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Environment

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Health

CLAIM: Approximately 120 to 140 people die while fishing in Ireland.

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On BBC Radio Ulster’s show Good Morning Ulster on June 7, during a discussion about deaths during the Isle of Man TT, former road racer

Education

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Elections

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Health

CLAIM: Children in Northern Ireland who are entitled to free school meals (FSME) are 29 percentage points less likely to get 5+ GCSEs at A*-C, including English and maths, than those who aren’t FSME, based on results for 2018-19. This attainment gap has only shrunk by three percentage points (pp) since 2005-06

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Data shows that in 2018-2019, 49.5% of FSME school leavers had at least five GCSEs including English and maths, compared to 78.5% of their non-FSME

Health

CLAIM: Children who get the Covid-19 vaccine increase their risk of early death by 5,100%.

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Data does not support this claim. Deaths of children after vaccination are too rare to inform reliable estimates. A temporary increase is possible because children

Health

CLAIM: If you’ve had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and you haven’t had a booster jab, then you have a 50/50 chance of ending up in hospital if you catch Omicron.

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Data published by the UK Health Security Agency at the time of the claim suggested that with two doses, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation due to

Health

CLAIM: Northern Ireland has the highest number of children in care since the introduction of the Children Order in 1995.

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In January 2022, 3,566 children in Northern Ireland were recorded as being in care, which is the highest recorded figure since 1995, according to Department

Explainer

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Health

This article explains how to learn guidance and regulations of the use of face coverings in Northern Ireland and explores some of the available evidence regarding their use. 

What is the guidance on face coverings in Northern Ireland? The Northern Ireland Executive announced that the use of face coverings in certain indoor settings

Explainer

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Health

Explaining seasonal flu, measuring outbreaks, and understanding excess winter mortality.

“Seasonal flu” is a very common illness, and tends to be more severe than the common cold. The most common symptoms are a sudden high

Explainer

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Health

What are excess deaths, how is COVID-19 affecting them, and how does Northern Ireland compare to the rest of the world?

There has been a lot of discussion in relation to “excess deaths” and COVID-19. This term is not specific to this pandemic and has been

Health

CLAIM: Vegans cannot take COVID-19 vaccines because they contain animal products.

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The claim is not accurate. No COVID-19 vaccine currently in use contains animal products.  Context On The Nolan Show (30/11/2021 from 10.21) a caller claimed

Health

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Law

CLAIM: Northern Ireland is the only part of Europe that does not have climate change legislation.

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The Northern Ireland Assembly has not yet passed its own legislation, unlike the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. However, there is UK climate-related legislation

Explainer

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Health

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Peace

EXPLAINER: Comparing how deaths by suicide are measured across the UK and Ireland

During the pandemic, there have been claims that the number of deaths by suicide has increased, reflecting the acknowledged mental strain experienced by many. FactCheckNI

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Health

EXPLAINER: How do COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility and pregnancy?

The issue of how COVID-19 vaccines may impact fertility and/or pregnancy continues to be live. Health Minister Robin Swann told the Stormont health committee on