Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Disability and equality: remove filter
- Constitutional affairs: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
- Environment and climate: remove filter
4,948 releases
-
Standing in Solidarity: Addressing the Impact of Political Stalemate on Public Sector Workers - Butler
Robbie Butler MLA, UUP deputy leader and education spokesperson, says public‑sector staff will strike this Thursday and the UUP will join picket lines, blaming the two‑year absence of an Executive and the DUP’s Stormont boycott for the stalemate that threatens children’s education and welfare.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Thursday public sector strike 2024 Original release: Standing in Solidarity: Addressing the Impact of Political Stalemate on Public Sector Workers - Butler (opens in a new tab)
-
Assembly recall will achieve nothing: Lyons
DUP Assembly Finance spokesman Gordon Lyons MLA says Wednesday's Assembly recall will achieve nothing, arguing the public sector pay settlement is a matter for the UK Government and that devolution conditions have not been secured.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Public sector pay dispute and Assembly recall to restore Executive Original release: Assembly recall will achieve nothing: Lyons (opens in a new tab)
-
Championing Pay Parity and Defending Our Health Service: A Pledge from the Ulster Unionist Party - Chambers
UUP health spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA backs Robin Swann's pay parity pledge ahead of Thursday's public sector strike, calling DUP and UK Government positions on Stormont funding and pay settlements heartless and shameful.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Planned public sector strike next Thursday Original release: Championing Pay Parity and Defending Our Health Service: A Pledge from the Ulster Unionist Party - Chambers (opens in a new tab)
-
Low vaccination rates were another demonstration of Health Service crisis - Bradshaw
Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw warns that a Lancet study finding nearly half of Northern Ireland was not fully vaccinated against Covid in mid-2022 reflects and worsens the region's health service crisis. She says it led to avoidable hospital admissions and calls for a shift toward…
Health Issue: Lancet study on Covid vaccination rates in Northern Ireland Original release: Low vaccination rates were another demonstration of Health Service crisis - Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
-
Bradshaw welcomes equity of access to treatment for PKU patients in Northern Ireland
Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw welcomes the Department of Health’s use of its powers to allow Kuvan (Sapropterin) for treating hyperphenylalaninaemia in PKU patients over 21, bringing Northern Ireland into line with England and Wales.
Health Issue: Kuvan approval for PKU patients over 21 in NI Original release: Bradshaw welcomes equity of access to treatment for PKU patients in Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)
-
Impact on health services can still be prevented – Dillon
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon calls on the DUP to end its Assembly boycott and allow a pay rise for health and social care workers, ahead of Thursday's strike action. She urges a Speaker be elected at Wednesday's Assembly recall and an Executive formed.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Health and social care strike action over pay in January 2024 Original release: Impact on health services can still be prevented – Dillon (opens in a new tab)
-
Pay parity is an equal citizenship right, not a tool of barefaced blackmail
TUV leader Jim Allister accuses the Secretary of State of blackmail over public sector pay parity, saying pay claims must be met regardless of whether Stormont implements the Windsor Framework-related Protocol, and calls on unionists to stand firm ahead of the Assembly recall.
Economy and employment Constitutional affairs Issue: Secretary of State pay parity conditional on Stormont Protocol implementation Original release: Pay parity is an equal citizenship right, not a tool of barefaced blackmail (opens in a new tab)
-
DUP will meet Secretary of State in Hillsborough
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP says the party will meet the Secretary of State in Hillsborough on Monday, and calls on the Treasury to release public sector pay funds immediately rather than use them as leverage. He says talks have progressed but will continue until arrangements unionists can…
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Original release: DUP will meet Secretary of State in Hillsborough (opens in a new tab)
-
Health Trusts left in impossible position by political inaction on pay and transformation, says Alliance Health representatives ahead of strike action.
Alliance Health spokespeople say Health and Social Care Trusts are left in an almost impossible position by political inaction on restoring the Assembly and healthcare reform, ahead of Thursday's strike. East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly, a nurse, calls for an Assembly to deliver fair pay and safe…
Health Economy and employment Issue: Health and social care strike action over pay in January 2024 Original release: Health Trusts left in impossible position by political inaction on pay and transformation, says Alliance Health representatives ahead of strike action. (opens in a new tab)
-
Workers can’t continue to be left in the lurch by DUP time wasting and inaction – O’Neill
Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, First Minister Designate, accuses the DUP of time wasting and inaction as public service workers prepare for widespread industrial action over pay. She says the party has called the Assembly back to restore the Executive and secure a fair public sector pay deal.
