Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Infrastructure and transport: remove filter
- Education: remove filter
- Environment and climate: remove filter
- Disability and equality: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
4,788 releases
-
Lyons launches consultation on ten-year Executive Disability Strategy
DUP's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launches a public consultation on the draft ten-year Executive Disability Strategy for 2025 to 2035, with commitments including a Regional Disability Forum, a review of disability legislation and an annual Disability Data compendium. The consultation runs…
Disability and equality Issue: Executive Disability Strategy 2025-2035 public consultation launch Original release: Lyons launches consultation on ten-year Executive Disability Strategy (opens in a new tab)
-
Education Minister launches a new literacy framework for Northern…
Education Minister Paul Givan has launched Strong Foundations, a new literacy framework for primary schools, unveiled at the TransformED Literacy Symposium, alongside published guidelines to help schools build a whole-school approach to literacy.
Education Issue: Strong Foundations primary school literacy framework launch Original release: Education Minister launches a new literacy framework for Northern… (opens in a new tab)
-
New strategy must mark step toward delivering real equality for those with disabilities – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew welcomes the Department for Communities' draft Disability Strategy, published as it goes out for public consultation, calling it a step toward real equality for disabled people. He urges the Communities Minister to bring forward legislative change and encourages people…
Disability and equality Issue: Executive Disability Strategy 2025-2035 public consultation launch Original release: New strategy must mark step toward delivering real equality for those with disabilities – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
-
Dolan welcomes investment in public services and workers
Sinn Féin MLA Jemma Dolan welcomes Finance Minister John O'Dowd's monitoring round allocation of £162 million for capital projects and £104 million for public sector pay awards. She says it will improve roads, public transport, housing, healthcare and education, and urges parties to work together…
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Executive monitoring round allocates £162m capital and £104m public sector pay Original release: Dolan welcomes investment in public services and workers (opens in a new tab)
-
Neurology services must be improved to support patients and restore public confidence – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan urges the Health Minister to improve neurology services ahead of an Assembly motion, citing long waiting lists and delays in diagnosis and treatment. He calls for an implementation plan for the recommendations of a 2025 neurology services report.
Health Issue: 2025 neurology services report recommendations implementation plan Original release: Neurology services must be improved to support patients and restore public confidence – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)
-
Time to move forward and build the A5 – Begley
Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley says the A5 upgrade in the north west must stay a priority ahead of an appeal against a decision to proceed with the scheme. She calls on parties and campaigners to stay united and says she hopes work can soon begin to prevent further deaths.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: A5 road upgrade appeal against decision to proceed Original release: Time to move forward and build the A5 – Begley (opens in a new tab)
-
O'Toole: Quarter of a billion unspent capital underlines staggering Executive mismanagement
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA says the £250 million underspend revealed in the December monitoring round shows Executive financial mismanagement, criticises delays on the A5, Casement Park and Royal Victoria Children’s Hospital, welcomes PSNI and public‑sector pay allocations and
Public finance and taxation Infrastructure and transport Issue: Executive monitoring round allocates £162m capital and £104m public sector pay Original release: O'Toole: Quarter of a billion unspent capital underlines staggering Executive mismanagement (opens in a new tab)
-
Executive’s “Ghost Of Christmas Present” Gift To Health workers A £31m Shortfall
UUP Finance Spokesperson Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA accuses the Executive of a chaotic budget monitoring round that leaves a £31m shortfall in the health budget, questioning earlier health pay commitments and the delay in reallocating A5 project funding.
Public finance and taxation Health Issue: Executive monitoring round allocates £162m capital and £104m public sector pay Original release: Executive’s “Ghost Of Christmas Present” Gift To Health workers A £31m Shortfall (opens in a new tab)
-
Time to end dysfunctional politics and reform Stormont to deliver for the people of NI, says Bradshaw
Alliance TEO spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA says Covid Inquiry findings show instability is built into Stormont's structures and calls for reform ahead of an Alliance motion in the Assembly urging the Secretary of State to convene an institutional reform process.
