Latest releases
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3,450 releases
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Communities Minister should set a date for the delivery of the Irish Language Strategy – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew urges the Communities Minister to set a delivery date for the Irish Language Strategy, or failing that a clear publication timeframe, after a Communities Committee session heard from Irish language community members.
Disability and equality Issue: Communities Committee session on Irish Language Strategy delay Original release: Communities Minister should set a date for the delivery of the Irish Language Strategy – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: Executive must stop chaotic contradictions and pay healthcare workers
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA calls on the Executive to find funding for healthcare workers' overdue pay rise, after the First Minister said the money was available and the Health Minister said he still lacked £100m. He describes the situation as dysfunctional and warns of…
Health Economy and employment Issue: Executive funding of £100 million for nurses' pay uplift Original release: O’Toole: Executive must stop chaotic contradictions and pay healthcare workers (opens in a new tab)
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McGuigan praises work of Finance Minister to help deliver nurses’ pay uplift
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan welcomes Finance Minister John O'Dowd's securing of £100 million toward a nurses' pay rise, announced after an Executive meeting. He calls on the Health Minister to find the remaining funding quickly.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Executive funding of £100 million for nurses' pay uplift Original release: McGuigan praises work of Finance Minister to help deliver nurses’ pay uplift (opens in a new tab)
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Hargey condemns suspected south Belfast racist attack
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey condemns a suspected racist assault on a young woman in Botanic, south Belfast, on Wednesday night, and urges anyone who saw it to contact police. She says the woman has been discharged from hospital.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: Botanic, south Belfast suspected racist assault on young woman Original release: Hargey condemns suspected south Belfast racist attack (opens in a new tab)
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Brolly launches multi-step policy to support bereaved families of baby loss
Aontú Deputy Leader Gemma Brolly launches an All-Ireland strategy calling for a cross-border paediatric pathology and bereavement service, so bereaved families in the North no longer have babies and children sent to Liverpool for post-mortems. The plan seeks a national bereavement care standard…
Health Issue: Aontú All-Ireland paediatric pathology and bereavement policy launch Original release: Brolly launches multi-step policy to support bereaved families of baby loss (opens in a new tab)
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Any reduction in patient waiting times step in the right direction but long-term planning and investment needed to ensure progress – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, Chair of the Health Committee, welcomes reductions in waiting lists noted by the Health Minister at the NICON '25 conference, but urges more progress on red flag cancer waits and long-term investment planning.
Health Issue: Health Minister's NICON '25 remarks on reducing waiting lists Original release: Any reduction in patient waiting times step in the right direction but long-term planning and investment needed to ensure progress – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: Winter health plan confusion failing patients and staff
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA warns of a looming winter health crisis after the Health Minister's winter pressures plan remained unfinalised in mid-October, with trust-level plans still outstanding and the timeline unclear.
Health Issue: Winter Preparedness Plan publication delay Original release: O’Toole: Winter health plan confusion failing patients and staff (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter: £800m school repairs scandal exposes total failure of leadership
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA says a Public Accounts Committee report on the schools estate, chaired by SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan, shows serious shortcomings at the Department of Education and Education Authority. She calls on the Education Minister to act now on the…
Education Issue: Public Accounts Committee report on schools estate maintenance backlog Original release: Hunter: £800m school repairs scandal exposes total failure of leadership (opens in a new tab)
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Chambers welcomes progress towards pay deal for health workers but warns there’s still more to be done
Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers welcomes Executive endorsement of a Health Minister proposal to align health and social care pay with UK colleagues, but says the £208m-cost 2025/26 award is only partly funded and criticises the First Minister's press conference remarks.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Executive funding of £100 million for nurses' pay uplift Original release: Chambers welcomes progress towards pay deal for health workers but warns there’s still more to be done (opens in a new tab)
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School dilapidation result of years of systemic failure to strategically invest in education, says Mathison
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA says school dilapidation stems from years of neglect of the school estate by the education department and past ministers, who he claims avoided difficult decisions on reform. Event label applies to the dilapidation issue as a whole.
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McAllister provides cautious welcome for steps towards confirming pay awards for health workers
Alliance health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA gives a cautious welcome to Executive steps towards funding health sector pay awards, but says the Health Minister needs the resources to match the offer and deliver the award he has promoted.