Economy and employment Constitutional affairs Issue: Public sector pay dispute and Assembly recall to restore Executive Original release: Workers can’t continue to be left in the lurch by DUP time wasting and inaction – O’Neill (opens in a new tab)
-
Allister challenges Sir Robert Buckland KC MP on arrogant and offensive comments
TUV leader Jim Allister writes to Sir Robert Buckland KC MP calling his BBC comments on intelligent unionism supremely arrogant and offensive, arguing the Northern Ireland Protocol dismantles the Union and that unionists should refuse to implement it through Stormont.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Sir Robert Buckland BBC comments on intelligent unionism and the Protocol Original release: Allister challenges Sir Robert Buckland KC MP on arrogant and offensive comments (opens in a new tab)
-
TUV sets out election strategy
TUV says it will back an agreed single unionist candidate in seats held by non-unionists that are winnable for unionism, naming North Down, Fermanagh & South Tyrone, South Belfast and North Belfast ahead of the General Election. It also warns against any return to Stormont that accepts EU law and…
Constitutional affairs Original release: TUV sets out election strategy (opens in a new tab)
-
Focus on restoring NI’s place in UK rather than hollow threats on…
DUP Deputy Leader Gavin Robinson urges former minister Sir Robert Buckland to concentrate on returning Northern Ireland to its position in the UK Internal Market instead of issuing threats about Joint Authority. Robinson says Buckland is confused and argues the Protocol, not any other factor, is…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Buckland remarks on Joint Authority over Northern Ireland Original release: Focus on restoring NI’s place in UK rather than hollow threats on… (opens in a new tab)
-
Cllr Brian Smyth welcomes new QUB report on Overdose Prevention Sites
Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth for Lisnasharragh welcomes a new QUB report by Dr Gillian Shorter on Overdose Prevention Sites, which he says shows such facilities save lives and reduce pressure on health services. He calls for one in Belfast city centre and says current drug policy is failing.
Health Local government Issue: Queen's University Belfast report on Overdose Prevention Sites Original release: Cllr Brian Smyth welcomes new QUB report on Overdose Prevention Sites (opens in a new tab)
-
EA must act to mitigate against disruption for SEN pupils as strikes hit
Alliance Education Spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA calls on the Education Authority to engage urgently with Unite and agree a special derogation so Special Schools keep services running during eight days of planned industrial action by EA staff. He also says the DUP's collapse of the Executive is…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Unite eight days of industrial action at Education Authority Original release: EA must act to mitigate against disruption for SEN pupils as strikes hit (opens in a new tab)
-
Executive must be restored now to tackle ‘intolerable’ cancer waiting times – Dillon
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon calls cancer waiting times in the north intolerable and urges the DUP to return to Stormont so an Executive can tackle waiting lists and the cancer strategy. She cites latest waiting time figures, saying less survivable cancers are being diagnosed too late.
Health Issue: Latest cancer waiting time figures for Northern Ireland released January 2024 Original release: Executive must be restored now to tackle ‘intolerable’ cancer waiting times – Dillon (opens in a new tab)
-
Publication of latest cancer waiting times must focus minds on the critical need for immediate intervention - Chambers
UUP Health Spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA says the latest cancer waiting‑times report reveals a deepening crisis, with only 8.6% of suspected breast‑cancer referrals in the South Eastern Trust seen within 14 days, and calls for immediate intervention and implementation of the 10‑year cancer strategy
Health Issue: Latest cancer waiting time figures for Northern Ireland released January 2024 Original release: Publication of latest cancer waiting times must focus minds on the critical need for immediate intervention - Chambers (opens in a new tab)
-
Waiting times failures going back decades reinforce need for fundamental health reform, says Bradshaw
Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA says failures to meet Health Service waiting time targets for over a decade, including A&E targets never met, reinforce the need for fundamental health reform. She cites newly published figures on cancer treatment and planned care.
Health Issue: Latest cancer waiting time figures for Northern Ireland released January 2024 Original release: Waiting times failures going back decades reinforce need for fundamental health reform, says Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
-
The claims of ‘privileged access’ to EU market under the Protocol don’t stand up to scrutiny
TUV leader Jim Allister says the notion of ‘privileged access’ to the EU market under the Northern Ireland Protocol is unfounded, citing House of Commons data that GB sold £187.8bn of goods to the EU in 2022 and that NI’s exports are £5.9bn, and noting UK‑EU trade has risen since Brexit.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Privileged access claims under NI Protocol Original release: The claims of ‘privileged access’ to EU market under the Protocol don’t stand up to scrutiny (opens in a new tab)
-
Climate Commissioner role key to meeting our climate change targets, says Donnelly and Blair
Alliance MLAs Danny Donnelly and John Blair call for the creation of a Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner, a requirement of the Climate Change Act, and urge the restoration of the Executive so the legislation can be brought forward urgently.
Environment and climate Original release: Climate Commissioner role key to meeting our climate change targets, says Donnelly and Blair (opens in a new tab)