Research and Information Service

Information on oral questions

This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Committee on Procedures. The committee asked RaISe for information on: how many questions are on the list, how many questions are withdrawn by MLAs from the lists and how many times oral questions are grouped together for answer by a Minister.

This paper was originally presented in June 2024. 

The Dilapidation Bill

This Bill paper provides an overview of the Dilapidation Bill as introduced to the Assembly on 23 June 2025. The paper also identifies those areas within the Bill which may merit further consideration and, where relevant, compares similar provisions within GB and Ireland.

Review of Costs: Sign Language Bill - Supplementary Information

This Briefing Paper provides a summary of available information on the costs associated with sign language legislation in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.

Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill

This Bill paper provides an overview of the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill as introduced to the Assembly on Monday 23 June 2025. The paper also identifies those areas within the Bill which may merit further consideration and, where relevant, compares similar provisions within GB and Ireland.

Odour Assessments

As requested by the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee, the following paper considers the use of sniff tests for odour assessments by local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

A comparative Analysis of the Statutory Remit and Powers of Public Accounts Committees
This Briefing Paper, commissioned by the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (the Committee), provides comparative research on the Committee and its counterparts located in Great Britain (GB), and internationally. The Paper explains key roles and responsibilities of each; and for context provides an explanation of the relationship with each jurisdiction's government audit office, including roles, responsibilities, governance arrangements and work programmes in recent years.

Administration and Financial Provisions Bill: key considerations
This Bill Paper aims to support Northern Ireland Assembly scrutiny of the Administration and Financial Provisions Bill - as introduced into the Assembly on 23 June 2025 by the Minister of Finance and now at Committee Stage, in the Committee for Finance. The Paper provides essential context-setting information and key considerations regarding the Bill’s policy and public finance implications, along with potential scrutiny points.

Social Enterprises: Female participation and leadership
This Briefing Paper - commissioned by the Committee for the Economy – considers Social Enterprises and how they may promote female participation and leadership in the labour market. The Paper considers the Social Enterprise sector from a female perspective, internationally and specifically in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland; followed by some concluding remarks.

Social Enterprises: Current state of play in Northern Ireland, European Union and Republic of Ireland
This Briefing Paper – commissioned by the Committee for the Economy – considers the Social Enterprise landscape in Northern Ireland, including activity at devolved and local government levels. It also examines current European Union policy shaping the Social Enterprise landscape in the Union’s Member States; with a closer look at the situation in the Republic of Ireland; followed by concluding remarks.

The EU-UK Reset: Implications of an Emissions Trading System (ETS) Linkage Agreement for the Windsor Framework
This paper seeks to inform Members on what is currently known about a potential EU-UK ETS Agreement system, what it may mean for Northern Ireland and its potential interaction with the Windsor Framework.

Justice Bill: Organised Crime Amendments
This paper provides an overview of the amendments to the Justice Bill relating to organised crime.

Mental Health Court

This briefing paper provides an overview of Mental Health Courts, their functioning, benefits, and challenges in existing jurisdictions including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill: Review of Bill Costs.

This Review of Bill Costs considers key potential financial implications for the ‘public purse’, if the proposed Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill (the Bill) is enacted as introduced into the Northern Ireland Assembly by the First Minister of The Executive Office.

It should be read alongside RaISe Bill Paper NIAR 113-2025, which addresses the Bill’s key potential policy implications.

Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill

This Bill Paper provides an overview of the Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill. It also draws together comments from organisations that responded to the public consultation and lays out key scrutiny points Members may wish to consider during their examination of the Bill.

This paper contains references to topics some readers may find distressing.

Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill: key considerations

This Bill Paper provides an overview of the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill, as introduced into the Northern Ireland Assembly on 23 June 2025. It identifies key considerations regarding the Bill’s contents in terms of policy and ‘public purse’ costs.

Inclusion and School Uniform: Religious Observance, Disability, Gender and Race

Designing Consultations for Sensitive Policy Issues: Insights from Other Jurisdictions

This briefing note explores how other jurisdictions design consultations and engagement on sensitive policy issues, highlighting key themes of engagement with victims, survivors and others with lived experience.

