Latest Articles
How has COVID-19 emergency funding for individual artists been distributed in Northern Ireland?
This visualisation provides a snapshot of £11.1 million in emergency funding provided to over 2824 individual artists in Northern Ireland.
The impact of COVID-19 on Northern Ireland
This visualisation based on analysis published by Ulster Bank, Danske Bank, NISRA, PSNI and Google Mobility Reports, looks at the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.
Snapshot of COVID-19 Funding: Department for Communities
This visualisation provides a series of interactive graphs which offer a snapshot of funding to address key challenges arising from the effects of the COVID-19.
COVID-19 and farming – A bitter harvest?
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 the end of the current transitional period in December 2020. As a result of this decision, the UK and each of the devolved administrations were facing major changes in terms of how they would be supporting farmers outside the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework. There were concerns amongst some local stakeholders around the impacts that such moves would have on the nature and viability of agriculture here.
Farmers and mental health
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?
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?
The Fleadh, the Mòd and the Eisteddfod: Socio-economic considerations for national cultural festivals
Northern Ireland: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the largest global festival of Irish traditional music, language, and culture, organised by the non-profit cultural organisation, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ). Founded in
Wind in a bottle: how can Northern Ireland maximise its wind energy potential?
Legislative background International agreements In the past three decades, governments around the world have set out to decarbonise electricity and heat generation, industrial processes, and transport by moving away from fossil fuels and increasingly adopting
Navigating the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill: balancing regulatory alignment, devolution, and global trade ambitions
Understanding the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill: key issues and implications On 4 September 2024, the UK Government introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology (PRM) Bill (the PRM Bill) to the House of Lords. Designed
Educational underachievement in Northern Ireland
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 the causes of underachievement, public policy
Reimagining career services using Artificial Intelligence
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 unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the
‘Great Expectations’: School Governors in Northern Ireland
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 accountability tensions between Local Management of
Moving beyond the ‘usual suspects’ in academic engagement
Engagement with the academic community can be helpful for fostering informed discussions and decisions within the Northern Ireland Assembly. Academic research is typically robust and independent, offering evidence-based insights that can greatly enhance policy scrutiny
Effective Knowledge Exchange activities in the Northern Ireland Assembly – facilitating access and use of academic research findings and expertise
The Assembly’s Research and Information Service (RaISe) partners with academia and other academic institutions under its ‘Programme of Academic Engagement’. Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities play a central role in delivering the Programme. Read on to
Who runs Northern Ireland? Taking stock of gender and power in Northern Ireland
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
The Prevention Dilemma: Spend today or pay tomorrow?
Imagine you are responsible for allocating an additional £1 million to improve health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland. Should it fund smoking cessation services, falls prevention programmes for older people, parenting support for families, or
The hidden costs of waiting: How backlogs shape health, inequality and care in Northern Ireland
Waiting lists are a familiar feature of health system debate in Northern Ireland. They are usually discussed in terms of numbers waiting and length of delay. These measures matter, but they are incomplete. Waiting lists
Delivering care differently: Implementing the Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing
Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care system is balancing the demands of today alongside the reforms needed for tomorrow. As waiting times in Northern Ireland remain significantly longer than elsewhere in the UK, and services
Introducing a new tool to study road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland
Road safety is an area of critical importance to policy makers. In Northern Ireland, road traffic collisions remain a leading cause of preventable death and serious injury, placing lasting emotional, social and financial burdens on
An overview of the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland
This blog article provides a brief overview of the ‘Digital Divide’. Drawing on the Northern Ireland experience, it explores key characteristics of the Digital Divide, as well as the importance of closing this divide, especially
Are electric cars a realistic alternative to petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland today?
The UK Government has a vision where almost all cars and vans on UK roads will be electric by 2050. Encouragingly, the market for electric cars is growing year-on-year, though realistically they continue to make
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025: what it means for Northern Ireland
Having been granted Royal Assent on 21 July 2025, the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 moved from debate into law, opening a new phase in the UK’s approach to product regulation. Much of the
EU forced labour regulations: an addition to the Windsor Framework?
Context In September 2025 the Council of the European Union published a Decision to seek to add the new EU regulation on forced labour to the list of laws that apply in Northern Ireland (NI)
European Commission Work Programme 2025: Enhanced engagement with Northern Ireland stakeholders
On 11 February 2025, the European Commission (the Commission) will present its Work Programme (CWP) for the year ahead during the European Parliament’s plenary session. Publication of the CWP is important as it outlines the