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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.

Reconciliation sculpture i nthe grounds of the Stormont Estate, by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos.

Dealing with the past in Northern Ireland

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 to refer to issues relating to people affected by the conflict, how the past is commemorated or remembered and truth recovery and justice. How far is Northern Ireland from an agreed approach to deal with the events of the conflict?

Reconciliation sculpture in the grounds of the Stormont Estate, by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos.
Reconciliation sculpture in the grounds of the Stormont Estate, by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos.

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Ash dieback positive sites (November 2012 - December 2015; image: Forest Service)

A clear and present danger: Plant disease and invasive species

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 factors such as increasing world trade and the potential impacts of climate change. These factors also increase the potential risk of the threats that we face diversifying and affecting a wider range of plant species.

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Suicide rate per 100,000 persons; Belfast North and Belfast West are the two constituencies with the highest average annual suicide rate

Death by suicide in Northern Ireland

Please note that a more recent article on Suicide statistics and strategy in Northern Ireland: Update was published in November 2019.

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For the second consecutive year, Northern Ireland recorded the UK’s highest suicide rate. Provisional figures for 2015 show a figure of 318 recorded deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland. This compares with a total of 268 for 2014. In recent years, suicide rates have increased substantially from their typical level in the 1970s. For example, in 1971 a suicide rate of 5 per 100,000 population was recorded, and the rate remained in single figures for most of the next thirty years [1]. In the last decade, however, the rate has fluctuated around the mid-teens (14-17 per 100,000 population). There are many reasons why someone may experience suicidal feelings, and suicide is a highly complex issue. So what are some of the risk factors?

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A student reading in a library (Image: Tulane University, under Creative Commons)

Economic impact of cuts to the Higher Education sector

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, education and training are critical to embedding long-term growth. As such, the current reductions in funding for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) could potentially have a negative impact on future economic development in Northern Ireland (NI).

A student reading in a library (Image: Tulane University, under Creative Commons)
A student reading in a library (Image: Tulane University, under Creative Commons)

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Mullygarry, Fermanagh; after thirty-five consecutive days of rain in 2009, the water levels on Lough Erne rose to 158ft above sea level, the highest since records began in 1956 (image Dean Molyneaux, under Creative Commons).

Managing Flood risk in Northern Ireland: Are we prepared?

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 flooding will become an ever more common occurrence, how prepared is Northern Ireland to manage flood risk?

Mullygarry, Fermanagh; after thirty-five consecutive days of rain in 2009, the water levels on Lough Erne rose to 158ft above sea level, the highest since records began in 1956 (image Dean Molyneaux, under Creative Commons).
Mullygarry, Fermanagh; after thirty-five consecutive days of rain in 2009, the water levels on Lough Erne rose to 158ft above sea level, the highest since records began in 1956 (image Dean Molyneaux, under Creative Commons).

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Image of girl using mobile phone: Increased access to social media, particularly via personal devices, presents opportunities but also risks (Image: Creative Commons Zero)

Seen but not heard: children ‘sexting’

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 sites such as Facebook and Snapchat. This access, particularly via personal devices, presents opportunities but also risks.

Image of girl using mobile phone: Increased access to social media, particularly via personal devices, presents opportunities but also risks (Image: Creative Commons Zero)
Image of a girl using a mobile phone: Increased access to social media, particularly via personal devices, presents opportunities but also risks (Image: Creative Commons Zero)

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Rainclouds and a rainbow over the sea (Creative Commons; credit: Niklas Sjöblom)

Climate change: picking up where we left off

Rainclouds and a rainbow over the sea (Creative Commons; credit: Niklas Sjöblom)
Rainclouds and a rainbow over the Baltic Sea (Creative Commons; credit: Niklas Sjöblom)

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 Northern Ireland, ‘Climate Change: the need to raise the game’ [page 90 | PDF | 4.7mb]. Five years on, the climate change debate still remains and legislation specific to Northern Ireland has not yet been introduced. However, discussions around the introduction of legislation have more recently picked up momentum again.

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Image of a blackboard, with the words 'Is prevention better than cure?'

What are the key obstacles to introducing a preventative approach in Northern Ireland?

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 sometimes claiming that all of their expenditure is preventative. Generally speaking, PE seeks to reduce public spending by investing early before problems become too severe and expensive to address. Those on the left view it as a way to reduce poverty, while those on the right view it as a way to reduce economic inactivity and ultimately service provision costs. While the idea that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is generally accepted, government’s funding of public services has rarely followed the maxim. Recent reports in the United Kingdom (UK) have identified a number of barriers when governments introduce a preventative approach, some of which are explained here.

Image of a blackboard, with the words 'Is prevention better than cure?'

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Fishing boats in Ardglass harbour (Creative Commons; Image: Ardfern)

A single species fishing industry

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 three County Down ports of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie where the local fleet is mainly based. However, the local industry could face an uncertain future due to its heavy reliance on prawns.

Fishing boats in Ardglass harbour (Creative Commons; Image: Ardfern)
Fishing boats in Ardglass harbour (Creative Commons; Image: Ardfern)

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