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.

In May 2025, a significant development occurred with a 'reset' in UK-EU relations, marked by a high-level summit held in London. This reset has led to new agreements, fostering cooperation between the two parties and addressing a number of post-Brexit issues. Key intentions behind these agreements included the easing of restrictions on work and trade, reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses, and enhancing collaboration in the energy sector.

Justice Bill: AccessNI Filtering Amendments

This paper provides an overview of the amendments to the Justice Bill relating to AccessNI filtering.

Justice Bill: Vagrancy Amendments

Aquaculture overview – UK and Ireland

This briefing paper provides an overview of the current scale and value of aquaculture within the UK and Ireland. Additionally, the paper includes details on strategies/policy interventions with a focus on growing aquaculture within the UK and Ireland. Within this latter context, the paper also briefly considers the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework and associated Action Plan in terms of specific reference to and provisions for aquaculture.

Disability legislation in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland

This briefing paper provides an overview of the disability legislation currently in place across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. It summarises the core pieces of legislation that provide protections and rights to disabled people, as well as the duties placed on public authorities and bodies to enforce those protections.

Renewable electricity in Northern Ireland: a primer

This Research Paper provides an introduction to renewable electricity in Northern Ireland. It includes background information on renewable electricity generation technologies, their costs and efficiency. The Paper also looks at renewable electricity policy, support and development in Northern Ireland.

Trauma-informed Approaches

This Briefing Paper provides an overview of the definition of a trauma-informed approach, what a best practice approach looks like, the limitations of the approach and four case studies of how a trauma-informed approach has been used in the Redress Schemes in comparable jurisdictions.

Please note - This paper contains references to sexual, physical and emotional abuse, including in relation to children.

Data sharing and linkage in the Northern Ireland Executive

This Paper considers the current legal basis for data sharing and linkage between Executive departments in Northern Ireland for both service delivery and research. It also considers barriers to sharing data and practice in the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Decarbonising Transport: Policy approaches of UK regions and Republic of Ireland
This paper explores the transport decarbonisation policies of the UK, Welsh and Irish Governments. It sets out how each government has developed its plans to decarbonise their respective transport system following a similar blueprint, based on the sustainable transport hierarchy.

Cross-cutting scrutiny in other legislatures
This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Assembly & Executive Committee (AERC). The committee asked for comparative research on the arrangements for cross-cutting scrutiny in other applicable legislatures. The research looked at arrangements in the following legislatures: House of Lords; House of Commons; Scottish Parliament; Houses of the Oireachtas; and Senedd. 

Scrutiny of WestminsterStatutory Instruments in devolved areas
This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Assembly & Executive Review Committee (AERC). The Committee asked for information on the arrangements for the scrutiny of applicable Statutory Instruments (SIs) in the Scottish Parliament and Senedd (Welsh Parliament). In the context of this research, applicable Statutory Instruments refers to subordinate/delegated legislation conceived and passed in Westminster that impinges on devolved matters.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Northern Ireland: an Analysis of PIP Recipients by Parliamentary Constituency
On 25 March 2025, a Green Paper was published which outlined proposals for significant changes to the eligibility rules for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The changes are due to come into force for new and existing claimants on 26 November 2026. This Paper highlights the locations (spatial areas) in each of the 18 constituencies where the impact of the proposed changes is likely to be the most pronounced.

Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill
The paper provides an overview of the proposed Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, introduced by the Minister of Finance to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 25 March 2025. The proposed changes make permanent the temporary procedures for notifying deaths and still-births that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, outlines changes to how deaths and still-births may be registered by same-sex female parents and considers the legislative basis for introducing a baby loss certificate scheme.

Comparing parliamentary oversight of retention and disposal schedules

This briefing paper offers Members of the Communities Committee a comparative analysis of the scrutiny processes for retention and disposal schedules across various legislatures in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. Additionally, it includes a summary of the reporting requirements for EU-funded activities within retention and disposal schedules.

