Do the DOJ and NIO joint fund an £8 million a year programme to engage directly with paramilitary organisations?

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CLAIM: The DOJ and NIO joint fund an £8 million a year Programme for Tackling Paramilitary Activity and Organised Crime that funds engagement directly with paramilitary organisations, such as the UVF, UFF, RHC, and UDA.

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. The cross-department Executive Programme for Tackling Paramilitary Activity and Organised Crime receives funds from the Northern Ireland Executive, and is not jointly funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). To date, there is no evidence of funds being provided for engagement directly with paramilitary organisations by the programme.
 Continue reading Do the DOJ and NIO joint fund an £8 million a year programme to engage directly with paramilitary organisations?

Was Belfast the sixth highest in murder rate for a European city in 2010?

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CLAIM: The murder rate in Belfast was sixth highest in a list of cities in Europe (according to 2010 data).

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. Available data shows other cities with higher homicide rates. Data for some other cities was not and is not published. By any reasonable definition, homicide rates in Belfast are not among the highest in Europe today. Continue reading Was Belfast the sixth highest in murder rate for a European city in 2010?

Do more than 700,000 born in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport?

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CLAIM: More than 700,000 people born in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport.

CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. 831,779 Irish passport applications (2010-19) represents 44.7% of the Northern Ireland-born population living in the UK at the time of the 2011 Censuses. Continue reading Do more than 700,000 born in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport?

Are there more Orangemen than fluent Irish speakers?

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CLAIM: There are more Orangemen than fluent Irish speakers in Northern Ireland.

CONCLUSION: UNSUBSTANTIATED. The 2017-18 Continuous Household Survey indicates there are an estimated 35,955 persons with conversational fluency of Irish, and the current Grand Secretary of the Orange Order has said that it has “around 40,000” members. However, the Order membership figure is unverifiable. Continue reading Are there more Orangemen than fluent Irish speakers?

Is Irish the only language banned in Northern Ireland courts?

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CLAIM: Only the Irish language is banned in courts in Northern Ireland.

CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. 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?