CLAIM: There are 1.2 billion fewer carrier bags distributed in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the carrier bag levy in 2012.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE: Data from annual reports from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) calculates a cumulative reduction of the dispensing of 1,230,620,479 carrier bags. Continue reading Has levy removed 1.2 billion carrier bags?
PRESS STATEMENT
FactCheckNI shares tips to help voters spot bad information online ahead of Election Day
FactCheckNI, Northern Ireland’s first and only dedicated fact-checking organisation, has published a new election toolkit to help voters spot bad and misleading information online. Continue reading PRESS STATEMENT: FactCheckNI shares tips to help voters spot bad information online ahead of Election Day
CLAIM: Ninety per cent of those who died during the Troubles were killed by paramilitaries.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. Statistics about killings during the Troubles suggest that 87% of killings were perpetrated by paramilitary groupings, with the figure falling to 85% if evidence to date about collusion is taken into account. However, classifications of responsibility will continue to change as further evidence comes to light. Continue reading Were 90% of those who died during “the Troubles” killed by paramilitaries?
CLAIM: Only 3 out of 12 regions are net contributors to the UK Treasury.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. Data from the ONS showed that only three regions of the UK — London, the southeast and the east of England — ran a fiscal surplus in the 2017-18 financial year, the latest year for which figures are available. Continue reading Are only 3 out of 12 regions net contributors to the UK Treasury?
CLAIM: Northern Ireland has the highest rate of femicide in Western Europe.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. Northern Ireland has the second highest rate (0.53) of female intentional homicide victims by intimate partner, per 100,000 inhabitants, in Western Europe, as defined by WEOG (given the lack of definition of “Western Europe”) and the regions covered by the data published by Eurostat. Continue reading Does Northern Ireland have the highest femicide rate in Western Europe?
CLAIM: There are 40,000 third-level students in northwest Ireland, with 7,000 graduates annually ready for employment.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE. Available data shows 9,370 third-level students in northwest Ireland, with approximately 3,300 graduates a year in the region. The Ireland Northwest Trade & Investment mission may have included figures for Ulster University Coleraine, which is outside the geography covered by the partnership. Even so, the claim is a large overestimation. Continue reading Are there 40,000 third-level students in the northwest of Ireland?
