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Gambling in NI: Are 3% of adults addicted to gambling?
15 April 2026
CLAIM: In Northern Ireland, around 3% of all adults meet the threshold for gambling addiction while 14% of people who gamble say they have bet more than they can afford to lose.
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During a 16 March debate on the criminal justice system, Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan claimed that: “Around 3% of adults meet the threshold for
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Health in NI: Do 40% of women wrongly believe cervical smear tests for ovarian cancer?
7 April 2026
CLAIM: 40% of women mistakenly believe cervical screening tests for ovarian cancer.
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During a 16 March debate on a women’s health strategy, DUP MLA Diane Forsythe claimed that: “Target Ovarian Cancer reports that 40% of women mistakenly
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Mental health in NI: Does mental ill health cost us £3.4bn per year?
1 April 2026
CLAIM: Poor mental health costs Northern Ireland £3.4bn every year. Mental health receives around 7% of the health budget – a lower proportion than elsewhere in the UK and Ireland. Around 80% of the actions in the current mental health strategy are paused because of a lack of funding.
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In a 16 February debate in the Assembly around mental health data, Sinn Féin MLA Órlaithí Flynn claimed: “Mental ill health costs our society £3.4
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Government in NI: Have only ten laws been passed at Stormont since it resumed after the last collapse?
27 March 2026
CLAIM: Since its re-establishment in February 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive and other Assembly institutions have only passed ten laws. This includes a direction by the Executive to delegate decisions on remuneration, leading to a 27% pay rise for MLAs.
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In a social media post made on 20 February, the Green Party of Northern Ireland (GPNI) stated that, since its resumption following the last collapse,
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Health in NI: Are deaths due to alcohol at the highest levels on record?
19 March 2026
CLAIM: There were 397 alcohol-specific deaths in NI in 2024, the highest number on record and an increase of 80% on ten years ago. The death rate in the most-deprived communities is almost four times higher than in the least-deprived areas. 60% of alcohol-related hospital admissions come from just 3% of the population. In Scotland, minimum unit pricing for alcohol cut the number of deaths wholly attributable to alcohol by 13%.
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In a Member’s Statement to the Assembly about minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol, UUP MLA Alan Chambers claimed: “On 11 February 2026, the latest
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Religion in NI: Is blasphemy still against the law in Northern Ireland?
12 March 2026
CLAIM: NI still has blasphemy laws from the 1800s on the books, and it is the only place in the UK and Ireland not to have abolished them
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On 24 February 2026, Connie Egan, Alliance MLA, submitted an amendment to the Minister of Justice’s Bill to repeal common law offences that criminalise blasphemy
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Flags in NI: What does the PSNI’s new instruction on removing “harmful” flags mean?
5 March 2026
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Why we produce prebunk explainer articles
5 March 2026
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Economy in NI: Has regional inequality doubled since 1998?
26 February 2026
CLAIM: In 1998, Belfast’s Gross Value Added (GVA) was 42% while according to the most recent statistics its GVA is now 80% – meaning regional inequality has doubled in that time.
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In a 26 January Assembly debate about economic trends on the island of Ireland, SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin claimed: “Regional inequality has doubled here since
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NI trade:will new EU customs fees apply to NI?
18 February 2026
CLAIM: EU customs regulations allowing imports of goods valued under €150 for no fee are to be abolished, with a €3 flat fee to apply from 1 July this year. Northern Ireland is within the EU customs zone and this fee will apply to packages arriving here from outside the EU. Furthermore, an extra handling fee of €2 is also set to be added – and will also apply locally.
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In a Member’s Statement delivered to the NI Assembly on 19 January, UUP MLA Steve Aiken said: “Members may not be aware of European Commission
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Social care in NI: Do the majority of independent employers pay the real living wage?
10 February 2026
CLAIM: Within the independent social care sector in Northern Ireland, 70% of employers pay their workers the real Living Wage.
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In a meeting of the NI Assembly Health Committee on 20 November 2025, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, in response to a question about the real
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Online safety in NI: Do 99% of pornographic deepfakes depict images of women?
5 February 2026
CLAIM: In total, 98% of all deepfakes are pornographic and 99% of those feature women. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of deepfakes online increased by 550%.
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In a 26 January Assembly debate about online safety and violence against women and girls, Alliance Party MLA Connie Egan claimed: “[Every] day, technologies utilising