Latest releases
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2,846 releases
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McLaughlin: Index showing Belfast and Derry among worst places to live highlights need for Regional Balance Bill
SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin cites a UK Better Lives Index ranking Belfast and Derry poorly and says she is seeking to introduce a Regional Balance Bill to ensure every part of Northern Ireland gets fair investment and opportunity.
Disability and equality Issue: UK Better Lives Index ranking of Belfast and Derry Original release: McLaughlin: Index showing Belfast and Derry among worst places to live highlights need for Regional Balance Bill (opens in a new tab)
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Removal of Department for Communities trilingual logo a ‘backwards step for equality’ – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew, chair of the Communities Committee, criticises Communities Minister Gordon Lyons for dropping the trilingual Irish and Ulster-Scots logo from official paperwork, calling it a retrograde move on inclusion and equality and saying attempts to roll back rights will fail.
Disability and equality Issue: Communities Department trilingual logo removal under new ministerial guidelines Original release: Removal of Department for Communities trilingual logo a ‘backwards step for equality’ – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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Ireland Against Racism Carnival
People Before Profit urges support for the Ireland Against Racism Carnival, a demonstration on 27 September, noting more than 70 backing organisations including the trade union congress. It condemns rising racism and a recent attack in Tallaght, and calls for unity against far-right scapegoating…
Disability and equality Immigration Original release: Ireland Against Racism Carnival (opens in a new tab)
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Northern Ireland must invest properly in palliative care - Dodds
DUP MLA Diane Dodds says Northern Ireland must invest properly in end-of-life services instead of relying on fundraising, and calls for a statutory obligation on commissioning of palliative beds with funding matched to need. She also urges the government to prioritise palliative care over assisted…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill House of Lords debate Original release: Northern Ireland must invest properly in palliative care - Dodds (opens in a new tab)
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TUV welcomes comments in Grand Central case and challenges DUP approach to Irish going forward
TUV leader Jim Allister KC MP welcomes a judge's comments in the Grand Central case, saying the decision required Executive agreement, and calls on the DUP to block Irish language signage there and any Irish Language Commissioner proposal to impose signs.
Disability and equality Constitutional affairs Issue: Grand Central Irish language signage court case comments Original release: TUV welcomes comments in Grand Central case and challenges DUP approach to Irish going forward (opens in a new tab)
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O'Hanlon demands urgent clarity on future of Middletown Centre for Autism
SDLP Councillor Thomas O'Hanlon has written to Education Ministers Paul Givan and Helen McEntee seeking urgent answers after staff at the Middletown Centre for Autism were told to work from home indefinitely. He asks whether the Ministers knew in advance and demands assurances that the centre will…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Middletown Centre for Autism staff instructed to work from home Original release: O'Hanlon demands urgent clarity on future of Middletown Centre for Autism (opens in a new tab)
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World Suicide Prevention Day highlights urgent need for action – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn urges the public to respond to the consultation on her proposed Suicide Prevention Training Bill, which would require public bodies to train frontline staff in suicide prevention. The consultation closes on 17 September 2025.
Health Issue: Suicide Prevention Training Bill public consultation Original release: World Suicide Prevention Day highlights urgent need for action – Flynn (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister must Guarantee One-to-One Support for SEN Pupils
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll says the Executive keeps failing SEN pupils and their families, accusing Education Minister Paul Givan of warm words without action on school places, transport and classroom assistant support. He calls for guaranteed support for every pupil.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Debate on the crisis in special educational needs provision Original release: Education Minister must Guarantee One-to-One Support for SEN Pupils (opens in a new tab)
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Time for Education Minister to prioritise children with special educational needs – Baker
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker calls on the Education Minister to make children with special educational needs a priority for his department, following a cross-party Assembly motion on the SEN system crisis. He says the minister and Education Authority are failing these children and urges action…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Assembly motion on special educational needs system crisis Original release: Time for Education Minister to prioritise children with special educational needs – Baker (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister should have awaited guidance from Equality Commission – Sheehan
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan says the Education Minister should have waited for Equality Commission guidance on the UK Supreme Court ruling rather than acting unilaterally, and calls for decisions affecting vulnerable children to await the Commission's advice.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister decision following UK Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces Original release: Education Minister should have awaited guidance from Equality Commission – Sheehan (opens in a new tab)
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Mary Lou McDonald TD addresses Sinn Féin Dáil think-in
Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald calls for three €450 energy credits to be included in the upcoming 2025 Budget, condemns the government’s cost‑of‑living policies and urges action on rising prices, housing and childcare to protect ordinary households.
