Peace

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CLAIM: Tánaiste Leo Varadkar claimed that, on 6 December 1922, Northern Ireland was both already in existence and technically a part of the Irish Free State.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 6 December, Ireland’s Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “Article 12 of the Treaty [the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which created the Irish Free State] created

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CLAIM: There have been several recent claims that, since it was first established a year and a half after the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions have not been functioning for 40% of the time.

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ACCURATE

***UPDATE FOR 28 JULY 2023: Since this fact check was published, another 262 days have passed – all without a functioning Executive. That takes the

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Peace

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CLAIM: Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins claimed that the 2006 St Andrews Agreement modified the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in such a way that it has effectively handed both the DUP and Sinn Féin veto powers over the formation of an Executive at Stormont.

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INACCURATE

The 2006 St Andrews Agreement made significant changes to the rules for nominating a First and deputy First Minister and, thus, forming an Executive. However,

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Explainer

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Law

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Peace

Several claims have been made about devastating effects of the Protocol on the cost of living in NI. Claims such as the Protocol “is adding

Europe

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Law

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Peace

The NI Protocol means that Northern Ireland remains in the EU’s single market for goods – unlike England, Scotland and Wales. It was agreed by

Elections

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Peace

CLAIM: According to polling, most people planning to cast a first preference vote for the UUP in May’s Assembly election will switch their vote to nationalists before they provide a transfer to other unionist parties.

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INACCURATE

Only 7% of UUP voters plan to switch to a nationalist party first, according to the survey. While 31% say their first move will be

Elections

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Peace

CLAIM: Three-quarters of non-voters in Northern Ireland are pro-Union.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

This claim is accurate with consideration. The claim that three-quarters of non-voters in Northern Ireland are pro-Union is based on evidence from a research survey

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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

Law

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Peace

CLAIM: A British Army veteran who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles is 54 times more likely than a Republican or Loyalist paramilitary to be prosecuted for alleged offences pre-dating the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

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INACCURATE

This claim is not accurate. Prosecutions to date suggest that ex-British Army personnel have been the subject of cases five times more than Republican and

Law

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Peace

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.

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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

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Peace

CLAIM: The last man to attack the US Capitol, prior to the events on 6 January 2021, was a British Army Major General from Northern Ireland, in 1814.

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INACCURATE

This claim is inaccurate. Since the burning of the US Capitol in August 1814, during the War of 1812, there have been four notable further

Economy

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Europe

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Peace

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

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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