Latest releases
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102 releases
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Sinn Féin to support Catherine Connolly for President
Constitutional affairs Original release: Sinn Féin to support Catherine Connolly for President (opens in a new tab)
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British government must ensure 16 and 17 year olds can vote in 2027 elections – Baker
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker welcomes the British government's plan to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds and calls for the legislation to be in place in time for the 2027 Assembly and Council elections in the north. The party says it will press London on this.
Constitutional affairs Issue: British government extension of voting age to 16 and 17-year-olds Original release: British government must ensure 16 and 17 year olds can vote in 2027 elections – Baker (opens in a new tab)
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Votes at 16 welcome, but it must be accompanied by changes to education curriculum - Butler
UUP MLA Robbie Butler, young people's spokesperson, welcomes votes at 16 but says it must be accompanied by changes to the education curriculum adding political education on how the Northern Ireland and UK voting systems work. He hopes this will encourage wider youth turnout.
Constitutional affairs Education Original release: Votes at 16 welcome, but it must be accompanied by changes to education curriculum - Butler (opens in a new tab)
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Votes at 16 must be implemented in time for next NI Assembly election, says Mulholland, welcoming plans
Constitutional affairs Original release: Votes at 16 must be implemented in time for next NI Assembly election, says Mulholland, welcoming plans (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna welcomes lowering of voting age
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomes UK Government confirmation that voting at General Elections will be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds, and calls for the same rights to apply to Assembly and council elections.
Constitutional affairs Issue: UK Government confirmation of votes at 16 for General Elections Original release: Hanna welcomes lowering of voting age (opens in a new tab)
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November must be the last Presidential election that excludes citizens in the North and the diaspora – Mary Lou McDonald TD
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald calls for November's presidential election to be the last to exclude Irish citizens in the North and abroad, and urges the government to set a referendum date and timeline. Her Dáil motion seeks presidential voting rights for citizens across the island and the…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Sinn Féin Dáil motion on presidential voting rights for citizens abroad Original release: November must be the last Presidential election that excludes citizens in the North and the diaspora – Mary Lou McDonald TD (opens in a new tab)
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Extending presidential voting rights was agreed in 2013 and now needs to be implemented – Mary Lou McDonald TD
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald calls on the Taoiseach to set a date for a referendum extending presidential voting to Irish citizens in the North, citing a 2013 Constitutional Convention agreement postponed in 2019. She urges action after the Assembly backed the measure, and says the coming…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Stormont vote on presidential voting rights for Northern citizens Original release: Extending presidential voting rights was agreed in 2013 and now needs to be implemented – Mary Lou McDonald TD (opens in a new tab)
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Michelle O’Neill urges An Taoiseach to make the extension of Presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the north a priority
Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill has written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking him to prioritise giving Irish citizens in the North the right to vote in presidential elections. She also welcomes Tánaiste Simon Harris's support for the principle following an Assembly motion backing the change.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Stormont vote on presidential voting rights for Northern citizens Original release: Michelle O’Neill urges An Taoiseach to make the extension of Presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in the north a priority (opens in a new tab)
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Government must now act on commitments to extend presidential voting rights to citizens in the North – Pearse Doherty TD
Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty TD urges the government to set a timeline and date for a referendum on giving Irish citizens in the North a vote in presidential elections, following a Stormont vote and the Tánaiste's supportive response.
Constitutional affairs Disability and equality Issue: Stormont vote on presidential voting rights for Northern citizens Original release: Government must now act on commitments to extend presidential voting rights to citizens in the North – Pearse Doherty TD (opens in a new tab)
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Assembly backs extending Presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in north – Kearney
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney welcomes an Assembly motion backing Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the north and calls on the Irish Government to stop delaying, set a date and act on the extension.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Irish presidential voting rights for Northern Ireland citizens Original release: Assembly backs extending Presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in north – Kearney (opens in a new tab)
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Time to extend presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in north – Kearney
Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney MLA says the Assembly will move a motion urging the Irish government to extend voting rights in presidential elections to every Irish citizen on the island of Ireland.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Irish presidential voting rights for Northern Ireland citizens Original release: Time to extend presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in north – Kearney (opens in a new tab)
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Armstrong welcomes SoS commitment to progressing votes at 16.
