MLAs

Paul Givan had faced criticism over his visit to the school in an Israeli settlement called Ramot Alon on the northern edge of Jerusalem

DUP minister Paul Givan ‘did not breach ministerial code’ over Israel trip

Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir. Pic: Liam McBurney/Press Association

Fivemiletown cattle cull: Top civil servant says she is proud of Daera staff

Police Ombudsman Jacqui Durkin appeared at the Executive Office scrutiny committee

Police officers targeted vulnerable women for sexual purposes, MLAs told

The Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill requires that the 90,000 children in Northern Ireland in receipt of free schools meals receive financial help during the holidays, including summer, Christmas, Halloween and half-term breaks.

MLAs back holiday hunger Bill for 90,000 NI children which could cost £20m

Stormont Finance Minister John O’Dowd was pressed over the impasse as the Executive continues to insist on further funding from Westminster.

Budget stalemate at Stormont ‘cold comfort’ to workers awaiting pay uplift

Alliance Party deputy leader Eoin Tennyson wants to ban attempts to change someone's sexuality or 'gender identity'. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Stormont conversion bill is overwhelmingly rejected in public consultation

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart quit the DUP this week to sit as an independent unionist. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Lockhart wants lawbreaking politicians turfed out of office under 12 month ban

Jonathan Buckley MLA . Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

DUP to trigger Stormont Brake over proposed EU law changes

In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU - but post-Brexit deals kept Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

Stormont bypassed as UK and EU agree new rules on AI, parcels and forced labour

Daera Minister Andrew Muir

Minister defends leaving chamber during no confidence motion

Residents block Garvaghy Road in Portadown last month, ahead of a permitted and heavily restricted Orange Order parade. Pic: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye

Cost of policing Drumcree now at £5.5m

Repeated concerns have been raised about the impact of hunting with dogs legislation on shooting in Northern Ireland.

Almost all involved in shooting would be affected by hunting law, MLAs told

Professor Sir Ian Greer, vice-chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, said in the 26/27 academic year, 500 students from Northern Ireland were not able to study at home due to lack of funded spaces.

NI universities facing death by a thousand cuts, MLAs warned

Jon Burrows with his dog Cassie. The UUP leader wants to see a ban on shock collars.

MLAs want 'inhumane' dog collars banned in Northern Ireland

Sinn Fein MLAs, including the first minister, have defended the blocking of a public road to stop a Protestant parade.

Drumcree: Sinn Fein and O'Neill defiant over blocking Orange parade

Protesters gathered on the Garvaghy Road on Sunday, preventing a legal parade from going ahead. Pic: Peter Morrison/PA Wire

Drumcree: 'We've got a problem out there' - Edwin Poots in grave warning to MLAs
Stormont’s Speaker issued a strong warning to politicians that their words must not inflame tensions in the community after what he called “a pretty difficult weekend” over the Drumcree dispute.
David Thompson

Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows, and his dog Cassie, in a party video broadcast on Friday.

Burrows says we're 'stronger together' as he calls on people to come home to UUP

The bill has been brought forward by Eoin Tennyson, the Alliance deputy leader

Trio of groups write to Assembly speaker seeking gender identity answers

South Eastern Regional College Principal Tommy Martin told the Stormont Economy Committee they recognise 'very significant' financial pressures on the Department for the Economy and wider public sector.

FE Colleges facing £33m shortall and loss of 8,000 enrolments

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins

Concerns have ‘intensified’ over NI Water governance, MLAs told

Justice Minister Naomi Long

Questions for Justice Minister Naomi Long accused of ‘misleading Assembly’

TUV leader Jim Allister

TUV leader said he has not been approached over unionist co-operation

The DUP brand is damaged - but its rivals shouldn't get carried away just yet

Esmond Birnie served as an MLA from 1998 to 2007 for the Ulster Unionist Party; today he is a senior economist at Ulster University

What should matter more than MLAs' pay is their performance says economist

Stormont's MLAs look set for another pay increase, thanks to the latest recommendations of a non-party political board (PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)

TUV, SF and Alliance decry fresh pay hike for MLAs - public asked to voice views

MLAs are seeking legal advice on compelling First Minister Michelle O'Neill to attend a Stormont committee. Pic: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Sinn Fein denies claims Michelle O'Neill is 'on the run from scrutiny'

Morning View

Editorial: MLAs need to get serious about their jobs and stop the nonsense
News Letter editorial on Thursday September 17 2026
Editorial

Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson took questions from across the Assembly on his bill to outlaw 'conversion practices'.

