CLAIM: A business transaction happens every six seconds across the border of Northern Ireland and Ireland.
CONCLUSION: INACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. There was a cross-border commercial vehicle journey every 6.74 seconds in 2016. But there are no known data on cross-border business transactions. Continue reading A cross-border business transaction every 6 seconds?
CLAIM: There were 84 children adopted in Northern Ireland in 2018.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE WITH CONSIDERATION. EJ Havlin’s claim referred to the number of adoptions from care; in total, 91 children were adopted in Northern Ireland in 2017-18, which is a low number compared to other years. For 2013-17, Northern Ireland had a lower adoption rate than the rest of the UK, but was similar to that of Ireland. Continue reading Only 84 children adopted in Northern Ireland?
Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
6 March 2019
In Northern Ireland, much data are reduced to communal categories of “Protestant” and “Catholic”, for the purposes of monitoring the delivery of public services and compliance with discrimination legislation. These two religious denominations are also used as proxy for British unionist and Irish nationalist identities. For some, a Protestant-majority population provides assurance of continuation of the Union with Great Britain; for others, a Catholic-majority population means a call for a referendum for a united Ireland. Thus the decennial exercise of the Northern Ireland population census has an added sensitivity and importance. Continue reading Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census
Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
21 January 2019
At an event in London on 15 January 2019, Arlene Foster (Leader, DUP), stated that during the Troubles there has not been a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. When asked what she meant by this, she explained: “The borders of the past were there for a completely different reason. They were there to stop terrorists, they were there to stop the flow of Semtex (explosives), as opposed to the flow of powdered milk.” Continue reading Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks
CLAIM: Northern Ireland eats more meat than in the rest of the UK.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. According to recent survey reports. For adults aged 19 to 64 years, the mean consumption in Northern Ireland was 82 grams per day, compared to 71 grams for all of the UK; yet for Ireland the figure is 108 grams (adults aged 18 to 64 years). Continue reading Does Northern Ireland eat the most meat?
CLAIM: Within the LGBT community, 25% have attempted suicide.
CONCLUSION: ACCURATE. The claim is true in line with other surveys with LGBT respondents in the UK and Ireland. The Rainbow Project survey figure of 4% of LGBT people attempting suicide in the prior year is also consistent with surveys by other organisations. Continue reading Have 1 in 4 LGBT persons attempted suicide?