Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Disability and equality: remove filter
- Environment and climate: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
- Social security and welfare: remove filter
3,430 releases
-
Bradshaw offers condolences for loss of Belfast child to strep A
-
Alliance Councillor Michelle Guy has welcomed backing for her proposal to help tackle the Cost of Living crisis
Alliance Councillor Michelle Guy, Deputy Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh, welcomes council backing for her proposal to divert £34,000 from a suggested Hillsborough royal status budget to support communities facing the cost of living crisis, with £50,000 kept for a community-led Coronation…
Public finance and taxation Local government Issue: Lisburn & Castlereagh council vote on Coronation budget diversion Original release: Alliance Councillor Michelle Guy has welcomed backing for her proposal to help tackle the Cost of Living crisis (opens in a new tab)
-
McGrath urges vigilance after spike in Strep A cases
SDLP Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath urges parents to stay vigilant and learn Strep A signs after a rise in cases and a child's death, and calls on the Department of Health for reassurance and an awareness campaign. Cara Hunter separately calls for robust guidance for schools.
Health Education Issue: Child death linked to Strep A Original release: McGrath urges vigilance after spike in Strep A cases (opens in a new tab)
-
‘Executive needed to put £600 in people’s pockets now’ – Murphy
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy urges an Executive to be formed immediately so households receive the £600 energy payment before Christmas, accusing the DUP of blocking government and delaying the money. He says his party will call an Assembly sitting this week to push for ministers.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: Assembly recall over Executive formation and £600 energy payment delay Original release: ‘Executive needed to put £600 in people’s pockets now’ – Murphy (opens in a new tab)
-
Women have waited too long for modern and compassionate health services – Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín calls on the Department of Health to start commissioning abortion services for women in the north now, after the British Secretary of State instructed it to do so. She says women have waited long enough and have had to travel to England, often alone.
Health Disability and equality Issue: Secretary of State instruction to Department of Health on abortion services commissioning Original release: Women have waited too long for modern and compassionate health services – Ní Chuilín (opens in a new tab)
-
Forsythe – NI childcare costs on a par with central London
DUP MLA Diane Forsythe and MP Sammy Wilson say they have jointly written to the Chancellor asking for Tax Free Childcare allowance to be raised beyond 20%, arguing Northern Ireland childcare costs match central London and keep working parents out of work.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Employers for Childcare report on Northern Ireland childcare costs Original release: Forsythe – NI childcare costs on a par with central London (opens in a new tab)
-
London's last minute change is delaying energy payments
DUP MLA Gordon Lyons, writing in the Belfast Telegraph, accuses Ministers in London of delaying the £600 energy support payment in Northern Ireland by introducing a last-minute cash-out option. He says the payments were promised for autumn and before Christmas, and calls the change cynical and…
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: £600 energy support payment delay in Northern Ireland Original release: London's last minute change is delaying energy payments (opens in a new tab)
-
Save The South West Acute Hospital Now, Save Real Lives Now!’
People Before Profit's Carol Gallagher, Tyrone Branch, says threats to the South West Acute Hospital's emergency services will endanger lives by pushing patients beyond the golden hour. She calls for public protests across Fermanagh and Tyrone to oppose the cuts and the loss of jobs.
Health Issue: Threats to South West Acute Hospital services Original release: Save The South West Acute Hospital Now, Save Real Lives Now!’ (opens in a new tab)
-
Cllr Anthony Flynn welcomes next stage of Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund
Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn welcomes Belfast City Council's agreement of a £1 million fuel poverty hardship fund offering one-off £100 payments to eligible households this winter. He says the Green Party will do what it can to support the most vulnerable, blaming UK government and DUP…
Social security and welfare Local government Issue: Belfast City Council £1 million fuel poverty hardship fund agreement Original release: Cllr Anthony Flynn welcomes next stage of Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund (opens in a new tab)
-
Limiting the impact of both the cost of living crisis and the climate emergency go hand in hand, says McMullan
Alliance Councillor Ross McMullan welcomes Belfast City Council's decision to waive building control fees for individual loft insulation applications, saying it will make insulation more affordable amid the cost of living crisis.
