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Peace

Is Belfast City Council’s policy for dual language street signs “extremist and provocative”?
23 February 2024
A column in the News Letter examined changes in Belfast City Council’s processes for erecting dual language street signs. We take a look at how

Articles

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Elections

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Peace

Do the people of Northern Ireland want the Assembly to return?
30 January 2024

CLAIM: Recent polling data indicates that the Northern Irish public wants devolution restored.

Rating

ACCURATE

Professor Shirlow is the Director of the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool. On 29 January, he claimed in a post on

Articles

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Economy

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Peace

Did the Executive promise equal cash to rebuild Windsor Park, Casement Park and Ravenhill?
11 December 2023

CLAIM: The NI Executive’s commitment to provide financial support for new football, GAA and rugby stadiums involved an equal split between sports.

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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 10 November in a post on social media, Loyalist campaigner Jamie Bryson claimed: “[The construction of the three stadiums – at Ravenhill, Windsor and

Articles

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Law

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Peace

Did the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement lead to comfort letters for the ‘On The Runs’?
8 November 2023

CLAIM: The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (GFA) ultimately led to the “On The Runs” (OTRs) receiving so-called “comfort letters” covering the same types of criminal allegations addressed in Westminster’s recent Legacy Act.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

In a post on social media on 6 September, DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly claimed: “Remember that because of Good Friday Agreement, the offences covered by

Articles

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Elections

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Peace

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Topics

Did Sinn Féin collapse Stormont for three years?
12 October 2023

CLAIM: Sinn Féin brought down Northern Ireland’s political institutions for three years between early 2017 and early 2020.

Rating

IT'S COMPLICATED

On BBC NI show Sunday Politics on 1 October, News Letter editor Ben Lowry said: “Sinn Fein brought down Stormont for three years, three years

Economy

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Europe

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Peace

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Topics

Is the EU contributing €1 billion to the PEACE PLUS fund for Northern Ireland?
13 September 2023

CLAIM: The Irish News claimed that the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar joined EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Belfast to announce €1 billion of EU funding for Northern Ireland.

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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On September 11 2023 The Irish News tweeted:  “Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has joined EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Belfast to announce €1 billion of EU

Articles

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Explainer

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Law

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Peace

Was Ireland’s constitutional claim to Northern Ireland illegal?
24 July 2023
On 7 June, during an evidence session to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) in the House of Commons, Baroness Foster was asked the following

Articles

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Economy

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Elections

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Peace

Do divisions in society cost Northern Ireland between £400m and £830m every year?
16 May 2023

CLAIM: The cost of social division to the public purse in NI ranges between £400m and £830m every year.

Rating

ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

In its manifesto issued ahead of the 2023 local government elections, the Alliance Party claimed: “The current estimates of the cost of division range between

Articles

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Economy

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Health

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Peace

Does Northern Ireland have the highest rate of child poverty in the UK?
2 May 2023

CLAIM: Northern Ireland has the highest levels of child poverty in the UK.

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INACCURATE

On 3 April, in a column for the Irish Times, campaigner Emma de Souza claimed: “Northern Ireland has the highest levels of child poverty in

Articles

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Peace

Is direct rule incompatible with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement? Or would joint authority breach the principle of consent?
18 April 2023

CLAIM: 1. Direct rule is incompatible with the GFA. In the absence of a functioning Stormont, joint authority is the only way to respect the multilateral spirit that brought the Agreement about. 2. Nothing in the Agreement helps establish joint authority - in fact, joint authority would be a clear violation of its terms and would also remove the principle of consent.

Rating

BOTH INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On April 4, SDLP MP Claire Hanna was quoted in the Irish News, saying: “[We] should also be clear that one-sided direct rule simply isn’t

Articles

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Elections

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Peace

Is there no growth in public support for a United Ireland? Is support shrinking instead?
30 March 2023

CLAIMS: There is no evidence of increased support for Northern Ireland leaving the UK - in fact, every major poll points in the other direction.

Rating

ACCURATE / INACCURATE

On 15 March, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP told the National Press Club in Washington DC: “There is no evidence of growing support for

Europe

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Explainer

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Law

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Peace

What did the Supreme Court say about the lawfulness of the Northern Ireland Protocol?
27 February 2023
On 8 February, the Supreme Court handed down judgment in a case challenging the legality of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The court unanimously rejected the