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Community

2021 CENSUS LAUNCHES TODAY

Households will be able to complete their 2021 Census which will help shape where essential resources, funding and services will be focused over the next decade. Census Day is 21 March. For the first time, the Census will be predominantly online and it is expected that the majority of householders will choose to complete their […]

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Health

UPDATED VISITING ARRANGEMENTS CONFIRMED

The Department of Health has confirmed changes to visiting arrangements for all care settings from Monday 1 March. The four UK Chief Medical Officers have recommended that the Regional Alert Level should move back from Level 5 to Level 4 with immediate effect. As a result, the visiting restrictions for all care settings across Northern […]

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Sport

CONSULTATION LAUNCHED ON STRATEGY FOR SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has launched an eight week public consultation on a new Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity. Minister Hargey said, “We want to produce a strategy for sport and physical activity that is ambitious, has been co-designed and takes account of the wide range of views. We need to ensure we can […]

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Health

MINISTER HAILS CARE HOME VACCINATION PROGRAMME

The drive to administer first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine across all of Northern Ireland’s care homes has been completed, Health Minister Robin Swann has confirmed. Trust vaccination teams have been visiting care homes since the vaccination programme commenced in December. The last remaining homes have now been visited, the programme schedule has allowed […]

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Health

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN EDUCATION FRAMEWORK LAUNCHED

Education Minister, Peter Weir and Health Minister, Robin Swann have jointly launched the Children and Young People’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Education Framework. An investment of £6.5million annually will be provided to support mental health and wellbeing within the education sector. The Framework will be supported by a number of initiatives including: REACH Programme […]

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Business Politics

MURPHY EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER LEVELLING UP FUND

Finance Minister, Conor Murphy has expressed concern over the Levelling Up Fund. Responding he said: “The fact that this fund will be controlled from Westminster shows blatant disregard for devolution and is unacceptable. “If the British Government were serious about ‘Levelling Up’ then they should be providing a Barnett Consequential to enable funding decisions to […]

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Education

WEIR ANNOUNCES DATES FOR CCEA 2021 EXAMINATION RESULTS

Education Minister Peter Weir has announced the dates for results of CCEA 2021 examinations. The Minister has today confirmed that students will receive CCEA AS and A level results on 10 August 2021 followed by the release of GCSE results on 12 August 2021. The Minister said: “Given the importance of A level results for […]

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Community

JOB FAIRS GO VIRTUAL IN RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced a series of virtual job fairs being piloted by the Department for Communities over the next few months. The innovative pilot programme has been introduced as an alternative to physical job fairs which have been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions. The virtual job fair series will include regional, sectoral […]

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Health Politics Uncategorized

MURPHY ALLOCATES £74 MILLION INCLUDING £25 MILLION FOR HEALTH WORKERS

The Executive has agreed further funding allocations of £74 million including £25 million towards the health workers recognition payment. Announcing the allocations, Finance Minister Conor Murphy said: “The Executive has agreed to provide £25 million to offset the impact of National Insurance and tax deductions to the £500 recognition payment. This will ensure our dedicated […]

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Uncategorized

SCHOOL MILK SCHEME SET TO CONTINUE

Almost 200,000 pupils in NI will be able to drink around 1,000,000 litres of subsidised milk for the next two years, Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed. The Minister made the comments to reassure schools, parents and pupils that his Department will continue to fund the School Milk Scheme until at least the end of […]

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Sport

£25MILLION SPORTS SUSTAINABILITY FUND AWARDS START TO ISSUE

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced that the first funding awards from the £25million Sports Sustainability Fund have issued. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant financial hardship for the sports sector and this fund was co-designed with the Sporting Codes to help mitigate against the net losses that the sector has suffered. The Minister […]

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South Down

MALLON COMMITTED TO PRESSING AHEAD IN PARTNERSHIP ON NARROW WATER BRIDGE

The Minister for Infrastructure met with Newry, Mourne and Down Council and Louth Council to discuss the way forward in delivering the iconic Narrow Water Bridge. At the meeting, both councils and the Minister affirmed their commitment to the New Decade, New Approach project and committed to working in partnership to make long awaited progress. […]