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For your consideration: FactCheckNI verdict ratings
Are 60% against “The Backstop” in Northern Ireland?
CLAIM: 60% of people in Northern Ireland are against the backstop.
CONCLUSION: Inaccurate. 35% of all those polled in a LucidTalk poll responded that they would oppose some sort of special status for Northern Ireland; 60% of Unionists polled were opposed to one option of special status, because “it would be bad for the NI economy”. Continue reading Are 60% against “The Backstop” in Northern Ireland?
Is border trade 0.5% of UK-EU trade?
CLAIM: There are approximately 100 lorries per day crossing the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and cross-border trade represents 0.5% of UK-EU trade.
CONCLUSION: Inaccurate with consideration. There are 5,900 lorry (heavy goods vehicle) crossings daily. Cross-border trade represents 0.97% of UK-EU trade; alternative figures may be due to different measurement practices between countries. Continue reading Is border trade 0.5% of UK-EU trade?
Are half of the people in Fermanagh and Omagh living in poverty?
CLAIM: Over half of the residents in Fermanagh & Omagh District Council are living in poverty.
CONCLUSION: Inaccurate. 25.1% of people in Fermanagh and Omagh lived in relative and/or absolute poverty, from 2012-15. The claim was corrected by the Fermanagh Herald on 6 February 2019. Continue reading Are half of the people in Fermanagh and Omagh living in poverty?
Do our farmers receive 62% of income from EU?
CLAIM: 62% of income received by farmers in Northern Ireland comes from the European Union.
CONCLUSION: Accurate. The average payment received from the EU (£27,648) in 2016-17 represented 62.4% of total farm income (£44,305). This ratio fluctuates with market prices; it ranged between 52% and 71% during 2012-13 to 2016-17. Continue reading Do our farmers receive 62% of income from EU?
Do more men die by suicide in Northern Ireland?
CLAIM: More men die by suicide in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
CONCLUSION: Accurate. For 2017, Northern Ireland had the highest rate in the UK (and Ireland) of registered deaths by suicide for men (29.1 per 100,000 men) (and women (8.5 per 100,000 women)). Also, the number of total suicides by year of actual occurrence in Northern Ireland for 2013 (306) is more than double that for 1995 (148). Continue reading Do more men die by suicide in Northern Ireland?