Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Environment and climate: remove filter
- Public finance and taxation: remove filter
- Infrastructure and transport: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
4,430 releases
-
£550 million investment will be warmly welcomed by all – Boylan
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan welcomes a near £550 million package to renew and expand trains on the Belfast to Dublin Enterprise line, announced by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and backed by the Irish government and EU. He says it will benefit commuters and support retail, business and…
Infrastructure and transport Economy and employment Issue: £550 million Belfast to Dublin Enterprise rail fleet investment Original release: £550 million investment will be warmly welcomed by all – Boylan (opens in a new tab)
-
Immediate clarity needed on cost of storing and maintaining new electric buses sitting idle for years due to lack of charging infrastructure – John Brady TD
Sinn Féin TD John Brady, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, demands urgent figures on what it costs to store and maintain 110 idle double-deck electric buses, some unused for up to 900 days. He says the NTA's reply to the committee omitted these costs and calls on the Transport Minister to…
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: Idle electric buses lacking charging infrastructure, NTA storage and maintenance costs Original release: Immediate clarity needed on cost of storing and maintaining new electric buses sitting idle for years due to lack of charging infrastructure – John Brady TD (opens in a new tab)
-
Maternal Mental Health Week: Sorca Clarke TD welcomes progress in the North but slams continued delays in the South
Sinn Féin's mental health spokesperson Sorca Clarke TD welcomes progress on a Mother and Baby Unit in the North while criticising delays to a Perinatal Mother and Baby Unit in the South. She calls on the Health Minister to set a site selection deadline, a feasibility study timeline and an opening…
-
Martin: Roads crisis remains despite pothole repair claims
DUP MLA and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter Martin says roads remain at crisis point despite Department claims of 10,000 pothole repairs in two months. He says the Committee will seek clarity from the Minister on the repair rate and how the extra £40 million was spent.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Department for Infrastructure repair of over 10,000 road defects Original release: Martin: Roads crisis remains despite pothole repair claims (opens in a new tab)
-
Cuts to community and voluntary groups ‘another consequence of disastrous Brexit agenda’ – Kearney
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney says communities will bear the brunt of cuts to community and voluntary groups after the British government cut funding here, which he links to Brexit. He accuses Westminster of prioritising spending on the war economy and calls for rejoining the EU in a united Ireland.
Public finance and taxation International affairs Issue: British government cuts to community funding lost through Brexit Original release: Cuts to community and voluntary groups ‘another consequence of disastrous Brexit agenda’ – Kearney (opens in a new tab)
-
Dodds welcomes confirmation of key cancer drug use in NI
DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds welcomes Health Minister confirmation that Keytruda is already available in three Health Trusts, and urges swift rollout to the remaining two areas. She says the immunotherapy could save lives.
Health Issue: Keytruda cancer drug availability in Northern Ireland Health Trusts Original release: Dodds welcomes confirmation of key cancer drug use in NI (opens in a new tab)
-
British government must replace lost community funding – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew calls on the British government to fully replace community group funding lost due to Brexit, criticising its decision to alter funding arrangements and cut available money before an Assembly debate.
Public finance and taxation Issue: British government cuts to community funding lost through Brexit Original release: British government must replace lost community funding – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
-
New cancer drug must be available to patients here – Hazzard
Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard writes to Health Minister Mike Nesbitt demanding the immediate rollout of Keytruda, a new injectable cancer immunotherapy being introduced in England and Wales, and asks for a clear timeline for its use in Northern Ireland.
Health Issue: Keytruda cancer drug rollout in England and Wales Original release: New cancer drug must be available to patients here – Hazzard (opens in a new tab)
-
Lyons hails 17% increase in social home building
DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announces a 17% year-on-year rise in new social home starts in 2025/26, to 1,765, credited to a £210 million building programme and the largest-ever Social Housing Development Programme investment. He says more work remains and points to reviews of grant rates…
Housing Public finance and taxation Issue: Social home starts rise 17% in 2025/26 Original release: Lyons hails 17% increase in social home building (opens in a new tab)
-
O’Toole: Sinn Féin teaming up with DUP to thwart greater scrutiny at Stormont
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA accuses Sinn Féin and the DUP of voting together against SDLP amendments to the Fiscal Council Bill, which would have let the council assess Programme for Government delivery and the economic impact of Executive decisions. He says the two parties…
Public finance and taxation Infrastructure and transport Issue: Fiscal Council Bill amendments on Programme for Government scrutiny Original release: O’Toole: Sinn Féin teaming up with DUP to thwart greater scrutiny at Stormont (opens in a new tab)
-
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces changes to areas of childcare regulation
UUP's Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces he has approved changes to childcare regulation after consultation, limiting GP-countersigned health declarations to senior childcare roles and altering adult:child ratios for childminders and group day care from 1 June 2026.