Alliance Communities spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA welcomes the Secretary of State's commitment to progressing votes at 16 in Northern Ireland, following a letter from Naomi Long MLA. Armstrong says the process will take time and planning, and pledges continued engagement.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Secretary of State commitment to lowering voting age to 16 Original release: Armstrong welcomes SoS commitment to progressing votes at 16. (opens in a new tab)
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Conor Murphy demands action on Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the North and the diaspora
Sinn Féin Seanad candidate Conor Murphy urges the incoming government to extend presidential voting rights to citizens living in Northern Ireland and abroad, noting the draft Programme for Government omits the issue and a 2017 referendum commitment has stalled.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Draft Programme for Government omits presidential voting rights for citizens abroad Original release: Conor Murphy demands action on Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens in the North and the diaspora (opens in a new tab)
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Sinn Féin nominate six candidates to contest Seanad Éireann elections
Sinn Féin says it has nominated six candidates for the Seanad Éireann elections across the industrial and commercial, cultural and educational, agricultural, labour and administrative panels. Party Leader Mary Lou McDonald says they would advance planning for Irish re-unification in the Oireachtas.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Sinn Féin Seanad Éireann election candidate nominations Original release: Sinn Féin nominate six candidates to contest Seanad Éireann elections (opens in a new tab)
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Conor Murphy to run for Seanad Éireann as all-Ireland politics come centre stage
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy will contest the upcoming Seanad Éireann elections, with party leader Mary Lou McDonald saying his candidacy represents the whole island and advances the All-Ireland economy and Irish unity debate.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Original release: Conor Murphy to run for Seanad Éireann as all-Ireland politics come centre stage (opens in a new tab)
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Democracy must not be about the wallets of billionaires with agendas, says Eastwood, as she tables motion
Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has tabled a Parliamentary motion calling for urgent electoral law reforms to protect UK democracy from foreign and overseas billionaire influence, including stricter donation caps and transparency on contribution origins. She also says she is writing to the Prime…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Parliamentary motion on electoral law reform and overseas political donations Original release: Democracy must not be about the wallets of billionaires with agendas, says Eastwood, as she tables motion (opens in a new tab)
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Time Conquers All
DUP Leader Gavin Robinson, writing in The Orange Standard, calls for greater unionist co-operation ahead of the 2027 Assembly and Local Government elections, arguing pro-Union candidates must be elected and that division must end.
Constitutional affairs Original release: Time Conquers All (opens in a new tab)
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Assembly Election 2022
People Before Profit, standing twelve candidates in the Assembly election, says the DUP and Sinn Féin have jointly presided over austerity and calls for Stormont to launch a Hardship Emergency Fund with payments of at least £1,000 for the poorest households, funded partly by major energy firms and…
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Original release: Assembly Election 2022 (opens in a new tab)
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Allister welcomes moves to permit ex-service personnel to use their veteran card as ID at elections
TUV leader Jim Allister welcomes a government commitment, given in reply to his written question, to legislate so the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card can be used as ID at Northern Ireland polling stations before the 2027 elections. He says the move recognises veterans' service, including during…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Veteran Card added to Northern Ireland polling station ID list Original release: Allister welcomes moves to permit ex-service personnel to use their veteran card as ID at elections (opens in a new tab)
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TUV – the only party to call out Sinn Fein hypocrisy on lecturing people on democracy when Gerry Kelly sits on their benches or note the irony of calling for votes for 16 when you want to deny ANYONE in NI the right to vote on 300 areas of law
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston opposes the Assembly motion on votes at 16, arguing 18 matches international practice and that Sinn Féin is poorly placed to lecture on democracy given Gerry Kelly's seat on its benches. He also says supporters of the motion ignore the Windsor Framework's 300 areas of law…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Assembly motion backing votes at 16 and 17 Original release: TUV – the only party to call out Sinn Fein hypocrisy on lecturing people on democracy when Gerry Kelly sits on their benches or note the irony of calling for votes for 16 when you want to deny ANYONE in NI the right to vote on 300 areas of law (opens in a new tab)