Homelessness: a comparison of legislative frameworks in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales
This research paper was requested by the Committee for Communities and explores the legislative frameworks for homelessness in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.  It provides an overview of the independent reviews of homelessness legislation in the other jurisdictions and the outworking of those reviews.  The paper also examines the proposals for potential further legislative reform in Wales and Scotland.

Proposed Reform of Employment Rights in Great Britain and Northern Ireland: a comparative perspective
This Briefing Paper provides a comparative perspective of reforms to employment rights for employees and workers announced in the Department for the Economy (DfE) Employment Rights Bill Public Consultation Response document “Good Jobs” Employment Bill: Way Forward . It is prepared at the request of the Committee for the Economy (the Committee) and aims to inform the Committee’s consideration of the forthcoming Department for the Economy “Good Jobs” Employment Bill (due to be introduced in 2026). 

Justice Bill: Rehabilitation of Offenders Amendments
This paper provides an overview of the amendments to the Justice Bill relating to the reform of rehabilitation periods contained in the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.

The Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 – an overview and progress to date
This briefing paper provides an overview of the development and implementation of the provisions within the Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.  It considers key developments within the broad reference period of 2007 to 2025. The paper utilises a time-based approach, with individual sections focused on the first instance of a broad activity area such as reservoir audit activity for example.

Social Enterprises: International Best Practice
This Briefing Paper – commissioned by the Committee for the Economy – considers international best practice in supporting Social Enterprises through government policy and legislation. It includes select case studies of representative organisations in Scotland, the Netherlands, United States and Spain implementing same and identifies key takeaways.

Justice Bill: Restorative Justice Amendments
This paper provides an overview of the amendments to the Justice Bill relating to the transfer of powers and functions contained in section 43 of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 on restorative justice schemes from the Secretary of State to the Department of Justice.

Public Estate Value to Society
This Research Paper examines the approach to valuation of public land assets, such as the public estate, within Northern Ireland. It does not attempt to perform valuation of the public estate. Instead an internationally popular framework to manage these complexities as part of decision and policy making processes – natural capital and ecosystem services approach – is introduced and discussed as a concept. Relevant examples where this approach has been applied are discussed with respect to Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions.

Institutional Review Committees
The Assembly and Executive Review Committee (AERC) asked for a comparative paper on institutional review committees to inform its strategic direction for the remainder of the current mandate.
This paper provides an update on a previous, similar paper prepared for the AERC in June 2020.

Assembly & Executive reform – a literature review
This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Assembly & Executive Review Committee (AERC). The committee asked for a literature review to identify relevant, recent research that considers reform of the political institutions in Northern Ireland. The committee also asked the research to identify additional expert witnesses and other stakeholders from which the committee might receive supplementary evidence.

School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill
This Bill Paper provides an overview of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill, as introduced to the Assembly on 18 February 2025. It compares similar provisions in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland and also identifies a number of issues that may merit further consideration by the Committee

Use of AI in Legislatures
This briefing paper looks at how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being utilised in parliamentary contexts. It provides examples of parliamentary tasks being performed by AI and discusses the potential pros and cons of its use.

Private financing & capital redevelopment projects in government
This Briefing Paper provides an overview of various financial tools to support public sector capital redevelopment, that could provide an alternative to Financial Transactions Capital (FTC) in Northern Ireland. It should be read in conjunction with Briefing Paper NIAR 26-2025, which sets out the level of FTC activity in Northern Ireland and the challenges associated with it.

Financial Transaction Capital: Usage and Challenges

This Briefing Paper aims to help inform the Committee for Finance’s consideration of Financial Transactions Capital (FTC) - in particular: government use of FTC in Northern Ireland, when compared to that in Great Britain; challenges associated with such use; and, any identified best practice in the area.

Community Asset Transfer – provisions and support within the UK and Ireland

This briefing note provides an overview of legislative provisions and associated support across the UK and Ireland with regard to community asset transfer. Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is a process that allows a community organisation to take over publicly-owned land or buildings in a way that recognises the public benefits that the transfer will bring.

Overview of devolved powers in the UK
This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill. The committee asked for an overview of those powers devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Senedd.

