Latest releases
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3,441 releases
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Gildernew seeking urgent meeting with Southern Trust on concerns of midwives
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew expresses alarm at reports that the Southern Trust may move up to 52 experienced midwives onto zero-hour contracts, and says he will meet the Trust and the affected midwives urgently.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Southern Trust plans to move 52 midwives onto zero-hour contracts Original release: Gildernew seeking urgent meeting with Southern Trust on concerns of midwives (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan calls on Communities Minister to step up amid cost of living emergency
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan calls on Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to use her department's spending powers to bring forward emergency cost of living support, citing projections that over 75% of households could be in fuel poverty by January 2023.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Original release: Durkan calls on Communities Minister to step up amid cost of living emergency (opens in a new tab)
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Gildernew welcomes compensation for victims of contaminated blood scandal
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew welcomes interim payments for contaminated blood scandal survivors and urges the Department of Health to progress them without further delay, saying families have waited too long for redress.
Health Issue: Interim compensation for contaminated blood scandal victims Original release: Gildernew welcomes compensation for victims of contaminated blood scandal (opens in a new tab)
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Allen calls on Sunak and Truss to commit to ensuring the energy bills support scheme will be delivered in Northern Ireland before December
UUP MLA Andy Allen urges Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to pledge that the £400 energy support payment reaches Northern Ireland households before December, after the Utility Regulator warned of possible delays.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Utility Regulator warning on delays to £400 energy bill support payments in Northern Ireland Original release: Allen calls on Sunak and Truss to commit to ensuring the energy bills support scheme will be delivered in Northern Ireland before December (opens in a new tab)
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Time to ‘supercharge’ town centre regeneration, says Blair
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA calls for a Green New Deal and investment in town centre regeneration, including EV charging hubs, to boost footfall, decarbonise the economy and create green jobs. He also blames ongoing political deadlock for risking economic growth.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Original release: Time to ‘supercharge’ town centre regeneration, says Blair (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood: Double digit inflation leaving families destitute
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP warns that inflation reaching 10.1% is leaving families destitute without an Executive or Westminster intervention. He calls for an emergency taskforce and at-risk allocations to get urgent funding to households on the brink.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: ONS inflation rise to 10.1% in August 2022 Original release: Eastwood: Double digit inflation leaving families destitute (opens in a new tab)
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Urgent action needed to address the crisis in GP services across the north – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew urges immediate action on strained GP services after meeting GP representatives, citing Belfast practices closing their lists to new patients. He calls for an Executive to be restored to fund an extra £1 billion for health recruitment, and tells the DUP to end its…
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Unfair child benefit tax trap must be removed – Lockhart
DUP MP Carla Lockhart urges the UK Government to review the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge, arguing that a household with one income above £50,000 is penalised while a couple with two lower incomes totalling close to £100,000 pays no tax on child benefit.
Social security and welfare Public finance and taxation Original release: Unfair child benefit tax trap must be removed – Lockhart (opens in a new tab)
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DUP Executive boycott during cost of living emergency a ‘dereliction of duty’ – Hargey
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey accuses the DUP of acting irresponsibly by boycotting the Executive during the cost of living crisis, calling its conduct indefensible. She says Ministers met to find ways around the boycott and urges Jeffrey Donaldson to end it so the £400 energy payment can reach…
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: DUP boycott of Executive over cost of living support Original release: DUP Executive boycott during cost of living emergency a ‘dereliction of duty’ – Hargey (opens in a new tab)
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Alliance team meets mental health champion to discuss strategy implementation
Alliance MLAs say they back the full roll‑out of the Mental Health Strategy, warning that funding is not assured and highlighting the pandemic, sectarianism and the cost‑of‑living crisis as reasons the plan must be delivered without delay.
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Hunter calls for progress on single-use plastics ban
SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter urges action on banning single-use plastics in the North, noting Scotland introduced such a ban last week. She says the New Decade, New Approach pledge to end plastic pollution has seen little progress and blames the lack of a functioning Stormont.
