Latest releases
Searching a long passage? Find similar statements.
- Environment and climate: remove filter
- Housing: remove filter
- Infrastructure and transport: remove filter
1,743 releases
-
Planning delays exposing a broken system – Martin
DUP North Down MLA Peter Martin, Chair of the Assembly Infrastructure Committee, calls for planning reform legislation after officials confirmed regionally significant applications are taking 215 to 362 weeks to decide against a 30-week target.
Infrastructure and transport Economy and employment Issue: Officials' confirmation of delays in regionally significant planning applications Original release: Planning delays exposing a broken system – Martin (opens in a new tab)
-
Time for Stormont DFI Minister to End Derry Rail Timetable Disparity
People Before Profit's Eamonn McCann welcomes over a million Derry rail passengers in the last year and calls on the DFI Minister to fund equal train access on the Derry line, estimated by Translink at £1m.
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: Derry rail passenger numbers and timetable disparity funding Original release: Time for Stormont DFI Minister to End Derry Rail Timetable Disparity (opens in a new tab)
-
Durkan: Thousands waiting for homes while social housing fraud goes unchecked
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan urges Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to act against social housing fraud after a Northern Ireland Audit Office report estimated losses of at least £8 million last year. He warns the true cost is unknown without a baseline and asks the Housing Executive and housing…
Housing Public finance and taxation Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on social housing tenancy fraud Original release: Durkan: Thousands waiting for homes while social housing fraud goes unchecked (opens in a new tab)
-
Bower welcomes motion passing on environmentally conscious public acts of remembrance
Alliance Belfast Councillor Christine Bower welcomes council's passing of her motion urging support for public remembrance acts that are safe and environmentally mindful, including designated memorial spaces in parks and greener events. Officers will research feasibility.
Environment and climate Local government Issue: Belfast City Council motion on environmentally mindful public remembrance acts Original release: Bower welcomes motion passing on environmentally conscious public acts of remembrance (opens in a new tab)
-
SF Tying Itself in Knots on Climate Laws
DUP MLA Deborah Erskine says Sinn Fein is struggling with contradictions over amending the Climate Change Act to allow major infrastructure, arguing Michelle O'Neill's remarks on road projects were a kite-flying exercise. She says the Infrastructure Minister gave no answer on the A5 Court of…
Infrastructure and transport Environment and climate Issue: Sinn Fein stance on amending climate change legislation for infrastructure Original release: SF Tying Itself in Knots on Climate Laws (opens in a new tab)
-
Milestone of Shame: 50,000 on Housing Waiting List
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll says 50,000 families on the social housing waiting list, over 33,000 of them officially homeless, should shame Stormont ministers. He calls for rent controls, a ban on no-fault evictions, a funded social house-building programme and empty homes brought back…
Housing Issue: Social housing waiting list passes 50,000 households figures Original release: Milestone of Shame: 50,000 on Housing Waiting List (opens in a new tab)
-
Just Transition Commission must be led by those who live and work in our industries not just talk about them
UUP agriculture spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA urges DAERA to fill the three agriculture seats on the new Just Transition Commission with people who understand farming and food production, not just academics and advocates. He says food and energy security must shape its terms of reference.
Agriculture and rural affairs Environment and climate Issue: DAERA appointments to the Just Transition Commission Original release: Just Transition Commission must be led by those who live and work in our industries not just talk about them (opens in a new tab)
-
DUP Minister must get to grips with housing and homelessness crisis – Gildernew
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew, chair of the Communities Committee, calls on Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to urgently address the housing crisis after figures showed over 50,000 households waiting for social housing. He says a scheme to buy 600 homes for temporary accommodation has yet to…
Housing Issue: Social housing waiting list passes 50,000 households figures Original release: DUP Minister must get to grips with housing and homelessness crisis – Gildernew (opens in a new tab)
-
Durkan: Progress needed to address homelessness crisis
SDLP Opposition Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA urges the Communities Minister to make progress on homelessness plans, citing a 5% rise in homelessness households and 50,381 households on social housing waiting lists. He says the Executive has fallen short and that the Minister is set…
Housing Issue: Social housing waiting list passes 50,000 households figures Original release: Durkan: Progress needed to address homelessness crisis (opens in a new tab)
-
Sinn Fein Net Zero U-Turn must be matched by action - Erskine
Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP MLA Deborah Erskine says Sinn Fein's apparent U-turn on net zero must be backed by action from the First Minister. She says the DUP repeatedly sought economic cost analysis of climate targets, which Sinn Fein, Alliance, the SDLP and UUP opposed.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Sinn Fein apparent U-turn on net zero policies Original release: Sinn Fein Net Zero U-Turn must be matched by action - Erskine (opens in a new tab)
-
SDLP press DAERA Minister on Mobuoy Dump funding
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan says the party pressed DAERA Minister Andrew Muir for a clear remediation timeline and funding for the Mobuoy Dump clean-up, after meeting him with Sinéad McLaughlin. Durkan says there is currently no funding in place and calls on the Executive to engage the UK…
Environment and climate Public finance and taxation Issue: Mobuoy Dump remediation funding meeting with DAERA Minister Original release: SDLP press DAERA Minister on Mobuoy Dump funding (opens in a new tab)
-
Fix the planning paralysis and deliver the roads Northern Ireland needs
UUP Infrastructure Spokesperson John Stewart MLA calls on the Executive to act on the A5 after a court ruling and to introduce a lawful, workable climate framework, also urging delivery of the A1 upgrade and York Street Interchange. UUP Agriculture Spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA says rural…
Infrastructure and transport Environment and climate Issue: A5 court ruling over climate planning obligations Original release: Fix the planning paralysis and deliver the roads Northern Ireland needs (opens in a new tab)
-
Loss of Carlingford Ferry a major blow to South Down Tourism -…
DUP MLA Diane Forsythe says the cancellation of the Carlingford Ferry for 2026 is a huge setback for South Down tourism and local businesses, criticises the lack of support from tourism agencies and the Department for the Economy, and urges that the ferry and the Narrow Water Bridge can coexist.
