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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
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Religion in NI: Is blasphemy still against the law in Northern Ireland?
12 March 2026
CLAIM: NI still has blasphemy laws from the 1800s on the books, and it is the only place in the UK and Ireland not to have abolished them
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On 24 February 2026, Connie Egan, Alliance MLA, submitted an amendment to the Minister of Justice’s Bill to repeal common law offences that criminalise blasphemy
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Flags in NI: What does the PSNI’s new instruction on removing “harmful” flags mean?
5 March 2026
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Economy in NI: Has regional inequality doubled since 1998?
26 February 2026
CLAIM: In 1998, Belfast’s Gross Value Added (GVA) was 42% while according to the most recent statistics its GVA is now 80% – meaning regional inequality has doubled in that time.
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In a 26 January Assembly debate about economic trends on the island of Ireland, SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin claimed: “Regional inequality has doubled here since
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NI trade:will new EU customs fees apply to NI?
18 February 2026
CLAIM: EU customs regulations allowing imports of goods valued under €150 for no fee are to be abolished, with a €3 flat fee to apply from 1 July this year. Northern Ireland is within the EU customs zone and this fee will apply to packages arriving here from outside the EU. Furthermore, an extra handling fee of €2 is also set to be added – and will also apply locally.
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In a Member’s Statement delivered to the NI Assembly on 19 January, UUP MLA Steve Aiken said: “Members may not be aware of European Commission
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Social care in NI: Do the majority of independent employers pay the real living wage?
10 February 2026
CLAIM: Within the independent social care sector in Northern Ireland, 70% of employers pay their workers the real Living Wage.
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In a meeting of the NI Assembly Health Committee on 20 November 2025, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, in response to a question about the real
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Online safety in NI: Do 99% of pornographic deepfakes depict images of women?
5 February 2026
CLAIM: In total, 98% of all deepfakes are pornographic and 99% of those feature women. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of deepfakes online increased by 550%.
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In a 26 January Assembly debate about online safety and violence against women and girls, Alliance Party MLA Connie Egan claimed: “[Every] day, technologies utilising
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Housing in NI: Have rents in Belfast gone up 50% in half a decade?
2 February 2026
CLAIM: Private rents in Belfast have risen by half in the past five years.
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In a 12 December article published in the Financial Times, Queen’s University Belfast Economics Professor Richard Ramsey claimed that rents in Belfast had: “Gone up
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Economy in NI: Has NI trade with both Great Britain and Ireland increased substantially in recent years?
26 January 2026
CLAIM: In 2023, exports from NI to GB rose 12.4% year-on-year, while imports rose 16.2%. In 2001, cross-border trade with Ireland was worth £1.9bn. By 2015, it held a “similar” value but by 2022 it was worth over £7bn
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In a debate in the Assembly on 8 December, Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy claimed: “The Windsor framework has protected our unique dual market access.
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Health in NI: Are Northern Ireland’s breastfeeding rates among the lowest in Europe?
15 January 2026
CLAIM: Northern Ireland has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe.
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In a press release published on 4 December 2025 about a Private Member’s Bill to support breastfeeding that she is developing, Sinn Féin MLA Linda
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Mental health in NI: Do one in 20 people aged over 50 suffer from PTSD?
9 January 2026
CLAIM: Around 5% of people in Northern Ireland aged 50 or more have post-traumatic stress disorder, with the Troubles a major contributor to this figure.
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On 6 December 2025, the Sunday Times published an article with the following headline and subheadline: “The Troubles’ lasting scar: 1 in 20 over-50s in