Research and Information Service

Dilapidation Bill: Scrutinising Key “Public Purse” Implications
This Review of Costs aims to support the Assembly – that is, Members in their plenary, committee and constituency capacities – when scrutinising key potential financial implications for the “public purse”, if the Dilapidation Bill would be enacted as introduced and thereafter would be in receipt of Royal Assent. It relies on the Bill’s Explanatory and Financial Memorandum (EFM), as compiled by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and other relevant sources.

Northern Ireland's marine and freshwater fish stock health

This paper provides an overview of stock health of freshwater and marine fisheries, including a brief outline of relevant fisheries management, legislation, and potential future threats to stocks.

Rapid Literature Review: Domestic Abuse in Private Family Law Proceedings

This rapid literature review was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Justice Committee. The paper provides an overview of the academic research relating to domestic abuse experienced by adult and child victims/survivors engaged in the family court system.
This paper contains references to topics some readers may find distressing, including the impact of domestic abuse.

Brexit Outcomes and Northern Ireland: A Reading List

This reading list - ‘Brexit Outcomes and Northern Ireland’ - was created to assist Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and others to contemplate developments following the UK’s formal exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020.

Since that time, there have continued to be distinctive political, legal and economic outcomes for Northern Ireland, reflecting its unique position under the Withdrawal Agreement and, subsequently, the Windsor Framework.

A significant development in this context was the reset in UK-EU relations initiated in May 2025, marked by a high‑level summit in London and followed by a series of sector‑specific agreements and joint decisions. These developments indicated attempts at more structured cooperation between the UK and the EU, with particular relevance for Northern Ireland in areas such as agri‑food and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) arrangements, trade facilitation, citizens’ rights, energy cooperation and regulatory dialogue. During 2025 and early 2026, further progress was made through the review and refinement of the Windsor Framework, including the UK Government’s acceptance of recommendations arising from the Independent Review and the introduction of new mechanisms intended to improve implementation, governance and scrutiny.

Draft Budget 2026-2029/30: Local Revenue-Raising

This Briefing Paper is Paper 6 of 6 in a thematic series. It addresses local revenueraising in Northern Ireland, with the aim of supporting Northern Ireland Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and the Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026-29/30.

Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30: Proposed Resource Allocations

This Briefing Paper is Paper 5 of 6 in a thematic series. It examines the Finance Minister’s proposed Draft Budget resource allocations and how they could shape Northern Ireland’s long-term investment planning and Departmental capital spending profiles over the next four-year period. The Paper aims to support Northern Ireland Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30. 

Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30: Proposed Capital Allocations

This Briefing Paper is Paper 4 of 6 in a thematic series. It examines the Finance Minister’s proposed Draft Budget capital allocations and how they could shape Northern Ireland’s long‑term investment planning and Departmental capital spending profiles over the next four‑year period. The Paper aims to support Northern Ireland Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30.

Draft Budget 2026-2029/30: Northern Ireland Economic Context

This Briefing Paper is Paper 3 of 6 in a thematic series. It provides an overview of the Northern Ireland economic context; ultimately aiming to support Northern Ireland Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026/-2029/30, including the Finance Minister’s January 2026 proposals.

Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30: Beyond Block Grant Funding

This Briefing Paper is Paper 2 of 6 in a thematic series. It looks beyond the Block Grant, to “Barnett Plus” and other, with the aim of supporting Northern Ireland Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30.

Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30: Context-setting

This Briefing Paper is Paper 1 of 6 in a thematic series. It provides context setting information, ultimately aiming to help inform Assembly plenaries, statutory committees and the Audit Committee, when scrutinising Draft Budget 2026/27-2029/30, including the Finance Minister’s recent proposals.

Experiences of Managing and Delivering Major Capital Projects in Great Britain and Ireland

This briefing paper examines the delivery of major capital projects in Northern Ireland and compares these experiences with similar projects across Great Britain and Ireland. The paper also discusses international best practice in managing infrastructure delivery. 

Information on technical and ‘tidying-up’ amendments to legislation

This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Committee on Procedures. The Committee asked for information on what are known as minor, corrective or ‘tidying up’ amendments to bills. The research looked at the House of Commons, House of Lords, Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Dail Eireann. It focused on government bills and members’ bills, where such information was available.

Role and accountability of Speakers/Presiding Officers in legislatures in the UK and Ireland

This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Assembly & Executive Review Committee (AERC). The Committee asked for a comparative research paper on the role, powers and accountability of the Speaker, which examines arrangements across applicable legislatures.

Public opinion on the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive and options for reform

This briefing paper identifies and summarises public opinion on institutional reform options in Northern Ireland. It begins by outlining some existing evidence on the subject from surveys and opinion polls. This data provides useful information regarding public perceptions of the political institutions in Northern Ireland. However, evidence on actual preferences for institutional reform is more limited.

