Latest Fact Checks
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Economy
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Health
Are unpaid carers worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year to Northern Ireland?
19 April 2024
CLAIM: Unpaid carers provide the equivalent of hundreds of millions of pounds of work every year, while the Department of Communities spends only 2% of its budget on Carer’s Allowance.
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ACCURATE
On 28 February in a post on social media, Carers NI public affairs manager Craig Harrison claimed: “2%… That’s the amount of DfC’s budget spent
Articles
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Law
Does NI’s criminal justice system have the biggest backlog in the UK?
11 April 2024
CLAIM: Northern Ireland is the worst place in the UK for logjams in the justice system.
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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
On 14 November, an article in the Belfast Telegraph claimed that: “Northern Ireland’s Crown Court is now backlogged until the autumn of 2024, with no
Articles
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Education
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Health
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Law
Have 75% of 16-year-old girls in NI been harassed on the street?
4 April 2024
CLAIM: Three quarters of all 16-year-old girls in Northern Ireland have experienced on-street harassment.
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ACCURATE
On 26 February, during a debate in the Assembly, Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin said: “One of the statistics that really shocked me was in
Articles
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Health
Did almost 1,500 people die in NI in one year because of long waits in A&E?
27 March 2024
CLAIM: There is strong evidence that in 2022, delays in Northern Ireland’s emergency departments led to the premature deaths of 1,434 people.
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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
In an interview published on 21 January in the Irish Times, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) Vice Chair in Northern Ireland Dr Russell
Articles
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Education
Does a child with a statement have to be placed in their parents’ preferred school?
21 March 2024
CLAIM: Parents/guardians of children with a statement of special educational needs can tell the Education Authority which school they want that child to attend, and that school is required to accept them.
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INACCURATE
On 30 January in a post on social media, newspaper columnist Newton Emerson said: “Timely reminder: if your child has a statement, the EA is
Articles
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Health
Do 11% of Travellers die by suicide?
11 March 2024
CLAIM: Sinn Féin TD Mark Wark said that 11% of all Travellers will die by suicide – a rate which is seven times higher than the general population.
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ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION
On 5 December during a debate in the Dail, Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward said: “Some 11% of all Travellers will die by suicide. ThisBrowse by Topic
We have written 160 fact-check reports on public statements since 2016.