Latest releases
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3,483 releases
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McGuigan comments on latest emergency care waiting time statistics
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan says recent emergency care waiting figures point to sustained strain in emergency departments, citing only 40.2% of patients seen within four hours and a sharp rise in 12-hour waits. He urges the Health Minister to tackle hospital flow, delayed discharges and…
Health Issue: Emergency care waiting time statistics for the last three months Original release: McGuigan comments on latest emergency care waiting time statistics (opens in a new tab)
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Healthcare transformation essential to tackle alarming ED wait times, says Donnelly
Alliance spokesperson Danny Donnelly MLA calls on the Health Minister to prioritise healthcare transformation after new Department of Health figures showed a rise of over 14 per cent in patients waiting more than 12 hours in Emergency Departments.
Health Issue: Emergency care waiting time statistics for the last three months Original release: Healthcare transformation essential to tackle alarming ED wait times, says Donnelly (opens in a new tab)
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Lough Neagh fishermen must not become economic casualties of ongoing crisis – Kearney
Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney, South Antrim MLA, says Lough Neagh fishermen must not become casualties of the ecological crisis after meeting DAERA Minister Andrew Muir ahead of the eel season. He calls for a comprehensive strategy to support fishermen and secure commercial fishing's future on the…
Agriculture and rural affairs Economy and employment Issue: Lough Neagh eel fishing season 2026 uncertainty and DAERA engagement Original release: Lough Neagh fishermen must not become economic casualties of ongoing crisis – Kearney (opens in a new tab)
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Paul Givan must heed ‘significant intervention’ from education bodies over flawed SEN reforms – Sheehan
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan welcomes the Children's Law Centre and other bodies' opposition to Education Minister Paul Givan's special educational needs reforms, and calls on him to pause the process and engage with them, unions and frontline staff on a rights-based plan.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Children's Law Centre opposition to SEN reform proposals Original release: Paul Givan must heed ‘significant intervention’ from education bodies over flawed SEN reforms – Sheehan (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter: Minister must halt SEN reform
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA calls on the Education Minister to halt proposed special educational needs (SEN) reforms, citing an open letter from 14 organisations including teaching unions and warnings from the Children's Law Centre. She says the Minister has ignored…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Children's Law Centre opposition to SEN reform proposals Original release: Hunter: Minister must halt SEN reform (opens in a new tab)
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Health Minister must engage with British Medical Association – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan calls on the Health Minister to engage in meaningful dialogue with the British Medical Association to resolve a pay dispute and prevent strike action, after the BMA announced a ballot of members on industrial action.
Health Economy and employment Issue: BMA ballot of members on industrial action over pay Original release: Health Minister must engage with British Medical Association – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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Efforts to stymie growth of the Irish language will fail – McLaughlin
Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin welcomes the court’s favourable decision on Belfast City Council’s call‑in case concerning its Irish language policy, saying efforts to block the language’s growth will fail and urging Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to advance an Irish Language Strategy while
Disability and equality Local government Issue: Court ruling on Belfast City Council Irish language policy Original release: Efforts to stymie growth of the Irish language will fail – McLaughlin (opens in a new tab)
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Aontú Membership Surges After Fuel Protests
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín says the party has gained hundreds of new members and two councillors in the last two weeks, and is negotiating with seven more. He cites poll ratings and plans for candidates ahead of possible early elections, north and south.
Other Economy and employment Original release: Aontú Membership Surges After Fuel Protests (opens in a new tab)
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Biomethane strategy must be based on treating waste and by-products, not distorting the agricultural system – Murphy
Sinn Féin MLA Áine Murphy says a biomethane strategy should focus on treating waste and by‑products rather than altering the agricultural system, urging local consultation, strong planning, robust regulation and direct benefits for rural communities.
Agriculture and rural affairs Environment and climate Original release: Biomethane strategy must be based on treating waste and by-products, not distorting the agricultural system – Murphy (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Minister must listen to doctors and avert strike action
SDLP Opposition Health spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA calls on the Health Minister to urgently engage with the BMA and present a credible plan on pay and workforce, after the BMA announced a ballot of hospital doctors over a 3.5% pay uplift.
