Latest releases
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1,974 releases
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SDLP Leader urges parties to back emergency legislation
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP urges Stormont party leaders to support emergency legislation that would let a group of Ministers allocate hundreds of millions of unspent cash to a new energy‑costs scheme for struggling households, and calls for the nomination of a Speaker to get the bill onto the DÃ?
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Emergency legislation to allocate unspent Stormont funds for energy costs Original release: SDLP Leader urges parties to back emergency legislation (opens in a new tab)
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Cllr Brian Smyth - Latest energy price rises will plunge yet more into poverty
Green Party councillor Brian Smyth calls for urgent intervention after SSE Airtricity announced electricity price rises affecting nearly 160,000 households from next week. He says the Executive can mitigate fuel price increases without Westminster and criticises its failure to publish a fuel…
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: SSE Airtricity electricity price increase announcement June 2022 Original release: Cllr Brian Smyth - Latest energy price rises will plunge yet more into poverty (opens in a new tab)
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Ulster Unionists welcome launch of Child Funeral Fund
UUP Councillor Julie Flaherty welcomes the Communities Minister's confirmation that the Child Funeral Fund is now running in Northern Ireland, from 1 June 2022, after years of campaigning. She credits her council's early backing for pushing other councils to follow.
Social security and welfare Local government Issue: Child Funeral Fund launch in Northern Ireland Original release: Ulster Unionists welcome launch of Child Funeral Fund (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan welcomes establishment of Child Funeral Fund
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan welcomes the launch of the Child Funeral Fund, a one-off £3,056 payment to help bereaved families meet funeral expenses for children and stillbirths after 24 weeks. He urges that families be made aware of it and that applications be simple.
Social security and welfare Issue: Child Funeral Fund launch in Northern Ireland Original release: Durkan welcomes establishment of Child Funeral Fund (opens in a new tab)
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McLaughlin: PSNI must act over sexist WhatsApp group
SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin calls on the PSNI and Chief Constable Simon Byrne to send a clear message that sexist, pornographic and racist messages shared by serving officers in a WhatsApp group will not be tolerated. She says the case raises concerns about PSNI culture.
Justice and policing Disability and equality Issue: TV documentary allegations about PSNI culture Original release: McLaughlin: PSNI must act over sexist WhatsApp group (opens in a new tab)
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Action Needed On Cost Of Living Crisis To Protect Women And Girls
People Before Profit Councillor Maeve O'Neill says Derry and Strabane Council will hear from a women's rights agency on its Feminist Recovery Plan and early research into violence against women and girls. She calls for action on the cost of living crisis to protect women.
Justice and policing Economy and employment Issue: Derry and Strabane Council gender‑based violence meeting Original release: Action Needed On Cost Of Living Crisis To Protect Women And Girls (opens in a new tab)
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Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research
DUP MP Carla Lockhart welcomes the Government's £31m investment in alternatives to fossil fuels, particularly hydrogen, but says the Government should have funded research before banning red diesel in construction. She claims the ban raised quarrying and construction costs.
Environment and climate Economy and employment Issue: Government £31m investment in hydrogen and fossil fuel alternatives Original release: Lockhart – Government placed cart before the horse in fuel research (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson welcomes the Chief Secretary to the Treasury’s pledge that Northern Ireland will receive the autumn energy‑support payment, saying the Chancellor confirmed every household will get it and praising the DUP’s role in shaping the funding.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: Treasury commitment to NI energy support payment Original release: Wilson welcomes commitment by Treasury to make NI payments (opens in a new tab)
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Allen meets with the Utility Regulator to discuss rising energy costs
East Belfast UUP MLA and Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MBE says he met Utility Regulator John French to discuss rising energy costs. He calls for a review of the regulator's powers, energy efficiency investment, a fuel poverty taskforce, and a Programme for Government.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Original release: Allen meets with the Utility Regulator to discuss rising energy costs (opens in a new tab)
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Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan welcomes Health Minister Robin Swann's commitment to establish a review of the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme, which he says would extend support to low-income parents of sick children. Durkan says the commitment followed his written Assembly question.