The second section describes evidence from small-scale deliberative exercises and focus groups conducted in Northern Ireland.

Legacy Processes in the Republic of Ireland

This paper provides an overview of official processes in the Republic of Ireland in relation to the Legacy of the Troubles. This includes notable official Inquiries undertaken by the Irish State, the State’s involvement in cross-border Inquiries, and an overview of Governmental Commitments to addressing Legacy.
This paper contains mentions of distressing incidents.

Remuneration of members in other legislatures - update

This briefing paper has been prepared to inform the work of the Independent Remuneration Board. It provides updated information on members’ salaries in other legislatures, reflecting changes since the publication of NIAR 18-2025.

Sign Language Legislation: Translation costs and enforcement mechanisms

In response to a Communities Committee information request, this briefing note outlines the enforcement and compliance mechanisms in the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 and Welsh translation cost considerations under the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill 2025.

Comparing Direct Payments, Vouchers and Support Schemes for sign language interpretation

This briefing paper provides a comparison of publicly funded sign language interpretation supports for social activities in England, Ireland and Finland with Northern Ireland. It is intended to support the Communities Committee in its scrutiny of the Sign Language Bill (Northern Ireland) 2025.

Reconciliation: Good Practice and Reconciliation Processes from other Jurisdictions

This briefing paper provides an overview of the definition of reconciliation, theoretical good practice when designing reconciliation systems and two case studies of where reconciliation systems have been used in Canada and Peru.
This paper contains details of distressing incidents.

Environmental Principles within policy making – origins and application in GB and Ireland

A brief overview of the origins of Environmental Principles and their application in the policy making process in GB and Ireland

General Teaching Council Bill Paper

This Bill Paper provides an overview of the General Teaching Council Bill as introduced to the Assembly on 24 November 2025. The paper outlines the background to the Bill and also identifies those areas within the Bill which may merit further consideration. Where relevant, it compares similar areas of responsibility held by regulatory bodies in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Planning Decision Times – comparison across the UK and Ireland

A comparison of planning decision times across the UK jurisdictions and Ireland. The paper provides a snapshot of decision times in NI using statistics published by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). Where possible, it provides some comparisons of the decision times with the other jurisdictions, highlighting some of the limitations in performing the exercise. The final section provides some additional information on more recent developments in relation to the planning systems in other jurisdictions.

Costing requirements for Private Members’ Bills: Houses of the Oireachtas

This Briefing Paper - commissioned by the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee on Procedures - outlines key existing procedural rules and processes relating to Private Member Bill costing requirements in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

RHI (Closure of the Non Domestic Scheme) Bill: supplementary – overview of the Republic of Ireland’s Support Scheme for Renewable Heat

This Briefing Note seeks to support the Committee for the Economy’s scrutiny of the Renewable Heat Incentive (Closure of the Non-Domestic Scheme) Bill.  It provides an overview of the Republic of Ireland’s Support Scheme for Renewable Heat and compares that Scheme’s inspection regime with what currently is known about the RHI Closure inspection regime that subsequently would be introduced in Northern Ireland via draft Affirmative Regulations if the Bill is enacted as introduced.

Cost of Assembly Written Questions

In response to a request from the Committee on Procedures, this briefing paper outlines available information relating to the cost of answering written questions.

US Trade Tariffs: key changes & initial considerations for Northern Ireland -  supplementary

This Briefing Paper provides an update on changes to US Trade Tariffs since June 2025 and identifies initial considerations arising from those changes for Northern Ireland businesses.

Costing requirements for Members’ Bills: a comparative perspective across the United Kingdom

This Briefing Paper - commissioned by the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee on Procedures - outlines any key existing procedural rules and processes relating to Member Bill costing requirements in the Assembly, the United Kingdom House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd Cymru, providing a comparative perspective.

The Real Living Wage in Northern Ireland

An update of a previous paper concerning those paid below the Real Living Wage (RLW) in Northern Ireland. As requested, the paper includes a breakdown by gender, and full-time / part-time employment status for the eleven local district council areas. Any regional disparities that exist are also highlighted in the Paper.

Decoding phonics: a primer on teaching literacy in Northern Ireland

This Research Paper provides an overview of phonics as a method for teaching literacy, examining its various forms and comparing it with alternative approaches such as whole language and balanced literacy. It explores the research landscape surrounding phonics, considers its role within the Northern Ireland curriculum and offers comparisons from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

US Trade Tariffs: key changes & initial considerations for Northern Ireland 

This Briefing Paper sets out a timeline of key changes (actual and currently proposed) to American trade tariff policy; and highlights potential impacts arising for Northern Ireland, including government and business, if such changes are implemented.