Health Economy and employment Issue: BMA ballot of members on industrial action over pay Original release: McGrath: Minister must listen to doctors and avert strike action (opens in a new tab)
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Royal College of Emergency Medicine report ‘deeply alarming’ – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan calls on the Health Minister to state whether he accepts the Royal College of Emergency Medicine report on emergency departments, its recommendations and its finding that overcrowding stems from system failure, and to set out specific actions and timescales for…
Health Issue: Royal College of Emergency Medicine report on excess deaths linked to ED waiting times Original release: Royal College of Emergency Medicine report ‘deeply alarming’ – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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Minister must rethink stance as fuel costs hit care workers - Forsythe
DUP MLA Diane Forsythe urges the Health Minister to revisit his refusal to cover travel costs for domiciliary care workers, saying rising fuel prices leave low-paid staff out of pocket and that his Assembly answer appeared to dismiss their concerns.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Health Minister's Assembly answer on domiciliary care workers' travel costs Original release: Minister must rethink stance as fuel costs hit care workers - Forsythe (opens in a new tab)
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Léiríonn Gildernew imní faoi thodhchaí mhaoiniú Thionscadal Logainmneacha
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew, Chair of the Communities Committee, calls on the Department for Communities to keep funding the Place-Name Project after a ministerial answer showed translation service funding runs only until Summer 2026.
Disability and equality Public finance and taxation Issue: Place-Name Project translation service funding ending Summer 2026 Original release: Léiríonn Gildernew imní faoi thodhchaí mhaoiniú Thionscadal Logainmneacha (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan: Death dealers must face harsher sentences
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan calls for harsher sentences for drug dealers who supply vulnerable people, ahead of an SDLP Opposition Day motion asking the Justice Minister to review sentencing frameworks. He backs the Jasmine's Law campaign on vulnerability as an aggravating factor.
Justice and policing Health Original release: Durkan: Death dealers must face harsher sentences (opens in a new tab)
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O'Toole: Absence of no fault divorce in Marriage Bill a missed opportunity
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA says the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill's omission of no-fault divorce is a missed opportunity to modernise marriage law. He asks the Finance Minister to explain why it was left out, arguing it could help tackle abuse.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill omission of no-fault divorce Original release: O'Toole: Absence of no fault divorce in Marriage Bill a missed opportunity (opens in a new tab)
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Health Minister announces new clinic and additional new dentists with £8m funding boost for dental services
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces £8m for general dental services, including six extra dental foundation training places, continued child examination funding and a new urgent dental clinic in the west of the region.
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: £8m general dental services funding boost announced by Health Minister Original release: Health Minister announces new clinic and additional new dentists with £8m funding boost for dental services (opens in a new tab)
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Allister Calls for Action on Lobular Breast Cancer Research
TUV leader Jim Allister KC MP calls on the Government to take decisive action on research funding for lobular breast cancer, urging a ring-fenced £20 million for dedicated UK-wide discovery research. He says existing competitive funding programmes have failed to deliver disease-specific…
Health Public finance and taxation Original release: Allister Calls for Action on Lobular Breast Cancer Research (opens in a new tab)
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Revise, don’t retreat Butler calls for realism on climate targets
UUP agriculture spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA urges a revision of the 2023-2027 Climate Action Plan targets rather than the DUP's proposed full withdrawal, citing energy and infrastructure failures and Stormont shutdowns. He says farmers must be central to any future plan and previews a UUP…
Environment and climate Agriculture and rural affairs Issue: DUP motion calling for withdrawal of draft Climate Action Plan 2023-2027 Original release: Revise, don’t retreat Butler calls for realism on climate targets (opens in a new tab)
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Patients losing their lives needlessly in EDs due to ‘snail’s pace health reform’, says Donnelly
Alliance Health spokesperson Danny Donnelly MLA says patients are dying needlessly in Northern Ireland's Emergency Departments due to slow health reform, citing a Royal College of Emergency Medicine report of over 1,000 excess deaths in 2025 linked to long waits. He calls on the Health Minister to…
Health Issue: Royal College of Emergency Medicine report on excess deaths linked to ED waiting times Original release: Patients losing their lives needlessly in EDs due to ‘snail’s pace health reform’, says Donnelly (opens in a new tab)
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Boylan calls for urgent action to tackle failures in autism services
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan urges urgent action to tackle persistent shortcomings in autism support, citing evidence heard by the All-Party Group for Autism from the Independent Autism Reviewer. He calls on the Department of Health to work closely with the reviewer and to prioritise the Autism…
Health Disability and equality Issue: Independent Autism Reviewer evidence to All-Party Group for Autism Original release: Boylan calls for urgent action to tackle failures in autism services (opens in a new tab)