Latest releases
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2,932 releases
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Lyons launches Warm Healthy Homes Strategy for Northern Ireland
DUP's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launches the Warm Healthy Homes Strategy 2026-2036 to tackle fuel poverty, saying it has Executive backing and will be paired with a £150million Warm Healthy Homes Fund next year.
Social security and welfare Housing Original release: Lyons launches Warm Healthy Homes Strategy for Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)
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Allen welcomes additional disability adaptation funding
UUP MLA Andy Allen welcomes the £6.5 million allocated to the Department for Communities for disability home adaptations. He calls for better support and oversight so adaptations meet specification, and urges the Minister to create a dedicated fund for accessibility in public and community…
Disability and equality Housing Issue: £6.5 million Department for Communities disability adaptations funding Original release: Allen welcomes additional disability adaptation funding (opens in a new tab)
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New plan must support those struggling with rising energy costs – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew welcomes the publication of the Executive's Fuel Poverty Strategy, which aims to support low-income households, those facing high energy costs and pensioners. He calls on the minister to finalise and strengthen the plan to tackle poverty.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: Publication of the Fuel Poverty Strategy Original release: New plan must support those struggling with rising energy costs – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Delays show health system still under severe strain - Dodds
DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds says recent figures on ambulance handover delays and emergency department waits show Northern Ireland's health system is under intense pressure, citing handovers over 16 hours and median admitted-patient waits of 13 hours 36 minutes. She has requested further…
Health Original release: Delays show health system still under severe strain - Dodds (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter questions failure to record attendance information about children with SEN
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA questions the Department of Education's failure to record data on children with special educational needs placed on reduced school timetables. She says she will raise it with the Education Minister and press for clear data collection processes.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Department of Education no data on SEN reduced timetables Original release: Hunter questions failure to record attendance information about children with SEN (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Slow progress cannot hide a broken system
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath says marginal gains in the latest emergency care waiting figures do not reflect conditions at the Ulster Hospital, where he claims patients face delays of up to 15 hours. He calls on the Health Minister to stop managing the message and take urgent…
Health Issue: Latest Department of Health emergency care waiting time statistics Original release: McGrath: Slow progress cannot hide a broken system (opens in a new tab)
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Lockhart: Stark Cancer Statistics Expose Unacceptable Delays
DUP MP Carla Lockhart warns that new Radiotherapy UK figures showing only 30.1% of Northern Ireland cancer patients treated on time expose chronic delays. She calls for free travel support for patients, ring-fenced Barnett consequentials for cancer care, and a response from the Health Minister.
Health Issue: Radiotherapy UK cancer treatment timeliness figures for Northern Ireland Original release: Lockhart: Stark Cancer Statistics Expose Unacceptable Delays (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna backs removal of two-child welfare cap
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomes Commons progress on a Bill to scrap the Universal Credit two-child limit, arguing it has pushed children into poverty and could benefit over 50,000 households in Northern Ireland.
Social security and welfare Issue: Removal of the two-child welfare cap Original release: Hanna backs removal of two-child welfare cap (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan: Executive Working Group on Suicide Prevention met only once in two years
SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA says the Executive is failing on suicide prevention after confirmation that its mental wellbeing working group has met just once in two years. He points to funding cuts to mental health and suicide prevention strategies, a 31% rise in…
Health Issue: Executive suicide prevention working group meeting frequency confirmed Original release: Durkan: Executive Working Group on Suicide Prevention met only once in two years (opens in a new tab)
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Minimum unit alcohol pricing would help to save lives and reduce harm – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, chair of the Health Committee, welcomes the committee's decision to write to the Executive backing the Health Minister's minimum unit pricing legislation for alcohol. He argues it would reduce harm and urges all parties to progress the law this mandate.
Health Issue: Health Committee briefing on minimum unit pricing for alcohol Original release: Minimum unit alcohol pricing would help to save lives and reduce harm – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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McDaid: Executive must prioritise free school meals
SDLP Councillor Catherine McDaid says the Executive must prioritise universal free school meals across the North, after a Derry City and Strabane council motion she brought forward will see the council write to the Education Minister seeking a funded plan by 2030.
