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?
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
Tourism update: 2024
Introduction Tourism in Northern Ireland accounted for £2.3 billion or 5% of the region’s Gross Value Added in 2019. The sector supported 70,200 jobs in Northern Ireland in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns
Addressing the Digital Divide in Northern Ireland
This blog article focuses on key UK Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Departmental initiatives which are currently in place to address the digital divide in Northern Ireland (NI). Following on from the previous blog post
Parental pressures in education
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 at how these pressures can compound
Forest Schools: inside nature’s classroom
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 primary schools now registered as Forest
Every child deserves a real chance in life: A renewed government focus on solving educational underachievement in Northern Ireland?
Young people have faced unprecedented changes to their childhoods and futures due to COVID-19. A significant part of this disruption has been to their education. While schools and education staff adapted admirably to online learning,
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
Addressing the complexities of ADHD care: challenges and opportunities
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 are unclear; however, researchers do know
From custody to community: mental health and criminal justice in Northern Ireland
Every year, World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the state of mental health services globally. In Northern Ireland (NI), the intersection between mental health and the criminal justice system presents a
The misuse of prescription drugs in Northern Ireland
by Max Larkinson & James Bamford Earlier this year the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on Addiction Services in Northern Ireland (NI), highlighting a steady increase of both alcohol- and drug-specific deaths (Figure
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
Ready for the journey? Public attitudes to electric and ultra-low emission vehicles
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 of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030,
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
Update – the Gibraltar Protocol
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 of arrangements following the UK’s exit from the EU. The
Consent, cross-community support and the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol
John Locke once wrote, ‘we should have a great many fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves’. In
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