Economy and employment Local government Issue: Belfast City Council waiving building control fees for loft insulation Original release: Limiting the impact of both the cost of living crisis and the climate emergency go hand in hand, says McMullan (opens in a new tab)
-
Safe staffing legislation should be consulted upon urgently, says Bradshaw
Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA urges the Department of Health to prepare a consultation on staffing legislation for a future Health Minister to pursue. She argues it could curb agency spending on nursing cover and redirect funds to staff pay and conditions.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Safe staffing legislation consultation call for incoming Health Minister Original release: Safe staffing legislation should be consulted upon urgently, says Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
-
Further confirmation of ringfenced funding for reproductive health services a welcome step, say Bradshaw and Egan
Alliance MLAs Paula Bradshaw and Connie Egan welcome the Secretary of State's ringfenced funding and formal instruction to the Department of Health to commission reproductive health services, calling it a further step, while urging swift full provision locally.
Health Disability and equality Issue: Secretary of State instruction to Department of Health on abortion services commissioning Original release: Further confirmation of ringfenced funding for reproductive health services a welcome step, say Bradshaw and Egan (opens in a new tab)
-
Confirmation people in the north will not receive £600 energy payment until after Christmas “devastating” for workers and families – O’Dowd
Upper Bann MLA John O'Dowd says the delay of the £600 energy payment in the north until after Christmas will hit struggling workers and families hard. He blames the DUP for collapsing the Executive, which stopped funding being allocated, and urges an Executive be formed now.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: £600 energy support payment delay in Northern Ireland Original release: Confirmation people in the north will not receive £600 energy payment until after Christmas “devastating” for workers and families – O’Dowd (opens in a new tab)
-
‘Securing future of Shantallow GP practice must be priority’ – Ferguson
Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson calls on the Department of Health and Western Trust to urgently secure the future of the Shantallow GP practice after reports that Racecourse Practice has handed back its contract, with six months remaining on it.
Health Issue: Racecourse Practice Shantallow GP contract handback Original release: ‘Securing future of Shantallow GP practice must be priority’ – Ferguson (opens in a new tab)
-
The UCU Strikes
People Before Profit interviews Aisling O'Beirn, a UCU representative at Ulster University, on the picket line over the strike. She describes casualised contracts, rising workloads, staff shortages and cuts to pension benefits as the central issues.
Education Economy and employment Issue: UCU strike at Ulster University Original release: The UCU Strikes (opens in a new tab)
-
Alliance MLAs mark World Aids Day and argue that we need to combat the stigma around HIV
Alliance South Belfast MLA Kate Nicholl and Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA say the World AIDS Day event highlights the need to combat HIV stigma in Northern Ireland, urging a Sexual Health Strategy, comprehensive relationship and sex education in schools and wider access to PrEP and
Health Issue: World AIDS Day 2022 Original release: Alliance MLAs mark World Aids Day and argue that we need to combat the stigma around HIV (opens in a new tab)
-
SDLP meets with Royal College of Nursing
SDLP health spokesperson Colin McGrath says the party backs nurses and other health staff in their fight for fair pay and safe conditions, after meeting the Royal College of Nursing ahead of planned strike action. He blames the British government for failing to address long-running concerns and…
Health Economy and employment Issue: Royal College of Nursing planned strike action later this month Original release: SDLP meets with Royal College of Nursing (opens in a new tab)
-
McLaughlin urges progress on tackling sexual offences
SDLP Justice Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin says new PPS figures on sexual offences, showing prosecution rates rose from 23.6% to 31.6% in 2021/22, show the need for a violence against women and girls plan from a reformed Executive.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: PPS annual report on sexual offence prosecutions 2021/22 Original release: McLaughlin urges progress on tackling sexual offences (opens in a new tab)
-
Coroner and PSNI should investigate neurology deaths – Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín says a report into 44 deaths of patients treated by ex-neurologist Michael Watt poses more queries than answers, and calls on the PSNI and Coroner to investigate.
Health Justice and policing Issue: Neurology review of Dr Michael Watt patient deaths Original release: Coroner and PSNI should investigate neurology deaths – Ní Chuilín (opens in a new tab)
-
‘Tory delays to £600 scheme a crushing blow to workers and families’ – Murphy
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy condemns the delay to the £600 energy support payments in the north, saying people will miss them before Christmas, and calls on the British government to set out when and how households will receive the money.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: £600 energy support payment delay in Northern Ireland Original release: ‘Tory delays to £600 scheme a crushing blow to workers and families’ – Murphy (opens in a new tab)