Latest Articles
A snapshot of COVID-19 funding
Reading Time: < 1 minute This visualisation provides a series of interactive graphs compiled by the Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe), which offer a snapshot of government funding allocated to address key challenges arising from the effects of the
Is it possible to socially distance on our beaches?
Reading Time: 2 minutes With many international travel restrictions still in place, more people than ever will be opting for ‘staycations’ in Northern Ireland. This article provides the results of a spatial analysis looking at whether social distancing is
COVID-19 and school shutdowns: Examining the after-effects
Reading Time: 7 minutes In an effort to minimise the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the disease COVID-19), schools in Northern Ireland closed their doors to normal school life on 23 March 2020. Approximately 450 schools remained
COVID-19 and farming – A bitter harvest?
Reading Time: 6 minutes 2020 was already set to be a challenging year for farmers across the UK. Having finally reached an agreed Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, the UK is set to formally leave the EU at
Farmers and mental health
Reading Time: 5 minutes In this Mental Health Awareness Week, which also coincides with this year’s Balmoral Show, this article examines an issue which has received comparatively little attention and on which, so far, not much research has been
What now for direct support to farmers in Northern Ireland post-Brexit?
Reading Time: 5 minutes 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?
Is Northern Ireland ‘Open’ for business? Examining the social and economic impact of sporting events
Reading Time: 7 minutes This article draws on recent experiences of Government-funded sporting events in Northern Ireland (NI), highlighting a number of those events, in particular their economic and social benefits. Such past events have helped to develop NI’s
Northern Ireland trade in goods, 2018
Reading Time: 3 minutes This blog post provides an overview of Northern Ireland’s (NI) current position with regard to trade in goods and updates our previous blog on NI’s trade in goods in 2017. It uses the most recent
Regional devolution for Northern Ireland: What’s the big deal?
Reading Time: 5 minutes On 26 March 2019, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (NI) signed an agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) Government, the NI Civil Service and six of the 11 NI district councils. This gave
Every child deserves a real chance in life: A renewed government focus on solving educational underachievement in Northern Ireland?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Young people have faced unprecedented changes to their childhoods and futures due to COVID-19. A significant part of this disruption has been to their education. While schools and education staff adapted admirably to online learning,
COVID-19 and school shutdowns: Examining the after-effects
Reading Time: 7 minutes In an effort to minimise the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the disease COVID-19), schools in Northern Ireland closed their doors to normal school life on 23 March 2020. Approximately 450 schools remained
Free periods? Period poverty, its impact on education, and policy responses to the issue
Reading Time: 7 minutes Period poverty is a topical issue, globally and within the United Kingdom (UK). Recently, there has been some concern about the relationship between period poverty and school attendance. In addition, the reduction of taxation on
Who runs Northern Ireland? Taking stock of gender and power in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 4 minutes Please note that more up-to-date statistics on gender representation can be found in the RaISe research paper Who Runs Northern Ireland? A Summary of Statistics Relating to Gender and Power in 2020. The late feminist
EU exit regulations and Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 4 minutes A high profile consequence of the continuing failure to establish an Executive and fully functioning Assembly was the legislative passage this week of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill 2018. A
A brief overview of the Northern Ireland Assembly Library
Reading Time: 5 minutes This week is Libraries Week so we thought we would provide an insight into the Northern Ireland Assembly Library, its work and the collection that it manages. The Assembly Library The Library, like the Assembly
‘Exit’ from COVID-19 lockdown: Social distancing and face coverings to minimise the spread of the virus
Reading Time: 10 minutes Context The RaISe research paper ‘Exit’ from COVID-19 ‘lockdown’: Health-related issues (20 May 2020) contained sections on transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2 and two of the key issues – social/physical distancing from other people and
‘Exit’ from COVID-19 lockdown: Use of testing and contact tracing
Reading Time: 9 minutes The Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe) has published a number of papers on testing for Sars-CoV-2 tracking and contact tracing, including ‘Testing for Sars-CoV-2 in the UK; and the use of testing and contact
Ten reasons to be cautious about using R to support decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic
Reading Time: 9 minutes The risk is that a complicated number is released without context into a world that doesn’t know how to think about it. The ‘R number’ that most of us non-epidemiologists had never heard of
Grit Expectations: How and when are our roads and footpaths salted during the winter season?
Reading Time: 6 minutes 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?
Reading Time: 8 minutes 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?
Reading Time: 6 minutes 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.
COVID-19 and Brexit: A reading list (updated)
Reading Time: 4 minutes Brexit and the negotiations during the current transition period may have slipped from the top of the news agenda, but commentators are already beginning to consider the likely impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the
COVID-19 and Brexit: A reading list
Reading Time: 3 minutes Brexit and the negotiations during the current transition period may have slipped from the top of the news agenda, but commentators are already beginning to consider the likely impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the
Brexit and Northern Ireland: Reading List #27
Reading Time: 2 minutes Please note: This version of the Brexit and Northern Ireland reading list has now been superseded. For the very latest version, please see here. The Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe) has just published