'Parents would need a KC at the kitchen table' under conversion law - UUP

Principal deputy speaker Carál Ní Chuilín MLA.

Speaker says it's not for MLAs to ask questions about how many genders there are

UUP Leader Jon Burrows speaking to the media in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. Photo: Mark Marlow/PA Wire

Jon Burrows says nationalist 'circus' in Cardiff changes nothing

MLAs in the assembly will consider the Alliance Party’s Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill on Tuesday

Gavin Robinson: Conversion bill is a siren call to parents

Paula Bradshaw was one of the MLAs signing a pledge to end foodbanks this week - but Executive parties won't say how they'll do that.

David Thompson: The mad, bad and dangerous laws MLAs are cooking up

Morning View

Editorial: A5 shows NI can’t afford current climate act

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said his Bill will ensure councils have enforcement powers to tackle dilapidated and dangerous buildings and neglected sites.

New powers on dilapidated buildings 'could transform neighbourhoods’

Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons rejected criticism of the number of new social homes being built.

Assembly clashes on housing as minister accused of ‘deeply concerning’ record

Illegal dumping at the Londonderry site

Minister to learn cost of cleaning up illegal Mobuoy dump site in coming weeks

Environment Minister Andrew Muir said 'some people have not wanted me in this position since the day and hour I took it'

Furore over Fivemiletown ‘because people don’t want me in this job’ – Muir

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant

Bryant to meet parties as MLAs return to Stormont from summer break

Stormont minister have jointly called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to provide more money for public services in Northern Ireland. Photo: James Manning/PA

Stormont ministers call on Andy Burnham to deliver 'fair funding' for NI

Daera minister Andrew Muir MLA giving evidence on a controversial cattle cull on Monday morning.

Muir outlines 'grotesque' conditions on cattle cull controversy farm

Farmers protest at Stormont - pics by Julie Hazelton

Main farming union warns of dysfunctionality in Stormont department

Protestors gather at the steps of Stormont over a cull of 51 cattle on a County Tyrone farm in June.

'Muir must go' - Farmers at Stormont protest call for Daera minister to quit

The NI Assembly is united that the government should spend tens of millions every year on community sector schemes - but are they working?

David Thompson: Is the community sector delivering on the millions spent on it?

Team NI athletes from the Commonwealth Games during the homecoming event hosted by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons (centre) and attended by Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (centre left) and Dame Mary Peters (centre right) at Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast. Also included are Stephen Martin (second right, Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland chair) and Gavin Boyd (right, Sport NI chair). (Photo by Rebecca Black/PA Wire)

Northern Ireland athletes celebrated at Stormont after Commonwealth Games joy

Morning View

Editorial: MLAs didn't question whether multi-million scheme was working

Morning View

Editorial: Public need clearer explanations over Daera cattle cull incident

Maya Forstater and Helen Joyce from the human rights charity Sex Matters, arriving in Belfast for a WRN event.

No nationalist would back women's rights event at Stormont - MLA

The UUP want farming minister Andrew Muir to appear in front of the Daera committee. Pic: NI Assembly/PA Wire

UUP demand answers over 'deeply disturbing' farm incident

DUP MLA Paul Frew.

DUP's Frew questions why only football is subject to hooligan regulations

Stormont really does work badly, so it is tricky for unionists to argue against changing it

Owen Polley: It's up to unionists to stop woke madness in NI

From 2015, politicians, their staff and Assembly officials were allowed to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) free of charge at parliament buildings.

Revealed: The MLAs who booked Stormont's free car chargers the most

Morning View

Editorial: Teenage rapists ruling reminder of dangerous law

Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson says that parents who support children asking for help to stop homosexual thoughts would have to be assessed by authorities to see if they should face prosecution.

Parents could face jail under Alliance Party's 'conversion therapy' law

UUP MLA Alan Chambers. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

UUP MLAs keep schtum on reasoning behind child crime vote

UUP MLA Robbie Butler. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

UUP MLAs who signed petition of concern back bid to raise child crime age

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