Latest releases
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2,979 releases
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Durkan: Progress needed to address homelessness crisis
SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA urges the Communities Minister to make progress on homelessness plans, citing a 5% rise in homelessness households and 50,381 households on social housing waiting lists. He says the Executive has fallen short and that the Minister is set…
Housing Issue: Social housing waiting list passes 50,000 households figures Original release: Durkan: Progress needed to address homelessness crisis (opens in a new tab)
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Ulster Unionists welcome £80m ringfenced for NI elective care and waiting lists
UUP health spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA welcomes Health Minister Mike Nesbitt's plan to set aside £80 million this year for elective care and cutting waiting lists, and says the funding shows the Executive's priority on shorter waits. He points to the removal of four-year waits in several…
Health Issue: Health Minister ringfences £80m for elective care and waiting lists Original release: Ulster Unionists welcome £80m ringfenced for NI elective care and waiting lists (opens in a new tab)
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‘Progress has been made by Executive, but much more work remains’ – Ennis
Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis welcomes progress in the Programme for Government Annual Report, citing 237,000 extra health procedures and childcare support, but says much more work is needed. She calls on the British government to provide proper funding for the Executive.
Public finance and taxation Health Issue: Programme for Government Annual Report publication Original release: ‘Progress has been made by Executive, but much more work remains’ – Ennis (opens in a new tab)
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Agency costs expose years of workforce planning failures - Dodds
DUP MLA Diane Dodds, a Health Committee member, says a Northern Ireland Audit Office report on agency staffing exposes years of failed workforce planning and calls on the Health Minister to set a timetable for the long-delayed Safer Staffing Bill.
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on agency nursing costs Original release: Agency costs expose years of workforce planning failures - Dodds (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Agency spending illustrates need for safe staffing legislation
SDLP Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA calls on the Health Minister to introduce safe staffing legislation after a Northern Ireland Audit Office report found health trusts spent over £160 million on agency nurses in a year. He also cites a 2,100-plus nursing shortfall and £186 million in…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on agency nursing costs Original release: McGrath: Agency spending illustrates need for safe staffing legislation (opens in a new tab)
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McGuigan praises vital role played by cancer charities across north
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan praises cancer charities across the North after attending a Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition gathering at Parliament Buildings. He calls for renewed focus on Cancer Strategy targets, tackling outcome inequalities and long-term funding for charities.
Health Issue: Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition event at Parliament Buildings Original release: McGuigan praises vital role played by cancer charities across north (opens in a new tab)
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Transformation Funding Must Deliver Real Change - Dodds
DUP Health Spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA welcomes Transformation Fund allocations, including £42 million for ePharmacy and digital reform and funding for Together for Families, while calling for measurable outcomes, shorter waiting times and accountable delivery.
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Executive Transformation Fund allocations announcement Original release: Transformation Funding Must Deliver Real Change - Dodds (opens in a new tab)
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Baby Loss Certificates a compassionate step forward for grieving…
South Down DUP MLA Diane Forsythe welcomes the completion of the final legislative stage for baby loss certificates, which open for applications in June, giving formal recognition to parents who lose a baby before 24 weeks.
Health Issue: Baby loss certificates legislation completes final stage Original release: Baby Loss Certificates a compassionate step forward for grieving… (opens in a new tab)
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Baby loss certificate will enable parents and families to have loss formally acknowledged – Dolan
Sinn Féin MLA Jemma Dolan says the baby loss certificate regulations, coming into effect in June, will let parents and families have their loss formally acknowledged. She commends the Finance Minister and department for bringing the scheme forward.
