Browse all the articles published on the Research Matters blog, with the most recent articles appearing at the top.
Good quality, affordable housing plays a significant role in maintaining physical, mental and social wellbeing. Additionally, the housing market is an important driver of economic growth
Despite the absence of a centralised tourism strategy, the sector makes a significant contribution to the Northern Ireland economy and has exceeded targets set out
Women participate in physical activity much less than men and Northern Ireland is more imbalanced in this regard than the European average. Why is this
Later this month, the new Minister of Finance will announce the outcome of the Executive’s June Monitoring Round. But what is a Monitoring Round, and
The 2016-21 mandate begins in the midst of significant institutional reform.
What is ‘outcomes-based budgeting’, and what are the key benefits and limitations of using it?
How well is the compulsory education system supporting demand for STEM skills in Northern Ireland? Skills development is critical in driving economic growth, and evidence
The Third Sector makes a substantial, but at times unrecognised, contribution to society in Northern Ireland. It is a key provider of health/social care; housing/housing
Following decades of piecemeal development, governments are increasingly seeking to address the common problem of fragmented, uneven and incoherent equality legislation.
The introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) could have a number of impacts in Northern Ireland (NI), raising the earnings of those aged over
There was considerable growth in the development of renewable electricity over the previous Northern Ireland Assembly mandate. Changes to renewable electricity support may impact the ability
Despite recent investment, waiting lists are at an all-time high. Consultant-led outpatient appointments provide an opportunity for patients to receive consultation, investigation and minor treatment.
The growth of special educational needs and the implementation of new legislation point to challenges ahead. There has been a steady increase in the prevalence
As the Northern Ireland (NI) Executive seeks to grow the local economy during the forthcoming mandate, the quality and capacity of NI’s transport infrastructure will
On 5 May voters went to the polls to elect 108 Members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Elections in Northern Ireland are an excepted matter,
The planning system has undergone much change recently, so what are the new structures and how has the balance of responsibility shifted between central and
Northern Ireland (NI) was impacted heavily by the global recession that began in 2008. The recovery since has been slow in the United Kingdom (UK)
The Welfare Reform Bill was undoubtedly one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to come before the Assembly in the last mandate. Where have
Population ageing has been identified as a major societal challenge common to most European countries, particularly in terms of health and social care provision. In
Cycling is one of our most popular leisure pursuits but can it move from being a hobby to an everyday transport mode and, importantly, replace
How were resources allocated to the nine Executive departments, and how much did they get? On 13th January 2016 the Minister of Finance and Personnel
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
The Belfast Agreement in 1998 contained a comprehensive suite of human rights safeguards. These include the introduction of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
Please note: we have posted a new version of this blog article using the most recent data, see here. This article presents a brief demographic
Everything happens somewhere. How does the Northern Ireland Assembly’s in-house geographic information service help Members analyse and visualise complex data? Over 80% of data used
Across the developed world, governments are striving to transform how they deliver and manage health and social care in a way which is fit for
Farm incomes over the last five years in Northern Ireland have shown considerable volatility and this presents challenges for the long- term sustainability of the
A referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU is to take place on Thursday 23rd June. Voters will be asked ‘Should the United Kingdom remain