Economy and employment Infrastructure and transport Issue: Carlingford Ferry suspension for 2026 Original release: Loss of Carlingford Ferry a major blow to South Down Tourism -… (opens in a new tab)
-
Protecting the environment should be a collective effort, says Blair, on Biodiversity Day
Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA calls for a collective political effort to protect the environment on Biodiversity Day, after visiting Divis and the Black Mountain with the National Trust. He backs DAERA Minister Andrew Muir's nature recovery work and urges support from other…
Environment and climate Original release: Protecting the environment should be a collective effort, says Blair, on Biodiversity Day (opens in a new tab)
-
Boylan welcomes Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission report
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan welcomes a National Audit Office report on the Planning Appeals Commission, saying it confirms long-known delays and backlogs. He commends Planning Minister Kimmins's bid to the Transformation Board on 'Hear and Report' cases and urges the Justice Minister to speed up…
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on planning system failures Original release: Boylan welcomes Strategic Review of the Planning Appeals Commission report (opens in a new tab)
-
McEntee remarks on Northern passport office disgraceful and deeply out of touch – Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD
Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn condemns Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee's Dáil remarks comparing calls for a North and north west passport office with wasteful public spending, saying the comparison is disgraceful and insulting to citizens.
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: McEntee Dáil remarks on passport office versus public spending waste Original release: McEntee remarks on Northern passport office disgraceful and deeply out of touch – Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD (opens in a new tab)
-
Planning System Failing Northern Ireland – Brett
North Belfast DUP MLA Phillip Brett, who chairs the Assembly's Economy Committee, says a Northern Ireland Audit Office report exposes failures in the planning system and calls for reform. He cites planning appeals averaging 73 weeks and a Planning Appeals Commission lacking statutory targets and…
Infrastructure and transport Economy and employment Issue: Northern Ireland Audit Office report on planning system failures Original release: Planning System Failing Northern Ireland – Brett (opens in a new tab)
-
Bus and rail cuts a direct result of Minister’s failure to prioritise public transport
UUP infrastructure spokesperson John Stewart MLA says Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins is not giving public transport enough priority, after Translink warned of possible bus and rail service cuts and reduced concessionary fares. He blames years of underfunding and calls on the Minister to work…
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: Translink considering service cuts and fare discount removal Original release: Bus and rail cuts a direct result of Minister’s failure to prioritise public transport (opens in a new tab)
-
Changes to how new drivers obtain licenses will improve road safety – Ennis
Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis welcomes progress on Graduated Driver Licensing, with changes to how new drivers obtain licences expected by October and new tests beginning in April 2027. She says the reforms aim to reduce serious road traffic accidents involving new and young drivers.
Infrastructure and transport Issue: Graduated Driver Licensing progress following Infrastructure Committee meeting Original release: Changes to how new drivers obtain licenses will improve road safety – Ennis (opens in a new tab)
-
McNulty: Executive failure risking Translink cuts
SDLP Opposition Infrastructure Spokesperson Justin McNulty MLA blames an Executive failure to properly fund Translink for possible service cuts and fare discount removals. He says students, disabled and elderly people and rural communities would be hit, and calls for expanded public transport…
Infrastructure and transport Public finance and taxation Issue: Translink considering service cuts and fare discount removal Original release: McNulty: Executive failure risking Translink cuts (opens in a new tab)