Latest releases
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4,447 releases
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Sinn Fein play politics with SEN support – Martin
DUP MLA Peter Martin accuses Sinn Fein of using an Assembly debate on SEN summer provision to make a personal attack on Education Minister Paul Givan. He says the party is blocking SEN capital investment by delaying a paper from reaching the Executive.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Assembly debate on SEN summer provision and draft budget cuts Original release: Sinn Fein play politics with SEN support – Martin (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Executive used SEN children as political pawns
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA says the Executive used SEN children as political pawns in a row over special school summer schemes, which were reinstated after a U-turn. He questions why the issue was not escalated to the Executive and calls the handling unnecessary distress…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: McGrath: Executive used SEN children as political pawns (opens in a new tab)
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Barr welcomes Council Motion on women’s health and praises Minister Nesbitt’s clear action plan for Gynaecology services
UUP Councillor Alan Barr welcomes Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's motion on women's health after Endometriosis Awareness Month and praises Health Minister Mike Nesbitt's £3.5 million ring-fenced gynaecology plan, with targets of a 40% waiting list cut by March 2027.
Health Local government Issue: Mid and East Antrim Council women's health motion on gynaecology waiting lists Original release: Barr welcomes Council Motion on women’s health and praises Minister Nesbitt’s clear action plan for Gynaecology services (opens in a new tab)
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Ministers must answer for SEN summer scheme debacle, says Guy
Alliance's Michelle Guy MLA says the Education and Health Ministers must answer for briefly halting special educational needs summer schemes, then reversing the decision a day later. She calls for an Assembly recall motion tomorrow and demands an apology to families.
Education Disability and equality Issue: SEN summer schemes cancellation and reversal by Education and Health Ministers Original release: Ministers must answer for SEN summer scheme debacle, says Guy (opens in a new tab)
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Ministers must provide transparency over ‘shambolic handling’ of SEN summer schemes – Mason
Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason calls on the Education Minister to give guarantees at Tuesday's Assembly recall that the cancellation of special school summer schemes will not recur, and demands full transparency over who made the decision and why.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Ministers must provide transparency over ‘shambolic handling’ of SEN summer schemes – Mason (opens in a new tab)
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Carroll Slams Special School Summer Scheme Fiasco
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll welcomes the reversal of a decision on special school summer schemes but says the fiasco should never have happened. He calls for those who made the original cancellation decision to be identified and says families of children with additional needs were…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Carroll Slams Special School Summer Scheme Fiasco (opens in a new tab)
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Immediate Investigation into the Cancellation of SEN Summer Schemes
Aontú calls for an urgent, transparent and independent investigation into the Education Authority's decision to cancel SEN Summer Schemes, announced on 26 March and reversed the next day. It welcomes the reinstatement but demands accountability and safeguards against a repeat.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Immediate Investigation into the Cancellation of SEN Summer Schemes (opens in a new tab)
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U-turn on SEN summer schemes welcome but cancellation should have never happened – Baker
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker welcomes the reversal of a decision to cancel special educational needs summer schemes, which will now go ahead. He says the cancellation should never have happened and will seek answers from the Education and Health Ministers on who made the decision, why, and a…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: U-turn on SEN summer schemes welcome but cancellation should have never happened – Baker (opens in a new tab)
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Decision to protect female sport welcome — and a wake-up call to local politicians
TUV equality spokeswoman Ann McClure welcomes a move to tighten protection for women's categories in Olympic sport, but says local politicians should take note of funding for violence-against-women schemes going to groups that include men. She claims TUV exposed this and criticises the Executive…
Disability and equality Public finance and taxation Issue: Olympic participation rules decision on women's category eligibility Original release: Decision to protect female sport welcome — and a wake-up call to local politicians (opens in a new tab)
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5,500 Children with Special Needs Abandoned by a Dysfunctional Executive