Health Economy and employment Issue: Executive funding of £100 million for nurses' pay uplift Original release: McAllister provides cautious welcome for steps towards confirming pay awards for health workers (opens in a new tab)
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High Court Ruling Upholds Rule of Law Over Ideology in Education — Wilson Welcomes Judgment on Bangor Academy Case
Peter Wilson, Chairman of North Down TUV, welcomes the High Court’s ruling that the Education Minister’s refusal to convert Bangor Academy and Rathmore Primary to integrated status was lawful, saying it restores legal clarity and stresses that education policy must be based on evidence, not politics
Education Issue: High Court ruling on north Down schools' integrated transformation applications Original release: High Court Ruling Upholds Rule of Law Over Ideology in Education — Wilson Welcomes Judgment on Bangor Academy Case (opens in a new tab)
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High Court ruling brings clarity to Integrated transformation…
DUP MLA David Brooks says the High Court ruling on two north Down schools' bids to become integrated is significant, clarifying the criteria for transformation. He stresses it concerns the legal definition of integrated education and the 'reasonable numbers' test, not the schools' quality, and…
Education Issue: High Court ruling on north Down schools' integrated transformation applications Original release: High Court ruling brings clarity to Integrated transformation… (opens in a new tab)
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Givan welcomes decisive court ruling upholding lawful decision on…
DUP Education Minister Paul Givan welcomes a High Court judgment dismissing judicial review challenges to his refusals to approve integrated status for Rathmore Primary and Bangor Academy, saying the ruling confirms his decisions were lawful.
Education Issue: High Court ruling on north Down schools' integrated transformation applications Original release: Givan welcomes decisive court ruling upholding lawful decision on… (opens in a new tab)
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Chambers welcomes demonstrable progress on tackling hospital waiting lists
UUP MLA and Health Committee member Alan Chambers welcomes falling hospital waiting lists, citing recent Department of Health figures showing reductions in the longest waits for colonoscopies, hip and knee replacements and tonsillectomies. He credits the Minister's focus on longest waiters and…
Health Issue: Department of Health hospital waiting list figures showing reductions in longest waits Original release: Chambers welcomes demonstrable progress on tackling hospital waiting lists (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister not prioritising children’s rights protections, says Guy
Alliance's Michelle Guy MLA calls on the Education Minister to clarify whether the Department is backing away from commitments on restraint and seclusion in schools, after NICCY and the Children's Law Centre withdrew from its Restraint and Seclusion Task and Finish Group. She also calls for repeal…
Education Issue: NICCY and Children's Law Centre withdrawal from restraint and seclusion task and finish group Original release: Education Minister not prioritising children’s rights protections, says Guy (opens in a new tab)
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Alliance express disappointment at ruling on Bangor integrated schools legal bid
Alliance MLA Nick Mathison says he is extremely disappointed that leave was refused for a judicial review of the Department of Education's rejection of Bangor Academy and Rathmore Primary School's bids to become integrated. North Down MLA Connie Egan says the decision will cause shock and…
Education Issue: High Court ruling on north Down schools' integrated transformation applications Original release: Alliance express disappointment at ruling on Bangor integrated schools legal bid (opens in a new tab)
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Gildernew welcomes Health Minister’s commitment to visit Dungannon respite facility
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew welcomes the Health Minister's commitment to visit Woodlawn House in Dungannon after an Assembly debate he tabled on respite care. He says families have reported planned respite cancelled at short notice and calls for timely, well-planned services.
Health Disability and equality Issue: Woodlawn House Dungannon respite facility Assembly debate Original release: Gildernew welcomes Health Minister’s commitment to visit Dungannon respite facility (opens in a new tab)
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‘Tackling child poverty must be a priority for all parties’ – Baker
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker says parties must work together on child poverty and calls on the DUP Communities Minister to strengthen the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy after its consultation closed. He also promotes his planned legislation placing a legal duty on education bodies to make holiday…
Social security and welfare Education Issue: Assembly motion on child poverty and draft Anti-Poverty Strategy Original release: ‘Tackling child poverty must be a priority for all parties’ – Baker (opens in a new tab)
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Job of Assembly to grasp opportunities to improve people’s lives – Kearney
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney welcomes the Executive's 2025–26 Legislation Programme, backing the Racial Equality Bill and the 'Good Jobs' Employment Rights Bill, which he says will protect vulnerable workers and be introduced by Minister Caoimhe Archibald next year.
Economy and employment Disability and equality Issue: Executive 2025–26 Legislation Programme and 'Good Jobs' Employment Rights Bill Original release: Job of Assembly to grasp opportunities to improve people’s lives – Kearney (opens in a new tab)