What now for direct support to farmers in Northern Ireland post-Brexit?
A key issue within Northern Ireland since the UK’s decision to leave the EU in June 2016 is exactly how this decision will affect local farming?
How could the Brexit vote affect farming and food in Northern Ireland?
The agri-food sector is a significant one for the economy and employment in Northern Ireland. For a number of reasons, the implications of the vote to leave the EU are difficult to gauge at this
A new mandate, a new Environment
Local government underwent significant structural change in 2015 with the number of councils reducing from 26 to 11, and the transfer of many functions from central to local government. This has brought changes to the
Northern Ireland trade in goods, 2017
This blog post uses the most recent annual data from the HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Regional Trade Statistics [Download: Excel file] to provide an overview of Northern Ireland’s (NI) current position with regard to
Women’s economic transition to retirement
While women are increasingly better educated than men, they earn less, feel less financially secure, provide the bulk of unpaid care, have smaller pensions, face greater hardship in later life and struggle to pay for
What goods does Northern Ireland export, how much are they worth and where do they go?
Please note: we have posted an updated version of this blog article using the most recent HMRC annual trade data, see here. This blog post uses annual data from the HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC)
How is Northern Ireland performing in science, technology, engineering and maths?
This week sees people across Northern Ireland getting interested and involved in science through the Northern Ireland Science Festival. We thought we would join the celebration of all things scientific by taking a look
Are composite classes bad for children?
In 2016 the former Minister for Education, Peter Weir MLA, spoke of wanting to address composite classes, whereby a single teacher is responsible for two or more years of students at the same time. The
The Northern Ireland Assembly and the School Curriculum
The Assembly Education Service engaged with more than 80,000 young people during the last mandate. The aim of this work is to inform young people about the work of the Assembly and encourage them to
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: Back in the Commons
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill returns to the House of Commons this week. MPs will consider the Bill in a Committee of the whole House. The Bill repeals the European Communities Act 1972 and is of
General election 2017: A detailed look at the result in Northern Ireland
The Westminster general election of 8 June 2017 resulted in a ‘hung parliament’, with the Conservatives as the largest party but without an overall majority. The result was: Conservative (318), Labour (262), SNP (35), Liberal
Transferred votes in the March 2017 Assembly Election
Transferred votes are an extremely important part of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. In the 2017 Assembly Election, only 18 MLAs had a sufficient number of first preference votes to meet the quota and
Carers in Northern Ireland: Some key statistics
This article is a revised and updated version of a post originally published in June 2017. The perceived underfunding of social care was a significant political issue in the 2017 general election. It is easy
Supporting carers in Northern Ireland: Where are we with legislation and policy to support them?
This article is a revised and updated version of a post originally published in June 2017. This article outlines the contribution made by carers to supporting the formal care system and the issues they face
Childhood obesity and inactivity – a lifelong problem?
By Lesley-Ann Black & Dan Hull This article examines levels of childhood obesity and inactivity in our children in Northern Ireland and asks what more can be done to address this public health problem. A
Grit Expectations: How and when are our roads and footpaths salted during the winter season?
By Des McKibbin & Keara McKay As temperatures plummetted towards the end of November 2017, forecasters began to predict the coldest December in seven years. Meteorologists are suggesting winter 2017/18 could be colder than normal
Is road safety worse in the border region?
Death and serious injury from road traffic collisions (RTCs) are tragic events bringing untold pain and suffering on families. At the same time, through better understanding of what causes them and targeting appropriate action, they
How can the Department for Infrastructure fund delivery of its infrastructure pipeline?
Northern Ireland’s infrastructure development was neglected for decades. There are now plans in place to rectify this but how this will be funded remains uncertain.
Brexit and Northern Ireland: A Reading List
The Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe) has just published a seventh version of Brexit and Northern Ireland: A Reading List. We have produced these for almost a year now and they are a key
European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: Back in the Commons
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill returns to the House of Commons this week. MPs will consider the Bill in a Committee of the whole House. The Bill repeals the European Communities Act 1972 and is of
European Arrest Warrant: What next for Northern Ireland post-Brexit?
Mutual recognition and co-operation underpin many EU law provisions. This article looks at some of the legislative options for one particular provision following Brexit; the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).