Constitutional affairs Health Issue: Covid Inquiry second report findings Original release: Time to end dysfunctional politics and reform Stormont to deliver for the people of NI, says Bradshaw (opens in a new tab)
-
Environment Agency delays holding mid Ulster back – Mallaghan
Sinn Féin MP Cathal Mallaghan says delays by the Environment Agency in responding to planning consultations are holding back economic development in mid Ulster. He says the Agriculture and Environment Minister declined his request for an urgent meeting, and calls for updates and transparency for…
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Environment Agency planning consultation backlog in mid Ulster Original release: Environment Agency delays holding mid Ulster back – Mallaghan (opens in a new tab)
-
Kearney commends community campaign to restore street lighting on Staffordstown Road
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney welcomes the Department for Infrastructure's decision to replace two removed street lights with four new ones on the Staffordstown Road in Creggan, after a petition and his representations. He credits the local school, GAA club and residents for the change.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Staffordstown Road street lighting replacement decision by Department for Infrastructure Original release: Kearney commends community campaign to restore street lighting on Staffordstown Road (opens in a new tab)
-
Education Minister announces expansion of Pre-School education…
The DUP says Education Minister Paul Givan has approved 102 more pre-school settings to move to full-time, 22.5-hour sessions from September 2026, the second cohort under the Pre-school Standardisation programme.
Education Issue: Pre-school Standardisation programme second cohort approved for September 2026 Original release: Education Minister announces expansion of Pre-School education… (opens in a new tab)
-
New support grant scheme for patients
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces a £500,000 Support While Waiting Grant Scheme, with awards of £5,000 to £30,000 for voluntary groups offering wellbeing and practical help to people on HSC waiting lists. Applications close on 30 January 2026.
Health Issue: Support While Waiting Grant Scheme launch Original release: New support grant scheme for patients (opens in a new tab)
-
Armstrong Slams Sinn Féin of ‘Fantasy Politics’ Over Tuition Fee Abolition Claims
UUP economy spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA accuses Sinn Féin of fantasy politics over claims to abolish tuition fees, saying the Economy Minister's claim to have alone kept fees low is untrue and calling for an explanation of how Magee expansion would be funded and a debate on lifting the MaSN…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Economy Minister's social media video on abolishing tuition fees Original release: Armstrong Slams Sinn Féin of ‘Fantasy Politics’ Over Tuition Fee Abolition Claims (opens in a new tab)
-
Butler Challenges DAERA Minister To Break Planning Deadlock Harming NI’s Agri-Food Sector
UUP deputy leader Robbie Butler MLA calls on the DAERA Minister to break a planning deadlock stalling farm improvements, urging adoption of a mitigation-and-betterment model like Natural England's. He also criticises the Department's reliance on the Office for Environmental Protection and a…
Agriculture and rural affairs Environment and climate Original release: Butler Challenges DAERA Minister To Break Planning Deadlock Harming NI’s Agri-Food Sector (opens in a new tab)
-
Get Protected: get your Influenza vaccine
UUP's Health Minister Mike Nesbitt urges eligible people to get flu, Covid-19 and RSV vaccinations after positive flu cases nearly doubled to 954 in a week and flu admissions rose to 264, speaking during a visit to the Ulster Hospital clinic.
Health Original release: Get Protected: get your Influenza vaccine (opens in a new tab)
-
Education Minister must listen to the public on need for reform of Religious Education, says Mathison
Alliance education spokesperson and Education Committee chair Nick Mathison MLA welcomes a study showing broad public backing for a more pluralistic Religious Education approach. He urges Education Minister to take that support into account when shaping a more inclusive curriculum.
Education Issue: Religious Education pluralistic approach public support study Original release: Education Minister must listen to the public on need for reform of Religious Education, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
-
8 o’clock Phone Lottery Must End – TUV Responds to Committee Findings on GP Service
TUV councillor Christopher Jamieson says an Assembly Committee's findings on GP services confirm primary care is in crisis, citing the 8am phone lottery and the Department of Health's lack of an FTE GP count. He calls for workforce planning and an end to contract arrangements he says waste public…
Health Issue: Assembly Committee findings on GP services and primary care Original release: 8 o’clock Phone Lottery Must End – TUV Responds to Committee Findings on GP Service (opens in a new tab)
-
Dillon welcomes progress on Legislation protecting right to breastfeed in public
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon welcomes the response to her consultation on a Bill that would give legal protection to breastfeeding in public and require businesses and service providers to make premises breastfeeding-friendly. She urges councils, businesses and public facilities to display…
Disability and equality Issue: Linda Dillon breastfeeding in public Bill consultation closure Original release: Dillon welcomes progress on Legislation protecting right to breastfeed in public (opens in a new tab)
-
Abortion figures continue to rise – Northern Ireland has now lost over 8,000 citizens
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston says abortion figures have risen every year since decriminalisation, citing 2,792 terminations in 2023/24 and over 8,000 in four years. He criticises the Health Minister and his department for not commenting on the released statistical bulletin.
Health Issue: Northern Ireland abortion statistical bulletin figures for 2023/24 Original release: Abortion figures continue to rise – Northern Ireland has now lost over 8,000 citizens (opens in a new tab)