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Religion in NI: Is blasphemy still against the law in Northern Ireland?
12 March 2026
CLAIM: NI still has blasphemy laws from the 1800s on the books, and it is the only place in the UK and Ireland not to have abolished them
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ACCURATE
On 24 February 2026, Connie Egan, Alliance MLA, submitted an amendment to the Minister of Justice’s Bill to repeal common law offences that criminalise blasphemy
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Flags in NI: What does the PSNI’s new instruction on removing “harmful” flags mean?
5 March 2026
On 16 January 2026, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published a service instruction: Responding to Complaints about Public Displays. This contained guidance as
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Why we produce prebunk explainer articles
As well as publishing fact checks, FactCheckNI also produces explainer articles. These pieces help readers understand complex claims, issues and debates that cannot easily be
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Economy in NI: Has regional inequality doubled since 1998?
26 February 2026
CLAIM: In 1998, Belfast’s Gross Value Added (GVA) was 42% while according to the most recent statistics its GVA is now 80% – meaning regional inequality has doubled in that time.
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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In a 26 January Assembly debate about economic trends on the island of Ireland, SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin claimed: “Regional inequality has doubled here since
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NI trade:will new EU customs fees apply to NI?
18 February 2026
CLAIM: EU customs regulations allowing imports of goods valued under €150 for no fee are to be abolished, with a €3 flat fee to apply from 1 July this year. Northern Ireland is within the EU customs zone and this fee will apply to packages arriving here from outside the EU. Furthermore, an extra handling fee of €2 is also set to be added – and will also apply locally.
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MIXED
In a Member’s Statement delivered to the NI Assembly on 19 January, UUP MLA Steve Aiken said: “Members may not be aware of European Commission
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Social care in NI: Do the majority of independent employers pay the real living wage?
10 February 2026
CLAIM: Within the independent social care sector in Northern Ireland, 70% of employers pay their workers the real Living Wage.
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INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In a meeting of the NI Assembly Health Committee on 20 November 2025, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, in response to a question about the realBrowse by Topic
We have written 160 fact-check reports on public statements since 2016.