Education Local government Issue: Derry City and Strabane council motion on universal free school meals Original release: McDaid: Executive must prioritise free school meals (opens in a new tab)
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Gynaecological and menopause waiting times ‘completely unacceptable’ – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn calls for action on gynaecology and menopause waiting times, citing a BBC report that almost 60,000 women are on gynaecology waiting lists in the north. She urges the Health Minister to work with his southern counterpart and says the forthcoming women's health action…
Health Disability and equality Original release: Gynaecological and menopause waiting times ‘completely unacceptable’ – Flynn (opens in a new tab)
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Maskey expresses support for WASPI campaign
Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey expresses support for the WASPI campaign after the British government rejected compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age. He says the decision denies women born in the 1950s what they are owed.
Social security and welfare Disability and equality Issue: British government rejects WASPI state pension compensation Original release: Maskey expresses support for WASPI campaign (opens in a new tab)
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Gaston challenges deputy First Minister on Irish Language Commissioner
TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston says the commencement order bringing the Irish Language Commissioner's powers into force is the DUP's surrender on Irish language demands, and calls on the deputy First Minister to ensure Pol Deeds stays within his legal powers, including over the Grand Central…
Disability and equality Constitutional affairs Issue: Commencement order bringing Irish Language Commissioner powers into force Original release: Gaston challenges deputy First Minister on Irish Language Commissioner (opens in a new tab)
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Families continue to be failed by lack of respite provision, says McAllister
Alliance health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA says families are being failed by a lack of respite care after the Department of Health confirmed Lindsay House in the South Eastern Trust cannot reopen with no timeframe. She has tabled an urgent oral question for the Health Minister.
Health Disability and equality Issue: Lindsay House respite facility reopening delay confirmed Original release: Families continue to be failed by lack of respite provision, says McAllister (opens in a new tab)
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Sheerin welcomes European Commission investigation into X
Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin welcomes the European Commission's decision to investigate X over its Grok AI tool, which was misused to generate sexualised deepfake imagery. She calls on social media firms to stop enabling the digital undressing of women and children and says parties at Stormont have…
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: European Commission investigation into X over Grok AI images Original release: Sheerin welcomes European Commission investigation into X (opens in a new tab)
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Presentations from Foras na Gaeilge and Turas show huge interest in Irish language across Ireland – Senator Conor Murphy
Sinn Féin's Senator Conor Murphy says Oireachtas committee presentations by Foras na Gaeilge and Turas show growing interest in Irish, but claims statutory funding is failing the sector and Good Friday Agreement commitments on language have not been honoured. He also calls on the Irish Government…
Disability and equality Education Issue: Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee Irish language presentations from Foras na Gaeilge and Turas Original release: Presentations from Foras na Gaeilge and Turas show huge interest in Irish language across Ireland – Senator Conor Murphy (opens in a new tab)
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More work remains to tackle ‘unacceptably long’ health waiting lists – McGuigan
Sinn Féin health spokesperson Philip McGuigan MLA welcomes the Department of Health exceeding the Executive's 70,000 elective care waiting list target, while saying waiting lists remain far too long. He calls for sustainable solutions, including workforce planning and expanding public sector…
Health Issue: Health Minister update on elective care waiting lists and capacity Original release: More work remains to tackle ‘unacceptably long’ health waiting lists – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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Holocaust Memorial Day
TUV leader Jim Allister MP says he signed a Holocaust commemoration pledge book on Holocaust Memorial Day and calls for antisemitism to be confronted wherever it appears, with action matching remembrance.
Disability and equality Original release: Holocaust Memorial Day (opens in a new tab)
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Good healthcare provision key to economic prosperity - Dodds
DUP Health Spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA, speaking for Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Deborah Erskine, says Fermanagh businesses are concerned about uncertainty over the South West Acute Hospital's future and access to community healthcare. She calls for the Trust's vision for the hospital to focus…
Health Economy and employment Original release: Good healthcare provision key to economic prosperity - Dodds (opens in a new tab)