Latest releases
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3,913 releases
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Sinn Féin to meet DFI and contractors on A6 and Dungiven Bypass
Sinn Féin councillor Kathleen McGurk says she, MLA Caoimhe Archibald and Cllr Sean McGlinchey will meet the Department for Infrastructure and the contractor after the planned A6 closure this weekend was postponed, seeking to complete the A6 dualling and Dungiven bypass swiftly while limiting any new
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Postponement of planned A6 closure Original release: Sinn Féin to meet DFI and contractors on A6 and Dungiven Bypass (opens in a new tab)
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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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O’Dowd needs to get a grip of MoT fiasco – Lockhart
DUP MP Carla Lockhart calls on Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd MLA to publish the DVA plan to cut record MOT and driving test waiting times, saying the existing plan has failed and needs rewriting. She also urges the use of Temporary Exemption certificates for motorists affected by the delays.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: MOT testing backlog at DVA centres Original release: O’Dowd needs to get a grip of MoT fiasco – Lockhart (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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Begley expresses sympathy following A5 death
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley expresses sympathy to the family of a young man killed in an accident on the A5 near Omagh, and pays tribute to the emergency services. She says it is the second fatal A5 crash within a month and calls for the long-overdue A5 upgrade to be delivered.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Fatal A5 collision near Omagh Beltany Road August 2022 Original release: Begley expresses sympathy following A5 death (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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McCrossan: More lives will be lost on A5 without action
SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan warns of further deaths on the A5 road unless the upgrade scheme advances, and urges Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to use every available option to start work sooner after recent fatalities.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: A5 road upgrade delays following recent deaths Original release: McCrossan: More lives will be lost on A5 without action (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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Muir calls for urgent measures to cope with MOT backlog
Alliance Infrastructure spokesperson Andrew Muir MLA calls for the Department for Infrastructure to reintroduce temporary exemption certificates for MOT tests to ease the backlog. He also asks for a longer reminder letter period so motorists are not left travelling long distances for test slots.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: MOT testing backlog at DVA centres Original release: Muir calls for urgent measures to cope with MOT backlog (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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Erskine welcomes progress on road projects
DUP MLA Deborah Erskine welcomes the Infrastructure Minister's decision to prioritise two Fermanagh and South Tyrone road schemes, the Enniskillen bypass on the A4 and the Cornamuck project on the A32, in 2022/23 ahead of procurement. She says they should have been prioritised far earlier.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Infrastructure Minister prioritises Enniskillen bypass and Cornamuck road schemes Original release: Erskine welcomes progress on road projects (opens in a new tab)