Abortion and safe access zones
30th November 2021
In September 2021, Clare Bailey MLA introduced the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill to the Assembly. The Bill passed Second Stage on 12 October
Latest Articles
Browse all the articles published on the Research Matters blog, with the most recent articles appearing at the top.
An overview of the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland
16th November 2021
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,
Are electric cars a realistic alternative to petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland today?
2nd November 2021
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
A reading list on gambling policy, legislation and reform in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland
19th October 2021
Gambling in Northern Ireland is currently regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985 (‘the Order’). The Order is modelled on an
COVID, culture and recovery (part 2 of 2)
30th September 2021
To support the Communities Committee’s consideration of recommendations for the culture sector’s recovery in Northern Ireland, this two-part blog post provides an overview of cultural
COVID, culture and recovery (part 1 of 2)
30th September 2021
To support the Communities Committee’s consideration of future recommendations for the recovery of the cultural sectors in Northern Ireland, this two-part blog post provides an
Valuing the impact of cultural activities on our wellbeing (part 2 of 2)
15th September 2021
This two-part blog post is a follow-up to a series of three articles about Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) and the Programme for Government (PfG) draft
Valuing the impact of cultural activities on our wellbeing (part 1 of 2)
14th September 2021
This two-part blog post is a follow-up to a series of three articles about Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) and the Programme for Government (PfG) draft
Foyled again: Cross-border lough management
9th September 2021
Lough Foyle is a valuable ecosystem and fishery situated on the border between the UK and Republic of Ireland. The maritime boundary – and ownership
Ready for the journey? Public attitudes to electric and ultra-low emission vehicles
8th September 2021
The UK Government is encouraging drivers to buy zero emission battery electric vehicles to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport. It will phase out the sale
Update – the Gibraltar Protocol
11th August 2021
This article updates a previous article on the negotiations around the Gibraltar Protocol. Gibraltar provides an interesting point of comparison with Northern Ireland in terms
Consent, cross-community support and the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol
28th July 2021
John Locke once wrote, ‘we should have a great many fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, signs
Reservoir safety in Northern Ireland: What changes are in the pipeline?
27th July 2021
Reservoir safety is changing in order to better protect people in Northern Ireland. This article gives an overview of a recent Research and Information Service
Judicial Review of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol – Allister (James Hugh) et al’s Application AND In the Matter of the Protocol NI[2021] NIQB 64
20th July 2021
The Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol (‘the Protocol’) was the subject of a judicial review challenge at the High Court of Justice in Belfast. The hearing, which
How is our sport and physical activity strategy shaping up?
29th June 2021
This blog post explores some of the themes in the Department for Communities draft strategy for sport and physical activity and compares plans for Northern
Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic
24th June 2021
As lockdown measures begin to ease, what evidence is there about the impact that COVID-19 has had on our mental health? The COVID-19 pandemic has
Part-time pandemic
23rd June 2021
Recent figures show a decline in part-time work in Northern Ireland (NI) since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] This article describes recent job losses
How has COVID-19 emergency funding for individual artists been distributed in Northern Ireland? (Updated)
22nd June 2021
By James Bamford & Karen McCallion This visualisation provides a snapshot of £11.1 million in emergency funding provided to over 2824 individual artists in Northern
What’s next for public service broadcasting in Northern Ireland?
21st June 2021
This article explores how our viewing habits are changing the landscape for public service broadcasting and what this might mean for audiences in Northern Ireland.
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and Committee scrutiny
18th June 2021
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and Committee scrutiny By Emma Dellow-Perry & Aidan Stennett The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland is part of the Withdrawal Agreement
Gibraltar after the UK’s exit from the EU: A comparison with Northern Ireland
8th June 2021
Gibraltar Following the United Kingdom’s (UK) exit from the European Union (EU), much debate was focussed on Northern Ireland’s unique position as part of the
Update – Data Protection Adequacy after the UK’s Exit from the EU
7th June 2021
This post updates a previous article considering the complexities around data protection after the UK’s exit from the EU. Under the Trade and Co-Operation Agreement,
OBA: The potential of performance accountability
2nd June 2021
Welcome to the third blog article in our series on Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) and the Programme for Government (PfG). In our first blog article,
High street regeneration: What can we learn from other cities?
28th May 2021
Data recently released by the footfall-counter Springboard highlights how the number of shoppers in the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) town centres was down by a third
OBA Population Accountability: A critical perspective
26th May 2021
In the first blog article in this series, we explained the key basic concepts and theory of Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA). In this post, we
Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit goods trade
25th May 2021
This blog article complements the Assembly Research and Information Paper Internal Market Act 2020 and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. It explains Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit
Union connectivity: What does it mean for Northern Ireland?
25th May 2021
Transport links between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom (UK) have entered the spotlight in recent months. The realities of the UK
Outcomes Based Accountability: A refresher
20th May 2021
This blog post is the first in a series which will consider Outcomes Based Accountability, or ‘OBA’, in the context of the draft Programme for
Alcohol-specific deaths in Northern Ireland
7th May 2021
Overview The latest figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (February 2021) show that the number of alcohol-specific deaths in 2019
Peatlands: What are they, where are they and why do they matter?
6th May 2021
Peatlands are the UK’s most extensive semi-natural habitat, but are often thought of as muddy, wet and useless wastelands. This has led to many calling