Why DfI Civil Service Blocks Consideration of the Strangford Lough Crossing (SLC) Briefing for MLAs and Councillors – October 2025 Summary Despite public, economic and safety arguments in favour of a fixed link across Strangford Lough, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) civil service continues to block even a basic feasibility study. The position has remained […]
Introduction: A Single Island Standard of Care — Linking Option B, the Bengoa Vision, and the Strangford Lough Crossing Northern Ireland’s health system stands at the same crossroads the Bengoa Report (2016) identified:too many hospitals, stretched rotas, inconsistent outcomes, and unsustainable duplication.Eight years on, the fundamental message remains valid — safety and sustainability require networks, […]
Marlborough House, Craigavon – From Modernist Ambition to Protected Heritage October 2025 | By Kevin Barry Marlborough House in Craigavon has now been officially granted Grade B1 listed building status by the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division (HED).This confirms its recognition as a structure of special architectural and historic interest — and firmly ends […]
NORTHERN IRELAND PUBLIC FINANCES Funding Position, Pressures, and Cross-Department Progress Dashboard (October 2025) 1. Background – £3.3 Billion Settlement and 24 Percent Uplift In early 2024 the UK Government and the restored Northern Ireland Executive agreed a £3.3 billion funding package to stabilise services, fund overdue pay settlements, and enable reform.The Barnett Formula “needs-based factor” […]
The Long Road (and Ferry Queue) to Nowhere — How the Strangford Lough Crossing Was Always Made to Seem “Uneconomic” 1. The 1950s–1960s: The first serious bridge dream After the war, engineers across the UK were busy linking estuaries — Tay, Forth, and Menai. At Strangford, the logic was obvious: a fixed crossing would link […]
Construction Sector Health: Northern Ireland vs. Republic of Ireland (Oct 2025) Metric Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Activity (PMI, Sep 2025) 45.2 (↓ 5% YoY) 43.7 (↓ 2.2 pts MoM, 3-yr low) Project Starts (Q3 2025) £422m (↓ 51% YoY) 1,653 homes (↑ 43% MoM) Key Projects Strabane Water, Belfast Greenway MetroLink (€12.6B), Kilshane Energy […]
Latest news on Casement Park The Casement Park redevelopment saga in West Belfast continues to be a hot topic, blending sports, politics, and community tensions. The GAA stadium, dormant since 2013, is slated for a 30,000+ capacity rebuild but faces funding issues. Plenty of drama over costs, delays, and sectarian divides. As of October 22, […]
Building a World-Class Environmental Regulator for NI — Score: 9/10 (Oct 2025) Northern Ireland needs an independent environmental regulator for a simple reason: rules only work when someone trusted enforces them fairly. Today, problems like sewage spills, illegal dumping, polluted rivers and damaged habitats can fall between departments, take too long to fix, or leave […]
Northern Ireland Audit Office Report – 21 October 2025 Audit Exposes Major Failures in Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy Publisher: Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO)Comptroller and Auditor General: Dorinnia CarvilleSubject: Review of Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy “Path to Net Zero Energy” (2022–2030) Summary Verdict “Significant flaws in the implementation of the Energy Strategy.Expenditure of £107 million […]
NI Planning System, worrying trends and stalled applications Graphics below setting out ascending order of Approvals amongst all Councils and Strategic Planning Division Below is a narrative summary of planning approval trends across Northern Ireland (2017–18 to 2024–25) — based on the released planning data covering the period: 🏗️ Overview Between 2017–18 and 2024–25, Northern […]