Health Social security and welfare Issue: Hospital Travel Costs Scheme review commitment by Health Minister Original release: Durkan welcomes review of travel support for parents of sick children (opens in a new tab)
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Cllr Stephen Dunlop welcomes new tech at Artemis Technologies
Green Party NI Councillor Stephen Dunlop welcomes the unveiling of Artemis Technologies' efoiler technology, a zero-emission maritime service planned between Belfast and Bangor, and looks forward to its use in 2024.
Infrastructure and transport Environment and climate Issue: Artemis Technologies efoiler technology unveiling in Belfast and Bangor Original release: Cllr Stephen Dunlop welcomes new tech at Artemis Technologies (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O'Toole accuses the DUP of putting its own interests first by blocking the election of an Assembly Speaker, and says this stalls support for families facing rising costs and health waiting lists.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: O’Toole: DUP should hang their heads in shame (opens in a new tab)
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Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urges the DUP to back Patsy McGlone as Speaker so the Assembly can pass emergency legislation releasing over £300m held in Stormont accounts for cost-of-living support. He says the DUP's boycott is blocking help over the £400 energy bill discount.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: DUP blocking of Assembly Speaker election May 2022 Original release: Eastwood: DUP must support Speaker to allow cost of living help (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson says Sinn Fein is cynically using vulnerable people for political gain and calls for the Chancellor's £650 cost-of-living payment to reach every Northern Ireland household, with energy firms passing on discounts directly as in Britain.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Wilson – no one should be playing politics with vulnerable (opens in a new tab)
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Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill
Green Party NI MLA Ciara Henry welcomes the opening of Ballycopeland Windmill to the public from 2 June as a heritage visitor site. She highlights a Changing Places facility, a cafe run by USEL that will offer jobs to people with disabilities, and the windmill's value to local history.
Disability and equality Economy and employment Issue: Ballycopeland Windmill reopening as visitor attraction Original release: Ciara Henry has welcomes the reopening of Ballycopeland Windmill (opens in a new tab)
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Action needed on environment more than ever - O'Hara
Green Party NI Deputy Leader Cllr Mal O'Hara responds to the Northern Ireland environmental statistics report, citing emissions at 5 per cent of the UK total, falling biodiversity and protected-site condition, and falling recycling rates. He calls for an Independent Environmental Protection Agency…
Environment and climate Issue: Northern Ireland environmental statistics report 2022 Original release: Action needed on environment more than ever - O'Hara (opens in a new tab)
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Allen welcomes the direct inclusion of Northern Ireland in cost-of-living payments
East Belfast UUP MLA and Communities Spokesperson Andy Allen MBE welcomes confirmation from the Chancellor that direct cost-of-living payments will extend to Northern Ireland. He calls on the Department for Communities to develop further targeted support, including a fuel poverty task force.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Allen welcomes the direct inclusion of Northern Ireland in cost-of-living payments (opens in a new tab)
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More financial support may be needed in the autumn – Aiken
UUP Finance Spokesperson Steve Aiken OBE MLA welcomes the Chancellor's £15billion cost of living support package but warns more help may be needed in the autumn. He criticises the household support fund not being available directly in Northern Ireland, calling the £14million Barnett supplementary…
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: More financial support may be needed in the autumn – Aiken (opens in a new tab)
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Northern Ireland continues to lose out from cost of living support
Alliance Finance Spokesperson Andrew Muir MLA says Northern Ireland risks losing out on UK Government cost of living measures, calling for benefits to be uprated to current inflation and urging the DUP to lift its veto so an Executive can allocate the £400 energy bill discount.
Economy and employment Social security and welfare Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: Northern Ireland continues to lose out from cost of living support (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: DUP cannot hold up support for families
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O'Toole urges the DUP to end its blockage and return to the Executive on Monday so that the British government's £400 energy bill discount and windfall tax can reach households here. He says Stormont has over £300m in its accounts and that the DUP is the only obstacle.
Economy and employment Public finance and taxation Issue: UK Government cost of living support package announcement May 2022 Original release: O’Toole: DUP cannot hold up support for families (opens in a new tab)