Browse all the articles published on the Research Matters blog, with the most recent articles appearing at the top.
This article is the first in a series looking at mental health and illness in Northern Ireland, covering relevant reviews, policies, reports, services, treatments and
A significant number of European Union laws and policies have a direct role in protecting and promoting children’s rights. What has the EU achieved in
The growing pressure on primary healthcare services is reported in the media on an almost daily basis – a key reason being that people are
Breastfeeding in public is often a topic for debate. Although a very personal decision for parents, breastfeeding in public spaces is viewed as a social
By Eóin Murphy, Michael Scholes, and Aidan Stennett The Northern Ireland Executive is currently revising its Economic Strategy. What are the key factors it should
Tomorrow is International Day of Persons with Disability. Coordinated by the United Nations, this event has been celebrated since 1992. Many different groups, organisations and
Has the Chancellor’s statement had the mountainous impact on the Executive’s budget that was expected?
In the 2011-16 Assembly Mandate, MLAs debated, scrutinised and passed a range of legislation across a number of policy areas – from Mental Capacity to
It is difficult to grasp the full extent of what is portrayed by road traffic collision statistics. Each statistic represents a human being and, in
The draft Programme for Government contains a commitment to running a pilot family drug and alcohol court in Northern Ireland. Such courts have been used
The agri-food sector is a significant one for the economy and employment in Northern Ireland. For a number of reasons, the implications of the vote
The Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe) recently published a paper which provided an update on developments following the EU referendum on 23rd June. In
The Assembly Education Service engaged with more than 80,000 young people during the last mandate. The aim of this work is to inform young people
Yesterday, we published a post which examined the 2016 Assembly election results in terms of candidates and voter turnout. This post, the second in the
The fifth Assembly election since the return of devolution in 1998 took place on 5 May 2016. The DUP consolidated its position as the largest
How might leaving the European Union impact on environmental policy, funding and legislation in Northern Ireland?
This week has seen a number of announcements made which will have a bearing on the process of UK withdrawal from the EU.
The past seven days have seen significant developments in relation to EU referendum related action in the courts at both local and UK level. This
A draft BBC Charter and Framework Agreement has been published, but what’s in it for Northern Ireland and will proposed changes to governance arrangements be
Are we still sectarian, or the ‘race-hate capital’?
One area that has created considerable political division in Northern Ireland is how to deal with a contested past. Broadly, ‘dealing with the past’ tends
The plant disease and invasive species threat posed to the environment in Northern Ireland is increasing, and likely to continue to do so due to
Please note that a more recent article on Suicide statistics and strategy in Northern Ireland: Update was published in November 2019. ______________________________ For the second
Education and training are key factors in economic progress, acting as a means of raising productivity. Whilst other factors can result in short-run economic improvements,
How can we ensure that children’s early years lay firm foundations for the future? During the first five years of life children develop at a
Prolonged heavy rainfall over the winter of 2015 has shown how devastating flooding can be to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. With predictions that localised
Rapid technological changes have caused the norms and methods of children’s sexual behaviour to evolve. Much screen-based media use now involves accessing interactive social networking
At the beginning of the last Assembly mandate in 2011, the Research and Information Service wrote a piece on the possibility of new legislation for
In recent years ‘Preventative Expenditure‘ (PE) has gained a high level of political consensus. There are many definitions, and this imprecision has resulted in departments
Despite not being particularly large in overall UK terms, the sea fishing industry in Northern Ireland makes a significant contribution to the economy of the
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