What is Northern Ireland’s COVID-19 recovery plan?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

This article explains the Northern Ireland Executive’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

[It is part of the COVID-19 Information Dissemination (COVID-19 ID) Project — a partnership between Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) and FactCheckNI. Its aim is to improve people’s health literacy about COVID-19 by providing accurate and up-to-date information which will increase knowledge, understanding and confidence and enable people to make good health decisions.] Continue reading What is Northern Ireland’s COVID-19 recovery plan?

Does Belfast/Good Friday Agreement forbid cross-border barriers?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement does not forbid the provision of barrier controls between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement does not exclude governments’ border measures, but aims for ‘normal security arrangements’. The UK Withdrawal Agreement seeks to minimise physical border controls. Continue reading Does Belfast/Good Friday Agreement forbid cross-border barriers?

Are 1 in 4 NI adults ‘now at risk of hunger and malnutrition’?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: “One in four NI adults ‘now at risk of hunger and malnutrition’”

CONCLUSION: UNSUBSTANTIATED. The research behind the News Letter headline was conducted across the UK and the results were not broken down by region, so this UK finding cannot be applied to Northern Ireland without further area-specific evidence.

Continue reading Are 1 in 4 NI adults ‘now at risk of hunger and malnutrition’?

Do over 95% of south Belfast residents own their own home?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: Over 95% of people living in south Belfast own their own home.

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. The 2011 Census shows that the Belfast South constituency recorded 56.1% of homes being owned outright or owned with a mortgage or loan. Continue reading Do over 95% of south Belfast residents own their own home?

Has levy removed 1.2 billion carrier bags?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE: Data from annual reports from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) calculates a cumulative reduction of the dispensing of 1,230,620,479 carrier bags. Continue reading Has levy removed 1.2 billion carrier bags?

Are only 3 out of 12 regions net contributors to the UK Treasury?

Posted on by FactCheckNI

CLAIM: Only 3 out of 12 regions are net contributors to the UK Treasury.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. Data from the ONS showed that only three regions of the UK — London, the southeast and the east of England — ran a fiscal surplus in the 2017-18 financial year, the latest year for which figures are available. Continue reading Are only 3 out of 12 regions net contributors to the UK Treasury?