Health Issue: Baby loss certificates legislation completes final stage Original release: Baby loss certificate will enable parents and families to have loss formally acknowledged – Dolan (opens in a new tab)
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Kimmins welcomes £29.2 million transformation funding for family support
Sinn Féin MLA Liz Kimmins welcomes Finance Minister John O'Dowd's allocation of £29.2 million from the Transformation Fund to the Department of Health's Together for Families project, which will also receive £30 million in National Lottery match funding. She praises the appointment of Jacinta…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Executive Transformation Fund allocations announcement Original release: Kimmins welcomes £29.2 million transformation funding for family support (opens in a new tab)
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Investment will help to improve health service – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan welcomes more than £70 million announced by Finance Minister John O'Dowd for health, saying it will fund digital prescriptions and expanded pharmacy services to ease pressure on GPs. He says the party will keep pressing the British government for proper public service…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: £70 million health service investment announced by Finance Minister O'Dowd Original release: Investment will help to improve health service – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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Fix the planning paralysis and deliver the roads Northern Ireland needs
UUP Infrastructure Spokesperson John Stewart MLA calls on the Executive to act on the A5 after a court ruling and to introduce a lawful, workable climate framework, also urging delivery of the A1 upgrade and York Street Interchange. UUP Agriculture Spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA says rural…
Infrastructure and transport Environment and climate Issue: A5 court ruling over climate planning obligations Original release: Fix the planning paralysis and deliver the roads Northern Ireland needs (opens in a new tab)
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Health Minister welcomes additional £100m Transformation and National Lottery funding
UUP Health Minister Mike Nesbitt welcomes over £100m in Public Service Transformation Bid funding, including £42m for an ePharmacy programme to replace paper prescriptions and £29.2m for Together for Families, plus £30m from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Executive Transformation Fund allocations announcement Original release: Health Minister welcomes additional £100m Transformation and National Lottery funding (opens in a new tab)
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McGuigan welcomes hospice funding but calls for a sustainable model in the future
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan welcomes £1.6million in funding for hospices across the north, but urges the Health Minister to establish a sustainable funding model for all hospices. He says palliative care should be fully funded by the Department of Health rather than relying on charities and…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Department of Health emergency hospice funding announcement Original release: McGuigan welcomes hospice funding but calls for a sustainable model in the future (opens in a new tab)
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Dodds Welcomes Hospice Funding but Calls for Long-Term Solution
DUP Health Spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA welcomes £1.1 million for Northern Ireland's adult hospices and £500,000 for the Children's Hospice, but says repeated emergency funding shows a sustainable long-term model is needed. She cites Department of Health funding covering only about £10.2 million…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Department of Health emergency hospice funding announcement Original release: Dodds Welcomes Hospice Funding but Calls for Long-Term Solution (opens in a new tab)
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More to be gained by working together north and south – Seán Crowe TD
Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe, a member of the NSIPA executive committee, says north-south cooperation on healthcare has much to gain, citing paediatric oncology after the two-day NSIPA plenary session. He also calls for clarity and security on future PEACEPLUS funding, which has not yet been decided.
Health Issue: North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association plenary session on paediatric cancer and PEACEPLUS Original release: More to be gained by working together north and south – Seán Crowe TD (opens in a new tab)
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Loss of Carlingford Ferry a major blow to South Down Tourism -…
DUP MLA Diane Forsythe says the cancellation of the Carlingford Ferry for 2026 is a huge setback for South Down tourism and local businesses, criticises the lack of support from tourism agencies and the Department for the Economy, and urges that the ferry and the Narrow Water Bridge can coexist.
Economy and employment Infrastructure and transport Issue: Carlingford Ferry suspension for 2026 Original release: Loss of Carlingford Ferry a major blow to South Down Tourism -… (opens in a new tab)
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Boylan welcomes Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission report
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan welcomes a National Audit Office report on the Planning Appeals Commission, saying it confirms long-known delays and backlogs. He commends Planning Minister Kimmins's bid to the Transformation Board on 'Hear and Report' cases and urges the Justice Minister to speed up…
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on planning system failures Original release: Boylan welcomes Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission report (opens in a new tab)
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McEntee remarks on Northern passport office disgraceful and deeply out of touch – Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD
Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn condemns Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee's Dáil remarks comparing calls for a North and north west passport office with wasteful public spending, saying the comparison is disgraceful and insulting to citizens.
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: McEntee Dáil remarks on passport office versus public spending waste Original release: McEntee remarks on Northern passport office disgraceful and deeply out of touch – Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD (opens in a new tab)
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Planning System Failing Northern Ireland – Brett
North Belfast DUP MLA Phillip Brett, who chairs the Assembly's Economy Committee, says a Northern Ireland Audit Office report exposes failures in the planning system and calls for reform. He cites planning appeals averaging 73 weeks and a Planning Appeals Commission lacking statutory targets and…
Infrastructure and transport Economy and employment Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on planning system failures Original release: Planning System Failing Northern Ireland – Brett (opens in a new tab)