CLAIM: One in five new constables from 2016 and 2017 are from a Catholic community background.
CONCLUSION: Unproven but accurate for years 2013 to 2015. Continue reading Are one in five PSNI new constables Catholic?
CLAIM: Pet owners travelling from Northern Ireland to Ireland require “EU pet passports”.
CONCLUSION: True. This includes your pet being marked by a transponder (microchip) and vaccinated against rabies. There are presently no border checks for pets (as official policy); however it is uncertain what regulations will apply post-Brexit. Continue reading Do Northern Ireland pets need passports for Ireland?
CLAIM: A third of Church of Ireland ministry candidates are women.
CONCLUSION: Inaccurate. A quarter of CoI accepted and enrolled candidates are women. For the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, its figures of less than 4% female candidates are considerably lower than the phrase “don’t have nearly as many women as men” would suggest. For the Methodist Church in Ireland, a third of its candidates are women. Continue reading Are a third of CoI ministry candidates women?
CLAIM: Only the Irish language is banned in courts in Northern Ireland.
CONCLUSION: False. English is the working language of court proceedings in Northern Ireland; interpretation and translation services are provided for those who do not speak or understand English. Whether this policy is informed by the Penal Laws is currently contested. Continue reading Is Irish the only language banned in Northern Ireland courts?
CLAIM: There are 100,000 adults in Northern Ireland who have no home.
CONCLUSION: Misleading headline from estimated data. The figure is based on estimations of incomplete data and does not distinguish between statutory and “potential hidden homeless”. The majority of the estimated latter represent non-dependent (adult) children living in the parental household. More accurate data may come from collection by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or independent research. Continue reading Are there 100,000 adults in Northern Ireland with no home?
Do young people have the critical literacy skills they need?
by Alan MEBAN for FactCheckNI
15 June 2018
“Only 2% of children and young people in the UK have the critical literacy skills they need to tell if a news story is real or fake, according to a survey published today by the National Literacy Trust. What do you think of that?” asked the radio reporter who phoned on Wednesday morning. Continue reading Do young people have the critical literacy skills they need?
