NEWS

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader and Economy spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA Northern Ireland’s universities have become increasingly dependent on students from Great Britain and overseas to remain financially viable, new Assembly figures show, with non-domestic enrolments rising sharply over the past five academic years. The newly published figures, released in response to an Assembly Question from Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader and Economy spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA , re

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston A sharply contested debate at Stormont over Sinn Féin’s proposed Irish Language Education Bill has exposed fresh political tensions over the future shape of Northern Ireland’s education system, with TUV MLA Timothy Gaston accusing the legislation of creating a “two-tier” model that would place Irish-medium schools above every other sector. The Bill, brought forward by Sinn Féin, was debated in the Assembly on Tuesday and centres on placin

Public transport fares across Northern Ireland will remain unchanged for a second consecutive year, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has confirmed, in a move aimed at easing pressure on households already grappling with rising fuel and living costs. The decision means passengers using Translink’s bus and rail services will see no increase in ticket prices, despite what the Minister described as significant financial pressures facing both the transport operator and the wid

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt are pictured with Anne-Marie Kelly during a visit to the Kelly home which was modified for Anne-Marie’s son Conor through the Disabled Facilities Grant. A County Down family has spoken of the “life-changing” impact of major home adaptations funded through Northern Ireland’s Disabled Facilities Grant, as two Stormont ministers pledged further reforms to strengthen support for households living with disability.

Twenty-eight years after the Belfast Agreement reshaped Northern Ireland’s future, Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows MLA has said the next political mission must be to turn the peace secured in 1998 into lasting prosperity, governance reform and renewed public confidence in Stormont’s institutions. Marking the anniversary of the landmark accord on Friday, April 10, Burrows used the moment to reflect on both the transformation brought by the Agreement and what he described as

Mounting anger over soaring fuel and fertiliser costs across Northern Ireland has prompted fresh political pressure on Westminster, as planned fuel protests loom and Stormont’s First Minister and deputy First Minister jointly urge the Prime Minister to intervene without delay. The developing row comes as households, businesses, farmers and hauliers across Northern Ireland face intensifying financial strain, with rising fuel and energy prices deepening the wider cost-of-living

A animal snare discovered at a riverside location where otters were found Northern Ireland is set to remain the only part of the UK without movement towards a ban on animal snares during the current Assembly mandate, after the Agriculture Minister confirmed there are no plans to bring forward legislation on the issue. The confirmation has prompted sharp criticism from South Antrim MP Robin Swann, who said the decision leaves Northern Ireland lagging behind the rest of the UK

Motorists across Northern Ireland facing persistently high insurance premiums are being told that work is continuing at Westminster to tackle the costs driving prices upward, after South Antrim MP Robin Swann welcomed an update from the UK Government on the progress of its motor insurance taskforce. The latest response, issued by Minister for Local Transport Lilian Greenwood MP, confirms that the taskforce is concentrating on reducing claim costs by tackling inefficiencies w

Ulster Unionist Party Leader & North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister are being urged to begin immediate civil contingency planning amid growing concern over the risk of potential fuel shortages linked to the escalating geopolitical crisis in the Middle East. Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA has written directly to Stormont’s joint leaders calling for emergency preparedness measures to be activated now, warning tha

Children in Northern Ireland are still afforded less legal protection from physical harm than adults because parents and carers can continue to rely on the defence of “reasonable punishment” , the NSPCC has warned, as pressure mounts for Stormont to amend the law through the Justice Bill. The children’s charity is urging all political parties to back an amendment currently tabled at the Northern Ireland Assembly which would remove what it describes as an outdated legal defenc

The poster placed at two roadside junctions in Ballycastle, and inset, TUV MP Jim Allister and Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan Political placards which had become the focus of local concern in Ballycastle have been removed following intervention by the Department for Infrastructure, prompting a fresh political row over standards for public displays in the town. The signs, located at the junction of Mary Street and Cushendall Road, were taken down after North Antrim MP Jim Allis

The number of babies born in Northern Ireland continued its long-running downward trend through 2025, while newly published provisional figures also point to rising three-year averages for suicide and drug-related deaths. The latest Registrar General Quarterly Report, published on Monday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), provides a detailed snapshot of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships recorded between 1 October and 31 December 202

Cancer services in Northern Ireland remained under intense strain at the end of 2025, with the latest Department of Health figures showing that almost all key waiting time targets continued to be missed despite an increase in the number of patients beginning treatment and a sharp rise in breast cancer assessments. The newly published Accredited Official Statistics cover the quarter ending December 2025 and set out waiting times for patients accessing cancer services at hospit

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston Fresh questions have been raised over spending at Stormont after newly revealed documents showed the refurbishment of the Assembly’s Blue Flax canteen cost almost £200,000 more than originally budgeted, prompting sharp criticism from TUV MLA Timothy Gaston. The final bill for the renovation of the canteen at Parliament Buildings came to £530,532, according to documents obtained by BBC News NI through a Freedom of Information request. The Bl

Pictured: Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan Serious weaknesses in school assessment data and a decade of disrupted inspections have left major blind spots in understanding the quality of education being delivered across Northern Ireland, according to a significant new watchdog report. The findings, published today by the Northern Ireland Audit Office, place fresh pressure on the Department of Education and reinforce calls for urgent reform across the school syste

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons is pictured with Mark Graham, Chief Executive of Co-Ownership. More people and families across Northern Ireland could soon find it easier to step onto the property ladder after Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced an increase in the Co-Ownership property value limit. From 14 April 2026, the maximum value of a property that can be purchased through the Co-Ownership scheme will rise from £210,000 to £215,000, a move aimed at widening ac

The Ulster Farmers’ Union has launched a strong challenge to proposals that would see firearms licensing fees in Northern Ireland rise by up to 153%, warning the move could place yet another financial strain on already pressured farm businesses. The proposed changes, put forward by the Department of Justice and now out for public consultation, would increase the cost of a firearm certificate from £98 to £250 , alongside significant rises across other licensing categories. For

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston The political fallout over Northern Ireland’s special educational needs summer schemes deepened today after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston launched a blistering attack in the Assembly, accusing ministers and officials of failing some of the most vulnerable children in society. In a strongly worded address, the North Antrim MLA said the decision to cancel the schemes — before a subsequent reversal — was “not simply an administrative mis-step” but

People across Northern Ireland could soon see more health and wellbeing support delivered closer to where they live, following the launch of a major new neighbourhood care framework by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt. The new Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing Framework, published today by the Department of Health, marks a significant shift in how care is planned and delivered, with a strong focus on prevention, early intervention and supporting people to remain indepen