Environment and climate Issue: Scotland single-use plastics ban introduction Original release: Hunter calls for progress on single-use plastics ban (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan: Pensioners need urgent help ahead of winter
SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan urges the Communities Minister to create an emergency financial package for pensioners facing soaring energy bills, and to review the unchanged Winter Fuel Payment rate, which he says has stood since 2010/11.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Pensioner emergency support package and Winter Fuel Payment review call Original release: Durkan: Pensioners need urgent help ahead of winter (opens in a new tab)
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Opposition MLAs continue cost of living outreach
SDLP MLAs will meet National Energy Action, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Equality Commission and the General Medical Council to hear about the cost of living crisis, and Matthew O’Toole MLA says the UK and NI governments must use their powers to ease energy, food and fuel bills rather sp
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss visit Northern Ireland Original release: Opposition MLAs continue cost of living outreach (opens in a new tab)
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Energy payment needs to be done as a matter of urgency – Hargey
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey, the communities minister, says she is concerned no workable solution has yet been agreed to deliver the £400 energy payment to households, and calls for urgent action ahead of autumn and winter. She also urges the DUP to end its Executive boycott.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: £400 energy payment delay after meeting with British Chancellor Original release: Energy payment needs to be done as a matter of urgency – Hargey (opens in a new tab)
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Executive needed to improve access to GPs – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew says people need greater GP access and calls for the Executive to be restored to invest an extra £1 billion in health. He is worried by a temporary freeze on patients moving GP practices in North Down, Ards and East Belfast, which he calls a short-term fix, and blames…
Health Issue: Temporary freeze on GP patient registrations in North Down, Ards and East Belfast Original release: Executive needed to improve access to GPs – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Election of new leader Councillor Mal O'Hara
The Green Party NI announces that Cllr Mal O'Hara has been selected as its new leader, unopposed, after Clare Bailey chose not to stand following the Assembly election. O'Hara says he will offer green solutions to cost of living, housing and climate challenges.
Other Environment and climate Issue: Green Party NI election of new leader Mal O'Hara Original release: Election of new leader Councillor Mal O'Hara (opens in a new tab)
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Bradshaw welcomes dual-strain vaccines
Alliance Health Spokesperson Paula Bradshaw welcomes the UK approval of Moderna's dual-strain Covid-19 vaccine, which targets both the original variant and Omicron, and encourages take-up of the autumn booster.
Health Issue: UK approval of Moderna dual-strain Covid-19 vaccine Original release: Bradshaw welcomes dual-strain vaccines (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan seeks fairer policy on Maternity Allowance for Universal Credit claimants
SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan calls for a review of how Maternity Allowance is treated under Universal Credit, where it is deducted from awards unlike Statutory Maternity Pay, and urges the Communities Minister to press Westminster on the policy.
Social security and welfare Disability and equality Original release: Durkan seeks fairer policy on Maternity Allowance for Universal Credit claimants (opens in a new tab)
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Bradshaw welcomes secondary breast cancer audit for Northern Ireland
Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA welcomes a secondary breast cancer audit funded by Cancer Focus NI with the Cancer Registry, which followed lobbying by the Seen to be Heard campaign. She says equal access to trials, drugs and treatment, plus more specialist nurses across Trusts, is…
Health Issue: Secondary breast cancer audit funded by Cancer Focus NI Original release: Bradshaw welcomes secondary breast cancer audit for Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)
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Allen welcomes Chancellor's commitment to delivering an equivalent energy bill support scheme to Northern Ireland households
UUP MLA Andy Allen welcomes the Chancellor's renewed commitment to deliver equivalent energy bills support to Northern Ireland households, but says the delivery mechanism should already be in place. He also calls on energy providers to help through charitable donations or efficiency measures.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Chancellor confirms energy cost payment does not require Stormont executive Original release: Allen welcomes Chancellor's commitment to delivering an equivalent energy bill support scheme to Northern Ireland households (opens in a new tab)