Education Health Issue: Health Minister childcare regulation changes on GP declarations and adult:child ratios Original release: Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces changes to areas of childcare regulation (opens in a new tab)
-
Sinn Féin and DUP allergic to scrutiny, says Tennyson, after they block amendment to look at cost of division
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA accuses Sinn Féin and the DUP of being unwilling to face scrutiny after they voted down an amendment requiring the Fiscal Council to assess the cost of duplicated and segregated services. He says Alliance will keep pressing for transparency and a debate on…
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Fiscal Council Bill amendment on cost of division voted down Original release: Sinn Féin and DUP allergic to scrutiny, says Tennyson, after they block amendment to look at cost of division (opens in a new tab)
-
BP's Obscene Record Profits Based on War, Environmental Destruction and Poverty
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin says BP's $3.2bn first quarter profits are obscene price-gouging during the cost of living crisis, and calls for fuel and energy price caps plus significantly higher taxes on the company's profits. He also calls for nationalisation of energy companies to…
Economy and employment Environment and climate Issue: BP first-quarter 2026 profits of $3.2 billion Original release: BP's Obscene Record Profits Based on War, Environmental Destruction and Poverty (opens in a new tab)
-
Watchdog to scrutinise delivery under new legal powers proposed by SDLP Opposition
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA says the SDLP's amendments to the Fiscal Council Bill would let the watchdog assess Programme for Government delivery, economic impacts such as jobs and productivity, and the cost of duplicated public services. He calls on Executive parties to back…
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Fiscal Council Bill amendments on Programme for Government scrutiny Original release: Watchdog to scrutinise delivery under new legal powers proposed by SDLP Opposition (opens in a new tab)
-
McIlveen: Just Transition Commission is an afterthought built on a…
DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen says proposed regulations establishing a Just Transition Commission are an afterthought that do not fix flaws in Northern Ireland's climate framework, and calls for priorities of economic resilience and jobs. The DUP says it cannot support the regulations, citing concerns…
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Proposed Just Transition Commission from the Environment Minister Original release: McIlveen: Just Transition Commission is an afterthought built on a… (opens in a new tab)
-
Antrim flood protocol must be aligned with clear operational plan – Kearney
Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney, South Antrim MLA, welcomes Regional Community Resilience Group engagement with residents after flooding and calls for the refreshed flood protocol to be aligned with a clear operational plan and a named council oversight official.
Infrastructure and transport Local government Issue: Antrim flooding after Storm Chandra Regional Community Resilience Group meeting Original release: Antrim flood protocol must be aligned with clear operational plan – Kearney (opens in a new tab)
-
Budget "discomfort letter" an indictment of Executive irresponsibility: O'Toole
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole says a Permanent Secretary letter giving departments contingency authority to spend without an Executive Budget is an indictment of the Executive's failure. He argues that lower legal spending limits could tighten public service funding and accuses…
Public finance and taxation Issue: Finance Department contingency spending letter in absence of Budget Original release: Budget "discomfort letter" an indictment of Executive irresponsibility: O'Toole (opens in a new tab)
-
Minister Nesbitt highlights critical role of primary care elective services
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt praises primary care elective services after a visit to Glengormley Practice, citing £2.9million funding, over 1,450 GP vasectomies and around 3,000 gynaecology procedures. He says the model is cutting hospital waiting lists and looks forward to more elective pathways…
-
Budget impasse a scandal which risks real term cuts to public services
UUP Finance Spokesperson Steve Aiken condemns the lack of an agreed Executive budget, saying departments face real-terms cuts under interim spending limits and health services, including staff pay awards and waiting list progress, are suffering.
Public finance and taxation Health Issue: Executive failure to pass multi-year budget Original release: Budget impasse a scandal which risks real term cuts to public services (opens in a new tab)
-
Repair of thousands of road defects ‘positive news’ – Boylan
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan welcomes Department for Infrastructure crews having repaired over 10,000 road defects in eight weeks, commends workers after a difficult period of bad weather, and calls for the Executive to be properly funded.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Department for Infrastructure repair of over 10,000 road defects Original release: Repair of thousands of road defects ‘positive news’ – Boylan (opens in a new tab)