People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll condemns the cancellation of summer schemes for more than 5,500 children with special educational needs, blaming the Executive's failure and urging families and education workers to mobilise against the decision.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: 5,500 Children with Special Needs Abandoned by a Dysfunctional Executive (opens in a new tab)
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TUV backs Assembly recall on SEN summer school cancellation
Education Disability and equality Original release: TUV backs Assembly recall on SEN summer school cancellation (opens in a new tab)
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Sinn Féin supports Assembly recall to address removal of SEN summer schemes – Mason
South Down MLA Cathy Mason says Sinn Féin will back Alliance's petition to recall the Assembly over the cancelled SEN summer schemes. She urges Education and Health Ministers to resolve the issue quickly, calling the decision deplorable and criticising the DUP and UUP ministers' blame exchange.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Sinn Féin supports Assembly recall to address removal of SEN summer schemes – Mason (opens in a new tab)
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McGrath: Ministers must work together to deliver special school summer schemes
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA calls on the Health and Education Ministers to cooperate and restore the cancelled special school summer schemes, urging the Executive to provide nursing support and reverse the decision.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: McGrath: Ministers must work together to deliver special school summer schemes (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter: Special school summer schemes underlines Executive dysfunction
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA welcomes certainty that special school summer schemes will go ahead after the Education Authority confirmed Department of Health nursing and clinical support. She says the episode underlines Executive dysfunction and needless distress for…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Hunter: Special school summer schemes underlines Executive dysfunction (opens in a new tab)
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Burrows welcomes confirmation that Special School summer schemes will go ahead
UUP leader and Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA welcomes confirmation from the Health and Education Ministers that summer schemes at special schools will proceed. He calls for a full review of the Education Authority's workforce and training, and says he has written to the Education Minister…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Burrows welcomes confirmation that Special School summer schemes will go ahead (opens in a new tab)
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Alliance in bid to recall Assembly over cancellation of special school summer schemes
Alliance's Eóin Tennyson, Deputy Leader, says his party has submitted a petition to recall the Assembly over the Education Authority's decision to cancel summer schemes at special schools. He calls on the Education and Health Ministers to return and set out how they will fix the problem.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Alliance in bid to recall Assembly over cancellation of special school summer schemes (opens in a new tab)
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Ministers' U-turn following Alliance’s Assembly recall to save SEN summer schemes
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA welcomes the Education Authority's confirmation that special educational needs summer schemes will go ahead this year, but says Education and Health Ministers handled the situation inadequately. He says it should have been resolved earlier and vows to keep…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Ministers' U-turn following Alliance’s Assembly recall to save SEN summer schemes (opens in a new tab)
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Irish government must end geo-blocking – Hazzard
Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard urges Dublin to end RTÉ's blocking of its content for viewers in the north, citing the national team's international match, and says a Sinn Féin Dáil bill would secure all-island broadcast access.
Constitutional affairs Original release: Irish government must end geo-blocking – Hazzard (opens in a new tab)
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Ireland v Czechia: Government must act to end the blocking of audiences in the North – Pearse Doherty TD
Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD challenges Tánaiste Simon Harris to end geo-blocking of RTÉ content for viewers in the North, ahead of Ireland's match against Czechia. He cites his party's Broadcasting (All Ireland Service) Bill 2025 as a way to overcome licensing barriers.
Constitutional affairs Issue: RTÉ geo-blocking of Ireland v Czechia match in the North Original release: Ireland v Czechia: Government must act to end the blocking of audiences in the North – Pearse Doherty TD (opens in a new tab)
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Vulnerable Children Left in the Lurch as Stormont Pulls Summer Schemes
TUV Ballymena Councillor Matthew Armstrong condemns the withdrawal of Education Authority support for all special schools' summer schemes, calling the timing unacceptable and blaming Stormont for leaving vulnerable children without provision.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Failure to provide special school summer programmes Original release: Vulnerable Children Left in the Lurch as Stormont Pulls Summer Schemes (opens in a new tab)