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A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Latest Articles

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…
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…

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 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
A cartoon image showing a landscape with some solar panels, a windfarm and a battery storage facility (image by RaISe, generated from Adobe Stock Images)
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

Education and Skills

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
A picture of a Scrabble board showing words such as 'school', 'learn' and 'read'.
This blog article will consider two main issues. First, it will examine the financial pressures facing parents in supporting their children through the school system. Second, it will look
A photograph showing primary school children learning in a forest environment
Northern Ireland faces a dual challenge of declining biodiversity and diminishing childhood engagement with nature. Forest Schools have emerged as a potential innovative solution, with over a fifth of

Governance

Health and Society

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
An image showing some chalk writing of the term 'ADHD'
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that can significantly impact daily functioning. The exact causes of ADHD

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.