Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Public finance and taxation: remove filter
- Disability and equality: remove filter
- Health: remove filter
4,067 releases
-
Honeyford calls for immediate cut to fuel duty as diesel prices rise in NI
Alliance Economy spokesperson David Honeyford MLA urges the UK Government to cut fuel duty temporarily and reduce VAT on road fuel as diesel nears £2 a litre at some local filling stations. He also calls for tighter regulation and consumer protection in the home heating oil market.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Diesel price rises across Northern Ireland forecourts September 2026 Original release: Honeyford calls for immediate cut to fuel duty as diesel prices rise in NI (opens in a new tab)
-
Political inaction allowed collapse of maternity services at Daisy Hill, says McAllister
Alliance Health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA says political inaction has allowed maternity services at Daisy Hill to collapse, blaming long-term workforce planning failures, training places and pay. She calls on a Health Minister to act on the Renfrew Maternity Review recommendations…
Health Issue: Daisy Hill Hospital maternity services crisis and possible relocation to Craigavon Original release: Political inaction allowed collapse of maternity services at Daisy Hill, says McAllister (opens in a new tab)
-
Health Minister must confirm when he will deliver Real Living Wage for care workers
Sinn Féin's social care spokesperson Linda Dillon MLA says rising fuel costs are squeezing care workers who drive to clients, and has asked the Health Minister to confirm when the Real Living Wage will be delivered for them and what steps will ease travel costs.
Health Economy and employment Original release: Health Minister must confirm when he will deliver Real Living Wage for care workers (opens in a new tab)
-
Hanna urges PM and Taoiseach to seize opportunity for progress
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP urges the Prime Minister and Taoiseach to refocus the British Irish relationship ahead of their meeting, prepare for constitutional change, and act on Stormont institutional reform and the Executive's budget impasse.
Constitutional affairs Public finance and taxation Issue: Prime Minister and Taoiseach meeting on British Irish relationship Original release: Hanna urges PM and Taoiseach to seize opportunity for progress (opens in a new tab)
-
Armstrong: Nearly £1 million spent on mothballed Careers Portal
UUP Deputy Leader Diana Armstrong MLA says the Department for the Economy has spent about £889,000 on the paused Careers Portal Project, with nothing delivered, and demands the Minister state whether it will continue or close and show what benefits the spending has produced.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Careers Portal Project spending revealed in Assembly question response Original release: Armstrong: Nearly £1 million spent on mothballed Careers Portal (opens in a new tab)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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)
-
Armstrong backs UFU call for a Budget to Back Farming
UUP Agriculture Spokesperson and AERA Committee Chair Diana Armstrong MLA backs the UFU’s call for a “Budget to Back Farming”, urging the Chancellor to undo recent changes to agricultural and business property relief and to provide certainty for farm investment.
Agriculture and rural affairs Public finance and taxation Issue: 2026 Autumn Budget farming support call Original release: Armstrong backs UFU call for a Budget to Back Farming (opens in a new tab)
-
Government must act on pressures facing farmers and rural families – Mary McDonald TD
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD calls on the Government to act on fodder shortages, fuel tax increases, and generational renewal in farming, including a €10 million contingency fund and implementation of 31 recommendations, speaking at the National Ploughing Championships.
Agriculture and rural affairs Economy and employment Original release: Government must act on pressures facing farmers and rural families – Mary McDonald TD (opens in a new tab)
-
Conversion Practices Bill a historic opportunity for progress, says Tennyson, ahead of debate
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA calls on Assembly members from all parties to back the Conversion Practices Bill at Second Stage, describing it as a historic opportunity to ban conversion practices he calls cruel and archaic.
Disability and equality Issue: Conversion Practices Bill Second Stage debate Original release: Conversion Practices Bill a historic opportunity for progress, says Tennyson, ahead of debate (opens in a new tab)
-
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)
-
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)
-
O'Toole: Executive parties cannot outsource responsibility for governing to Westminster
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA says the four Executive parties cannot pass responsibility for governing to Westminster while the Assembly debates the failure to agree a Budget. He calls on the Finance Minister to set out how a Budget will be agreed, and says the UK Government…
Public finance and taxation Issue: Assembly Opposition Day debate on failure to agree Budget Original release: O'Toole: Executive parties cannot outsource responsibility for governing to Westminster (opens in a new tab)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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)