Latest Fact Checks

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Economy

Does NI have the lowest wages, slowest economy, lowest productivity and highest economic inactivity in the UK and Ireland?

23 May 2023

CLAIM: Northern Ireland has the lowest wages, lowest economic growth, lowest productivity, and highest economic inactivity in the UK and Ireland.

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Mixed

In its manifesto published ahead of the 2023 local government elections, Sinn Fein claimed: “The north has the lowest wages, lowest economic growth, lowest productivity,

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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.

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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

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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

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Economy

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Education

Is Northern Ireland one of the cheapest parts of the UK for childcare?

25 April 2023

CLAIM: Northern Ireland is one of the least expensive places in the UK for childcare.

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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 11 March, Belfast Live posted on its Facebook page that: “Northern Ireland has been named as one of the cheapest regions in the UK

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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.

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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

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Europe

Would 35 million people live in Ireland if it was as densely populated as England?

5 April 2023

CLAIM: If Ireland’s population density was the same as England, its population would be 35 million people.

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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION

On 25 March, Irish comedian Tadhg Hickey claimed on social media: “Had we English levels of density we’d have a population of 35 million.” Mr