Latest Fact Checks

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Farming in NI: Are beef cattle numbers at their lowest level for 55 years?

22 April 2026

CLAIM: The total number of beef cattle has fallen by 21% in the past decade. The drop since 2018 has been especially sharp. Current beef cattle numbers are lower than any year since 1970.

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During a 23 March debate on agricultural support payments in relation to Areas with Natural Constraints (ANCs), Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer claimed: “The evidence

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Education

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Health

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Gambling in NI: Are 3% of adults addicted to gambling?

15 April 2026

CLAIM: In Northern Ireland, around 3% of all adults meet the threshold for gambling addiction while 14% of people who gamble say they have bet more than they can afford to lose.

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During a 16 March debate on the criminal justice system, Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan claimed that: “Around 3% of adults meet the threshold for

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Health in NI: Do 40% of women wrongly believe cervical smear tests for ovarian cancer?

7 April 2026

CLAIM: 40% of women mistakenly believe cervical screening tests for ovarian cancer.

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During a 16 March debate on a women’s health strategy, DUP MLA Diane Forsythe claimed that: “Target Ovarian Cancer reports that 40% of women mistakenly

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Mental health in NI: Does mental ill health cost us £3.4bn per year?

1 April 2026

CLAIM: Poor mental health costs Northern Ireland £3.4bn every year. Mental health receives around 7% of the health budget – a lower proportion than elsewhere in the UK and Ireland. Around 80% of the actions in the current mental health strategy are paused because of a lack of funding.

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In a 16 February debate in the Assembly around mental health data, Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn claimed: “Mental ill health costs our society £3.4

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Government in NI: Have only ten laws been passed at Stormont since it resumed after the last collapse?

27 March 2026

CLAIM: Since its re-establishment in February 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive and other Assembly institutions have only passed ten laws. This includes a direction by the Executive to delegate decisions on remuneration, leading to a 27% pay rise for MLAs.

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In a social media post made on 20 February, the Green Party of Northern Ireland (GPNI) stated that, since its resumption following the last collapse,

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Health in NI: Are deaths due to alcohol at the highest levels on record?

19 March 2026

CLAIM: There were 397 alcohol-specific deaths in NI in 2024, the highest number on record and an increase of 80% on ten years ago. The death rate in the most-deprived communities is almost four times higher than in the least-deprived areas. 60% of alcohol-related hospital admissions come from just 3% of the population. In Scotland, minimum unit pricing for alcohol cut the number of deaths wholly attributable to alcohol by 13%.

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In a Member’s Statement to the Assembly about minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol, UUP MLA Alan Chambers claimed: “On 11 February 2026, the latest