Latest releases
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4,067 releases
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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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Swann & Stewart Lead Westminster Delegation to Protect Community Sector Funding
UUP MPs Robin Swann and MLA John Stewart say their Westminster delegation pressed ministers and MPs over the move from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to the Local Growth Fund, warning community and voluntary groups face funding gaps and urging joint action across government.
Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Shared Prosperity Fund transition to Local Growth Fund affecting NI community sector Original release: Swann & Stewart Lead Westminster Delegation to Protect Community Sector Funding (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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Buckley slams Minister over “Pothole Pandemic”
DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley says Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins gave no clear answers when summoned to the Assembly over poor road conditions, and calls for £85 million set aside for cycle paths to be redirected to road maintenance.
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: Assembly questions to Infrastructure Minister on road condition and potholes Original release: Buckley slams Minister over “Pothole Pandemic” (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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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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Allister welcomes Sinn Fein u-turn on rates
TUV leader Jim Allister welcomes the Finance Minister's decision to halt the proposed revaluation of business rates, but says the climbdown shows Stormont is detached from the real economy. He says the proposal should never have progressed and that it took a public backlash to force a change.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Northern Ireland domestic rates revaluation Original release: Allister welcomes Sinn Fein u-turn on rates (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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Stormont failing hospitality sector
TUV leader Jim Allister says Stormont is failing the hospitality sector by not easing business rates rises, contrasting it with Westminster's measures for England and Wales. He calls for urgent action and asks whether the Executive will spend the expected Barnett Consequential on the sector.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Original release: Stormont failing hospitality sector (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: U-turn welcome, but O’Dowd must explain rates fiasco
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole welcomes the pause on the rates revaluation for hospitality and small retail, but says Finance Minister John O'Dowd must explain how the proposal was approved and why businesses were left confused. He claims the policy was waved through without scrutiny.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Rates revaluation pause for hospitality and small retail businesses Original release: O’Toole: U-turn welcome, but O’Dowd must explain rates fiasco (opens in a new tab)
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O'Dowd's Reval Climbdown Exposes Sinn Féin's Tone-Deaf Approach to the Economy
UUP economy spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA says Finance Minister John O'Dowd's climbdown on the Rates Reval 2026 exposes Sinn Féin's approach to the economy, and demands he explain why he did not intervene earlier over rate rises hitting hospitality firms.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Draft Reval 2026 valuations published for hospitality sector Original release: O'Dowd's Reval Climbdown Exposes Sinn Féin's Tone-Deaf Approach to the Economy (opens in a new tab)
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Tennyson welcomes Sinn Féin U-turn on hospitality rates hike but says it highlights party's cack-handed approach to economy
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA welcomes the Minister's decision to halt the Reval 2026 rates process after a public outcry over potential hospitality rates rises, but says it exposes a muddled approach. He calls for a full independent review of business rates and proper sectoral relief.
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Northern Ireland domestic rates revaluation Original release: Tennyson welcomes Sinn Féin U-turn on hospitality rates hike but says it highlights party's cack-handed approach to economy (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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Butler Warns NI Businesses Being Squeezed from Every Angle as Business Confidence Falls
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Original release: Butler Warns NI Businesses Being Squeezed from Every Angle as Business Confidence Falls (opens in a new tab)