Skip to content
A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Latest Articles

A photograph showing the Chencellor, Rachel Reeves
The 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) was the first undertaken by a Labour Government since 2007, and was delivered amidst significant global challenges. In her speech on 11 June…
A cartoon image showing two men discussing men's health
As part of Men’s Health Awareness Month, this video takes a look at men’s health in Northern Ireland. If you’re not able to access the video, you can access…

Agriculture and Environment

Overhead satellite image of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland.
In recent years, algal blooms have drawn large-scale notoriety and attention. We take a look at their global impact on areas of natural beauty.
Description of image provided in accompanying caption.
We take a look at the economic and environmental impact of zebra mussels, an invasive aquatic species, across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Economy and Finance

A photograph showing the Chencellor, Rachel Reeves
The 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) was the first undertaken by a Labour Government since 2007, and was delivered amidst significant global challenges. In her speech on 11 June
A composite image showing UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, US President Donald Trump and NI Finance Minister John O'Dowd
“A changing world” and “a generational challenge” – that is how the Chancellor described the global political and economic landscape when delivering her Spring Statement on 26 March 2025.
An image showing UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves
It seems ages since the Chancellor delivered her Spring Statement on 26 March 2025. And now the Chancellor has significantly more factors to address in the aftermath of the

Education and Skills

A picture showing some scruffy stationery items on a school desk
This blog article provides an overview of educational underachievement in Northern Ireland. It defines underachievement, examines the attainment gap between pupils entitled to free school meals and others, outlines
An AI-generated image showing cartoon figures working in a careers service
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming career guidance and is reshaping how students, professionals and employers navigate an increasingly complex job market. In Northern Ireland, this digital revolution presents both
A cartoon drawing of a number of adults sitting around a table discussing.
The purpose of this blog article is threefold. First, we consider the important role which school governors play in the education system in Northern Ireland. Second, we examine the

Governance

Health and Society

A cartoon image showing two men discussing men's health
As part of Men’s Health Awareness Month, this video takes a look at men’s health in Northern Ireland. If you’re not able to access the video, you can access
Image: StockVault, Mohamed Hassan
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) provides an indication of the economic health of a country, but examining happiness can give a clearer picture of the experiences of people living with
A stylised image depicting women's health
As part of a series of blog posts from the Assembly Research and Information Service to mark International Women’s Day 2025, we have put together this video to summarise

Infrastructure

Infrastructure articles produced after May 2022 will be published here when they are available. You can also view our archive of blogs published before May 2022.