Committee for Communities: 2022 - 2027 Mandate

2026 Research Papers

Below you will find details of Research Publications which have been prepared by the Assembly's Research and Information Service (RaISe) for the Committee for Communities in 2026.

Executive Programme Funds

- Date: 29/06/2026

This briefing note follows a request from the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Communities on the effectiveness of the previous Executive Programme Funds in relation to their impact on Children and Young People and improving Cross-Departmental working and stakeholder engagement.

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Sign Language Legislation: Translation costs and enforcement mechanisms

- Date: 16/02/2026

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.

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

- Date: 16/02/2026

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.

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