Latest releases
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1,974 releases
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Forsythe - menace to women should be in jail for longer
DUP South Down MLA Diane Forsythe welcomes the Lady Chief Justice's response to her complaint about Judge Sherrard's comments in Dungannon, which led to further judicial guidance and training. She says the comments were ill-judged and will write to Justice Minister Naomi Long on whether…
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: Judge Sherrard's comments in Dungannon court case Original release: Forsythe - menace to women should be in jail for longer (opens in a new tab)
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DFC Minister Can Act And Should Act On Punitive Debt Deductions
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin calls on the DfC Minister to suspend punitive debt deductions for Universal Credit and other benefit recipients, citing a Derry and Strabane Council motion and Department correspondence showing no plans to act.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Derry and Strabane Council motion on suspending benefit debt deductions Original release: DFC Minister Can Act And Should Act On Punitive Debt Deductions (opens in a new tab)
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£330,000 budget to pander to 10 English-speaking MLAs who might occasionally wish to speak in Irish
TUV leader Jim Allister criticises a £330,000 translation and interpretation service for Irish use in the Assembly, noting only 10 MLAs want to use it, and warns of further costs from Irish language legislation and an Irish Language Commissioner.
Disability and equality Public finance and taxation Issue: Assembly Irish language translation and interpretation service costs Original release: £330,000 budget to pander to 10 English-speaking MLAs who might occasionally wish to speak in Irish (opens in a new tab)
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McCrossan: Tory benefits plan will plunge thousands into poverty
SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan condemns a reported British Government plan to link benefit uprating to earnings rather than inflation, calling it a betrayal. He has requested that Minister Deirdre Hargey produce figures on how the change would affect Northern Ireland households, citing Resolution…
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: British Government plan to link benefit uprating to earnings growth Original release: McCrossan: Tory benefits plan will plunge thousands into poverty (opens in a new tab)
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Harkin: Council Hardship Fund Hypocrites
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin says the Council Hardship Fund is a tiny drop compared with the need, condemns the SDLP, Sinn Féin, and DUP for blocking or diluting it, and pledges to push for extra funding and stronger action on the cost‑of‑living emergency.
Economy and employment Local government Issue: Council Hardship Fund Original release: Harkin: Council Hardship Fund Hypocrites (opens in a new tab)
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Support for households relying on oil totally inadequate – Archibald
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald says the British Government's £100 payment for households relying on home heating oil is totally inadequate and an afterthought, and warns the switch to paying it via electricity providers may push people towards costlier electric heating. She also calls on the DUP…
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: £100 home heating oil payment announcement by British Government Original release: Support for households relying on oil totally inadequate – Archibald (opens in a new tab)
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Language and Identity Bill another example of contempt for devolution…
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart says the Government's decision to proceed with the Language and Identity Bill is another case of disregarding devolution to push through legislation lacking cross-community support. The DUP says it will oppose the bill unless Unionist concerns are addressed.
Disability and equality Constitutional affairs Issue: Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill second reading at Westminster Original release: Language and Identity Bill another example of contempt for devolution… (opens in a new tab)
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Dillon writes to Lady Chief Justice about remarks in Tyrone sexual assault case
Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon says she has lodged a formal complaint with the Lady Chief Justice over a judge's remarks in a Tyrone sexual assault hearing, including encouraging the defendant to settle down and refusing to bar him from contacting women online. She calls for judges to be trained on…
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: Tyrone sexual assault hearing judge's remarks complaint to Lady Chief Justice Original release: Dillon writes to Lady Chief Justice about remarks in Tyrone sexual assault case (opens in a new tab)
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Cllr McKee welcomes support for workers undergoing fertility treatment
Green Party councillor Barry McKee welcomes unanimous backing from Ards and North Down Council's Corporate Committee for a motion to expand support for staff undergoing fertility treatment. He hopes officers' forthcoming report leads to a swift introduction of the measures.
