Latest releases
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2,765 releases
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MLAs Pocket Pay Rises While Workers Wait
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll condemns proposed further MLA pay rise after their 27% increase, contrasting it with public sector workers still awaiting pay awards and the Executive's lack of budget. He says Executive parties cannot blame the Remuneration Board and urges MLAs to refuse the…
Economy and employment Health Issue: Proposed further MLA pay rise from Remuneration Board Original release: MLAs Pocket Pay Rises While Workers Wait (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 3 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Queen’s report highlights again the damaging impact of academic selection – Sheehan
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan says a new Queen's University Belfast report shows academic selection harms children and the education system, and blames successive DUP Education Ministers for ignoring the evidence. He calls for a fairer post-primary transfer system.
Education Issue: Queen's University Belfast report on academic selection and post-primary transfer Original release: Queen’s report highlights again the damaging impact of academic selection – Sheehan (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Taoiseach Refuses To Seek Clarity From Burnham on Mechanism for Unity Referendum – Tóibín
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD urges the Taoiseach to press Andy Burnham for clarity on how an Irish unity referendum would be triggered, and argues that all-island health planning would give better services at lower cost.
Constitutional affairs Health Issue: Taoiseach's refusal to raise unity referendum mechanism with Burnham Original release: Taoiseach Refuses To Seek Clarity From Burnham on Mechanism for Unity Referendum – Tóibín (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Aiken warns of long and frustrating winter as EU-UK reset delayed again
UUP Windsor Framework spokesperson Dr Steve Aiken MLA warns that repeated delays to EU-UK reset talks, with the timetable slipping from July to October and now late November, leave agribusiness and manufacturing firms without needed certainty.
Education Economy and employment Issue: EU-UK reset talks timetable delayed again to late November Original release: Aiken warns of long and frustrating winter as EU-UK reset delayed again (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Brain drain and vocational pathways matter more than the transfer test row, says Burrows
UUP Leader Jon Burrows MLA calls for the education debate to shift from the transfer test to tackling brain drain and creating properly funded vocational pathways into apprenticeships, while defending parents' right to choose a child's school.
Education Economy and employment Original release: Brain drain and vocational pathways matter more than the transfer test row, says Burrows (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood demands equitable access to new breast cancer treatment for patients in Northern Ireland
Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood calls for equitable access to Enhertu, a life-extending breast cancer drug now available on the NHS in England, for patients in Northern Ireland. She has written to Health Minister Robbie Butler seeking an urgent timetable for its availability locally.
Health Disability and equality Issue: Enhertu breast cancer drug availability in Northern Ireland Original release: Eastwood demands equitable access to new breast cancer treatment for patients in Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Allister calls on minister to bridge the gaps in dental provision
TUV leader Jim Allister calls on health minister Robbie Butler to fund dental hygienist training in Northern Ireland and to create an NHS contract for hygienists, arguing it would save money long term. He also highlights a claimed gap in hygienist numbers compared with England and says the…
Health Issue: Northern Ireland dental hygienist training courses and NHS contract Original release: Allister calls on minister to bridge the gaps in dental provision (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Executive needs fair and sustainable funding settlement – Hargey
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey says Executive budget pressures stem from the British Government's failure to provide a fair, sustainable funding settlement for the North, citing Independent Fiscal Council evidence that it would receive £1-3 billion more a year if funded above need.
Public finance and taxation Health Issue: Independent Fiscal Council report on Northern Ireland funding need Original release: Executive needs fair and sustainable funding settlement – Hargey (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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O'Neill: Girls Themselves Won U-Turn on Right to Wear Trousers Through Relentless Efforts
People Before Profit's Maeve O'Neill welcomes the decision to let girls wear trousers in school, crediting girls who campaigned for years and criticising Education Minister Paul Givan's U-turn as embarrassing. She calls for the uniform legislation to be challenged and for RSE and menstrual health…
Disability and equality Education Issue: Education Minister Givan's school trousers guidance for girls Original release: O'Neill: Girls Themselves Won U-Turn on Right to Wear Trousers Through Relentless Efforts (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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DUP welcomes defeat of Assisted Suicide Bill
DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart welcomes the Commons defeat of the Assisted Suicide Bill, saying Parliament chose protecting vulnerable people and calling for improved hospice and palliative care for everyone facing terminal illness.