Economy and employment Health Issue: 2025 Irish Budget Original release: Mary Lou McDonald TD addresses Sinn Féin Dáil think-in (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister's culture war distraction disgraceful, says Guy
Alliance Education spokesperson Michelle Guy MLA calls the Education Minister's withdrawal of guidance for teachers on transgender pupils a disgraceful distraction from failures on SEN provision. She says the timing diverts attention from SEN issues and criticises the tone of the accompanying…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister decision following UK Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces Original release: Education Minister's culture war distraction disgraceful, says Guy (opens in a new tab)
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‘We must do all that we can to end the scourge of violence against women, girls and children – Murphy
Justice and policing Disability and equality Original release: ‘We must do all that we can to end the scourge of violence against women, girls and children – Murphy (opens in a new tab)
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Sinn Féin to raise sectarian and racist incidents in North Belfast in Assembly
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín says she will raise sectarian and racist incidents in North Belfast in the Assembly when it returns, after families in Lower Oldpark were attacked in their homes. She calls on all parties to jointly condemn the attacks and support the victims.
Community relations and legacy Justice and policing Issue: UDA intimidation of Catholic families in Oldpark, North Belfast Original release: Sinn Féin to raise sectarian and racist incidents in North Belfast in Assembly (opens in a new tab)
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Shameful that SEN children remain without appropriate school placement, says Guy, ahead of Assembly motion
Alliance Education spokesperson Michelle Guy MLA says it is shameful that children with special educational needs still lack an appropriate school placement, ahead of an Assembly motion calling on the Education Minister to clarify how many children are affected and set timescales for the SEN…
Education Disability and equality Original release: Shameful that SEN children remain without appropriate school placement, says Guy, ahead of Assembly motion (opens in a new tab)
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Efforts to divide communities will fail, we all must stand against racism – Hughes
Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes says equality and solidarity will defeat current efforts to stoke division, responding to fresh attempts by small groups to turn people against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. He cites migrant workers' role in stabilising services at Daisy Hill Hospital and blames…
Immigration Health Original release: Efforts to divide communities will fail, we all must stand against racism – Hughes (opens in a new tab)
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Dillon raises issue of firearms licensing at Policing Board
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon raised firearms licensing at the Policing Board, asking what powers police have to remove guns from people accused of domestic abuse. She says police confirmed they can seize all firearms in a household where abuse is alleged, and urges anyone aware of such cases to…
Justice and policing Disability and equality Original release: Dillon raises issue of firearms licensing at Policing Board (opens in a new tab)
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Racist attacks on Trust employees are “deplorable” – Cullen
Sinn Féin MP Pat Cullen condemns recent racist attacks on Western Trust employees as unacceptable and calls for them to be dealt with through the courts, stressing that everyone has a right to feel safe at work.
Disability and equality Health Issue: Racist attacks on Western Trust employees Original release: Racist attacks on Trust employees are “deplorable” – Cullen (opens in a new tab)
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Why Has Dr Hilary Cass Been Brought in After Minister Nesbitt Has Already Made His Decision?
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston questions why Baroness Hilary Cass was brought in to assess Northern Ireland's gender identity services after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt had already allocated £806,000 for expansion. He calls on the Minister to explain the sequence and whether her review can shape policy…
Health Public finance and taxation Issue: Baroness Cass review of Northern Ireland gender identity services Original release: Why Has Dr Hilary Cass Been Brought in After Minister Nesbitt Has Already Made His Decision? (opens in a new tab)
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"We do not need another review, we need healthcare" - Ash Jones
Green Party representative Ash Jones calls the Health Minister's decision to commission Hilary Cass to review local Gender Identity Services a betrayal of trans patients. Jones says the review is unnecessary given recent local reviews, criticises the Cass Review's use for puberty blocker…
Health Disability and equality Issue: Baroness Cass review of Northern Ireland gender identity services Original release: "We do not need another review, we need healthcare" - Ash Jones (opens in a new tab)