Economy and employment Local government Issue: Ards and North Down council motion on fertility treatment support for staff Original release: Cllr McKee welcomes support for workers undergoing fertility treatment (opens in a new tab)
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Assembly group on universal basic income important step towards potential introduction here, says Brown
Alliance MLA Patrick Brown welcomes the first meeting of a cross-party Assembly working group on universal basic income, which discussed developing a UBI pilot for Northern Ireland. He says the economic pressures of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis make new support measures necessary.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Assembly All-Party Working Group on universal basic income first meeting Original release: Assembly group on universal basic income important step towards potential introduction here, says Brown (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna welcomes progress on Irish language legislation
SDLP South Belfast MP Claire Hanna welcomes progress on the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill ahead of its Westminster second reading, calling for the protections to be enacted promptly and criticising that the legislation is not being progressed locally at Stormont.
Disability and equality Issue: Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill second reading at Westminster Original release: Hanna welcomes progress on Irish language legislation (opens in a new tab)
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Dickson encourages victims of hate crime to come forward and report incidents
Alliance East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson urges victims and witnesses of hate crime to come forward to support services and police, citing recent PSNI figures showing rises in five motivation categories, with disability-motivated incidents at their highest since records began.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: PSNI hate crime statistics showing rises across five motivation categories Original release: Dickson encourages victims of hate crime to come forward and report incidents (opens in a new tab)
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Conference 2022 - Education Minister Michelle McIlveen
DUP Education Minister Michelle McIlveen MLA, addressing the 2022 DUP Conference, says the party kept schools open during Covid and lists its education record, including a new post-primary school building programme, Nurture Units, Healthy Happy Minds counselling and the School Age Act.
Education Public finance and taxation Original release: Conference 2022 - Education Minister Michelle McIlveen (opens in a new tab)
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‘Executive needed now to secure holiday hunger payments’ – Sheehan
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan urges the formation of an Executive now so families keep receiving holiday hunger payments over the Halloween break, and calls on the DUP to end its boycott. He says the Finance Minister's funding for over 100,000 children over three years cannot be released without one.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Executive formation delay and holiday hunger funding, October 2022 Original release: ‘Executive needed now to secure holiday hunger payments’ – Sheehan (opens in a new tab)
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Executive needed to tackle cost of living and make progress on renewables – Archibald
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald says an Executive must be restored immediately to address the cost-of-living crisis and budget for health and public services, while pushing renewable energy development at the Renewable NI conference.
Economy and employment Environment and climate Original release: Executive needed to tackle cost of living and make progress on renewables – Archibald (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister commits to review transgender guidance
TUV leader Jim Allister welcomes the Education Minister's commitment to review the Education Authority's guidance on supporting transgender young people, and calls for the guidance to be withdrawn as fundamentally flawed. He objects to advice on parental involvement and to proposals to remove…
Education Disability and equality Issue: Education Minister commits to review transgender guidance for schools Original release: Education Minister commits to review transgender guidance (opens in a new tab)
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McMullan secures new Council disability group with aim of making city accessible
Alliance Belfast City Councillor Ross McMullan says a new Council disability working group, approved unanimously on Monday night, will help make Belfast accessible and produce an overarching disability strategy. He calls for a plan and indicators to replace the current status quo.
Disability and equality Local government Issue: Belfast City Council disability working group approval Original release: McMullan secures new Council disability group with aim of making city accessible (opens in a new tab)
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Armstrong seeks clarification on benefits rise
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong writes to Work and Pensions Minister Chloe Smith seeking clarity on whether benefits will rise with inflation, after Prime Minister Liz Truss declined to rule out real-terms cuts. She warns against cuts that would hit the lowest incomes.
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Government refusal to rule out real-terms benefit cuts Original release: Armstrong seeks clarification on benefits rise (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood urges British government to protect vulnerable families
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood MP warns that the UK government must not let welfare payments fall in real terms during the cost of living crisis, after PM Liz Truss declined to commit to rises in line with inflation. He has written to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng proposing inflation-linked benefit…
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Government refusal to rule out real-terms benefit cuts Original release: Eastwood urges British government to protect vulnerable families (opens in a new tab)
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Allen thanks the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator for his work in securing delivery of £400 energy bills support for Northern Ireland households
East Belfast UUP MLA and Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MBE thanks Utility Regulator John French for securing delivery of the £400 energy bills support to households. He calls for urgent further Westminster intervention, saying the scheme dates from May and that the £100 for oil-heated homes…
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: £400 energy bills support scheme delivery in Northern Ireland Original release: Allen thanks the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator for his work in securing delivery of £400 energy bills support for Northern Ireland households (opens in a new tab)