritage visitor site. She highlights a Changing Places facility, a cafe run by USEL that will offer jobs to people with disabilities, and the windmill's value to local history.
Disability and equality Economy and employment Issue: Ballycopeland Windmill reopening as visitor attraction Original release: Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill (opens in a new tab)