Latest releases
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4,068 releases
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Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research
DUP MP Carla Lockhart welcomes the Government's £31m investment in alternatives to fossil fuels, particularly hydrogen, but says the Government should have funded research before banning red diesel in construction. She claims the ban raised quarrying and construction costs.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Government £31m investment in hydrogen and fossil fuel alternatives Original release: Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson welcomes the Chief Secretary to the Treasury’s pledge that Northern Ireland will receive the autumn energy‑support payment, saying the Chancellor confirmed every household will get it and praising the DUP’s role in shaping the funding.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Treasury commitment to NI energy support payment Original release: Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan welcomes Health Minister Robin Swann's commitment to establish a review of the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme, which he says would extend support to low-income parents of sick children. Durkan says the commitment followed his written Assembly question.
Health Social security and welfare Issue: Hospital Travel Costs Scheme review commitment by Health Minister Original release: Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children (opens in a new tab)
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‘Executive should be formed today’ – O’Neill
Sinn Féin First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill calls for an Executive to be formed immediately, says the DUP’s dispute harms the public rather than the EU, welcomes Wrightbus securing a German hydrogen‑bus contract as proof of single‑market benefits, and urges all parties and the UK government
Constitutional affairs Health Issue: Wrightbus contract with German operator RVK for hydrogen buses Original release: ‘Executive should be formed today’ – O’Neill (opens in a new tab)
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Beattie calls for the Finance Minister to re-open Budget consultation
UUP Leader Doug Beattie writes to Finance Minister Conor Murphy asking the department to re‑open the public budget consultation so locals can influence spending, and asks Civil Service head Jayne Brady to convene all‑party talks on a Programme for Government.
Public finance and taxation Issue: Re‑opening of budget public consultation Original release: Beattie calls for the Finance Minister to re-open Budget consultation (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O'Toole accuses the DUP of putting its own interests first by blocking the election of an Assembly Speaker, and says this stalls support for families facing rising costs and health waiting lists.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urges the DUP to back Patsy McGlone as Speaker so the Assembly can pass emergency legislation releasing over £300m held in Stormont accounts for cost-of-living support. He says the DUP's boycott is blocking help over the £400 energy bill discount.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help (opens in a new tab)
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‘Incoming Executive must invest in proper services to support new mothers and their babies’ – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn calls for an incoming Executive to fund accessible postnatal support after an inquest into a young woman's 2018 death highlighted failings. She says she will press the health minister for a staffed maternal support unit, and urges the DUP to end its Executive boycott.
Health Issue: Inquest into 2018 death of young woman after childbirth Original release: ‘Incoming Executive must invest in proper services to support new mothers and their babies’ – Flynn (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson says Sinn Fein is cynically using vulnerable people for political gain and calls for the Chancellor's £650 cost-of-living payment to reach every Northern Ireland household, with energy firms passing on discounts directly as in Britain.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable (opens in a new tab)
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Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill
Green Party NI MLA Ciara Henry welcomes the opening of Ballycopeland Windmill to the public from 2 June as a heritage visitor site. She highlights a Changing Places facility, a cafe run by USEL that will offer jobs to people with disabilities, and the windmill's value to local history.
Disability and equality Economy and employment Issue: Ballycopeland Windmill reopening as visitor attraction Original release: Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill (opens in a new tab)
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McCusker calls for strategy to address health outcomes in Belfast
SDLP councillor Paul McCusker calls for a strategy to tackle poorer health outcomes across Belfast, after a Belfast Healthy Cities report found the city had the worst outcomes in the North and lower life expectancy for men and women.
Health Local government Issue: Belfast Healthy Cities report on health outcomes and life expectancy Original release: McCusker calls for strategy to address health outcomes in Belfast (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson – Protocol is blockage to VAT cut
DUP MP Sammy Wilson says Sinn Fein's call for a VAT cut on energy bills contradicts its demand for full implementation of the NI Protocol, which he claims blocks such a cut. He urges Sinn Fein to join efforts to replace the Protocol and suggests suspending green levies on bills.
Constitutional affairs Public finance and taxation Issue: Sinn Fein call for VAT cut on energy bills Original release: Wilson – Protocol is blockage to VAT cut (opens in a new tab)
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Treasury announcements remind us the U.K. is better together
TUV representative Keith Ratcliffe says Treasury cost-of-living measures show the benefits of the UK economy and London funding, and argues Northern Ireland would not get such support from Dublin.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Treasury announcements remind us the U.K. is better together (opens in a new tab)
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‘Executive needed now to reduce waiting lists’ – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew says an Executive is urgently needed to reduce health waiting lists, responding to Department of Health figures showing almost 360,000 people waiting. He calls on the DUP to end its boycott and join other parties in the Assembly on Monday.
Health Issue: Department of Health waiting lists figures release May 2022 Original release: ‘Executive needed now to reduce waiting lists’ – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Allen welcomes the direct inclusion of Northern Ireland in cost-of-living payments
East Belfast UUP MLA and Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MBE welcomes confirmation from the Chancellor that direct cost-of-living payments will extend to Northern Ireland. He calls on the Department for Communities to develop further targeted support, including a fuel poverty task force.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Allen welcomes the direct inclusion of Northern Ireland in cost-of-living payments (opens in a new tab)
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More financial support may be needed in the autumn – Aiken
UUP Finance Spokesperson Steve Aiken OBE MLA welcomes the Chancellor's £15billion cost of living support package but warns more help may be needed in the autumn. He criticises the household support fund not being available directly in Northern Ireland, calling the £14million Barnett supplementary…
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: More financial support may be needed in the autumn – Aiken (opens in a new tab)
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Northern Ireland continues to lose out from cost of living support
Alliance Finance Spokesperson Andrew Muir MLA says Northern Ireland risks losing out on UK Government cost of living measures, calling for benefits to be uprated to current inflation and urging the DUP to lift its veto so an Executive can allocate the £400 energy bill discount.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Northern Ireland continues to lose out from cost of living support (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP urges DUP to get back to work
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Original release: SDLP urges DUP to get back to work (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath calls for ambitious plan to address health waiting lists
SDLP South Down MLA Colin McGrath calls for an ambitious plan to cut health waiting lists after figures showed 358,807 people awaiting a first consultant-led outpatient appointment. He says the £46m announced by Health Minister Robin Swann will have a negligible impact and urges an Executive to be…
Health Issue: Department of Health waiting lists figures release May 2022 Original release: McGrath calls for ambitious plan to address health waiting lists (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: DUP cannot hold up support for families
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O'Toole urges the DUP to end its blockage and return to the Executive on Monday so that the British government's £400 energy bill discount and windfall tax can reach households here. He says Stormont has over £300m in its accounts and that the DUP is the only obstacle.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: O’Toole: DUP cannot hold up support for families (opens in a new tab)