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A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Published pre May 2022

This is a tag applied to all posts published before May 2022. This is because they are all using the same single post template that won’t be used on new posts going forward.

A look back at the dualling of the A1; the main route between Belfast-Newry-Dublin. The new north-bound carriageway is on the left and carrying two-way traffic while the new south-bound carriageway is under construction on the right. The road opened on 23 November 2006.

Has transport investment been a priority for the Northern Ireland Executive? A comparison of transport expenditure across the UK

Overall public spending per capita is higher in Northern Ireland than in any of the other UK regions. However, the proportion which is spent on transport is lower.

A look back at the dualling of the A1; the main route between Belfast-Newry-Dublin. The new north-bound carriageway is on the left and carrying two-way traffic while the new south-bound carriageway is under construction on the right. The road opened on 23 November 2006.
Image by Albert Bridge, under Creative Commons

Read More »Has transport investment been a priority for the Northern Ireland Executive? A comparison of transport expenditure across the UK

Reference volumes on political theory in the Assembly Library

Transferred votes in the March 2017 Assembly Election

Transferred votes are an extremely important part of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. In the 2017 Assembly Election, only 18 MLAs had a sufficient number of first preference votes to meet the quota and to be elected at the first count; the remaining 72 were elected at a later stage and required transferred votes. This post examines how votes were transferred between parties.

Reference volumes on political theory in the Assembly Library

Read More »Transferred votes in the March 2017 Assembly Election

Art therapy (image Save the Children under Creative Commons)

Allied Health Professions in Northern Ireland: Their role in reform of primary and community care

This article looks at the issues faced by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in Northern Ireland in supporting patients in primary and community care. It sets out the groups that make-up AHPs and examines how the role of AHPs could evolve in a changing healthcare landscape.

Art therapy (image Save the Children under Creative Commons)
Art therapy (Image: Save the Children, under Creative Commons)

Read More »Allied Health Professions in Northern Ireland: Their role in reform of primary and community care

Edwardian chimneys in Belfast

‘Housing First’: An alternative approach to addressing homelessness?

Homelessness strategies across Europe have traditionally focused on a housing-led approach. This approach prioritises treatment and addiction recovery. Service users transition through stages of temporary accommodation before permanent housing is made available. In contrast, the ‘Housing First’ model gives service users immediate access to permanent accommodation. Because the ‘Housing First’ model views housing as a human right, engagement with treatment services or sobriety isn’t used as a condition of their tenancy. Following on from a blog post yesterday about the many different forms of homelessness in Northern Ireland, this article looks at what the ‘Housing First’ approach is and how it has been implemented across Europe, with specific focus on its use in Northern Ireland.

Edwardian chimneys in Belfast
Image by Albert Bridge, under Creative Commons

Read More »‘Housing First’: An alternative approach to addressing homelessness?

A set of stars in the shape of the Flag of Europe, with one missing

After Brexit – what will remain?

Following the referendum in June 2016, the UK Prime Minister has stated that Article 50, the trigger mechanism for withdrawal from the EU, will be initiated by the end of March 2017. There are still key questions about what laws will have to be changed, what relationship will exist between the EU and the UK and how free the UK will be to act domestically and internationally. Some of these questions have received spurious answers during and since the referendum debate.

A set of stars in the shape of the Flag of Europe, with one missing

Read More »After Brexit – what will remain?

The word 'budget' spelled in Scrabble tiles

Who has the power of the purse if the Assembly does not agree a budget?

Piecing together a budget is one of the most fundamental activities of government. But in Northern Ireland (NI) there is currently neither a government nor a budget for the next financial year. Fresh elections have just returned a smaller number of MLAs to the Assembly. Even if a new Executive is now formed incredibly quickly, it is likely to be hard pushed to build a budget and get it approved before 31 March.

The word 'budget' spelled in Scrabble tiles
Image: Nick Youngson (Creative Commons)

Read More »Who has the power of the purse if the Assembly does not agree a budget?

The plenary chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly

The representation of women in public life: where does Northern Ireland stand (now)?

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.

In the context of International Women’s Day and following the election to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 March, we have updated a previous article on the representation of women in public life.

The plenary chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Read More »The representation of women in public life: where does Northern Ireland stand (now)?