Health Issue: Commons defeat of the Assisted Suicide Bill Original release: DUP welcomes defeat of Assisted Suicide Bill (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 20 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister’s u-turn an important win for girls – Mason
Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason welcomes DUP Education Minister Paul Givan's decision to make schools give girls the option of trousers, calling it an embarrassing U-turn that followed party and campaigner pressure. She says he should have guaranteed this in his school uniforms legislation.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister Givan's school trousers guidance for girls Original release: Education Minister’s u-turn an important win for girls – Mason (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter: Givan’s school trousers U-turn should have come months ago
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA welcomes the Education Minister’s move to permit girls to wear trousers in school uniform, calling the U‑turn overdue, demanding an explanation for the delay and urging consistent rollout across all schools.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister Givan's school trousers guidance for girls Original release: Hunter: Givan’s school trousers U-turn should have come months ago (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Minister's change of heart delivers common sense choice for girls, says Burrows
UUP leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA welcomes new guidance giving girls the option to wear trousers as part of school uniform, calling it a common-sense outcome. He says the Education Minister should have acted earlier through uniform guidance rather than forcing the Education…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister Givan's school trousers guidance for girls Original release: Minister's change of heart delivers common sense choice for girls, says Burrows (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Mathison welcomes Education Minister's U-Turn on girls wearing trousers to school
Alliance Education spokesperson and Education Committee Chair Nick Mathison MLA welcomes the Education Minister's updated legal guidelines on girls' right to wear trousers as school uniform, describing it as a U-turn on an earlier decision.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister Givan's school trousers guidance for girls Original release: Mathison welcomes Education Minister's U-Turn on girls wearing trousers to school (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 12 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Dillon raises issue of low pay for care workers directly with Health Minister
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon says she has pressed the Health Minister for assurances that firms delivering publicly funded social care meet their duties to staff and pay them fairly. She also seeks an update on the promised Real Living Wage for independent sector social care workers.
Economy and employment Health Original release: Dillon raises issue of low pay for care workers directly with Health Minister (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Dillon raises serious concerns over infant mortality with Health Minister
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon says she has raised with the Health Minister new figures showing Northern Ireland has the highest infant mortality rate, asking what action is being taken and how inequalities between deprived and affluent areas will be tackled.
Health Disability and equality Issue: New infant mortality figures showing Northern Ireland highest rate Original release: Dillon raises serious concerns over infant mortality with Health Minister (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Organisations working on suicide prevention need greater support – Flynn
Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn, Chair of the All-Party Group on Suicide Prevention, calls for secure, sustainable core funding for community suicide prevention organisations and cross-departmental government action, ahead of the APG Inquiry report launch on 22 September.
Health Original release: Organisations working on suicide prevention need greater support – Flynn (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Allister slams delay in Ballymena GP practice scheme
TUV MP Jim Allister expresses disappointment that multi-disciplinary teams for primary care in Ballymena will not begin until 2029, while other areas get the scheme sooner, and urges decision makers to reconsider the timeline.
Health Issue: Ballymena primary care multi-disciplinary teams delayed until 2029 Original release: Allister slams delay in Ballymena GP practice scheme (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Hughes encourages support for Sherry family cancer services petition
Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes urges people to sign a petition launched by the family of Catherine Sherry, who died in 2024, seeking all-Ireland access to CAR-T cell therapy. He says the treatment is unavailable in the north until the early 2030s and that he has raised the issue with health ministers…
Health Issue: Sherry family CAR-T cell therapy cancer services petition Original release: Hughes encourages support for Sherry family cancer services petition (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Neurology families deserve accountability and demonstrable change – McGuigan
Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Philip McGuigan MLA says the RQIA Neurology Deceased Patients Review findings are deeply concerning and calls on the Health Minister and Department to set out action, responsibility and evidence of change across all Trusts.
Health Issue: RQIA Neurology Deceased Patients Review findings Original release: Neurology families deserve accountability and demonstrable change – McGuigan (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 17 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)