Community Wealth Building

This Briefing Paper – commissioned by the Committee for Finance – explains the development and implementation of Community Wealth Building measures in neighbouring jurisdictions in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Education System
This research paper considers the emergence of generative AI (GenAI) technology. It examines the regulatory landscape and policy approaches towards GenAI in education at the global, UK and Northern Ireland level. It outlines the opportunities and challenges to Northern Ireland’s education system in light of current research and stakeholder perspectives.

Responses to Historical Abuse in Great Britain
This paper provides an overview of the processes carried out by relevant Governments in response to historical institutional abuse in Scotland, England and Wales. It summarises those processes already undertaken, ongoing and proposed, including redress schemes and public inquiries. This paper contains references to sexual, physical and emotional abuse, including in relation to children.

Current Provision of Palliative and End of Life Care Services in Northern Ireland
This briefing is the second of a series of papers on palliative and end of life care in Northern Ireland. It provides information on the current provisions, quality and experience of care and public perceptions and barriers.

Credit Unions in Northern Ireland: a preliminary consideration

This Briefing Paper presents a preliminary consideration of key issues regarding reforming financial services currently offered by credit unions in Northern Ireland.

Introduction to palliative and end of life care in Northern Ireland
This briefing is the first of a series of papers on palliative and end of life care in Northern Ireland. It provides background, context and an overview of the policy landscape.

European Commission Work Programme 2025 'New' and 'Replacement' EU Acts
This paper seeks to inform the work of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee by identifying those initiatives or proposals in the European Commission work programme 2025 which are potentially either ‘replacement acts’ or ‘new acts’ under the Windsor Framework.

Justice Bill: Biometrics Amendments

This paper provides an overview of the amendments to the Justice Bill relating to biometrics.This set of amendments covers the additional provisions relating to Part One on the framework for the retention and destruction of DNA and fingerprints in Northern Ireland.

Sign Language Bill (Northern Ireland) 2025
This paper provides Members with analysis of the Sign Language Bill (Northern Ireland) 2025, introduced to the Assembly on 10 February 2025. It includes recommendations for further scrutiny and draws comparisons with equivalent legislation in Great Britain and Ireland.

Public Spend per head: A comparative perspective
This briefing paper, commissioned by the Assembly’s Committee for Finance, provides comparative research on public spend per person within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Proxy voting – bereavement and absence on parliamentary business 
This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Committee on Procedures. The committee asked for information on the provision for proxy voting in other legislatures for reasons of bereavement. In addition, the research looked for examples where proxy voting is available to members who are absent on official parliamentary business. 

Members' Pay and Allowances: regimes and provisions
This briefing paper has been prepared to inform the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill. It provides information on the main aspects of regimes governing the pay and allowances of members of the Senedd, Scottish Parliament, House of Commons, Dáil Eireann and Seanad Éireann.

Educational underachievement in Northern Ireland

This paper considers the persistence of the educational attainment gap between socially disadvantaged pupils and all others. This includes an examination of existing policies to tackle the attainment gap, more recent proposals to raise educational outcomes for all, and how other jurisdictions are dealing with the same issue.

Planning Applications and Flood Risk
This paper is in response to a request from the Committee for Infrastructure seeking information on the number of residential dwellings given planning permission in areas of flood risk in Northern Ireland.
The paper sets out the methodology, provides a series of maps using published data from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Planning statistics 2023/24, and current (as of November 2024) NI Flood Maps data.  

Northern Ireland Economy and the Budget: initial considerations for 2025/26
This Briefing Paper aims to facilitate the Committee for Economy, to help inform its deliberations on boosting the Northern Ireland economy in 2025/26, within the challenging budgetary and economic contexts and existing/planned Department for Economy policies and implementation strategies, plans, programmes and initiatives arising under the Department’s Economic Vision and other.

International Migration in Northern Ireland: an Update
Around 293,000 long-term international migrants are estimated to have arrived in Northern Ireland between the years 2001 and 2023.  This paper, which focuses on migration stocks and migration flows in and out of Northern Ireland, updates a previous paper (NIAR 56-17) and describes the key elements of this significant demographic change.

Comparative Overview: Non-Domestic Rating Systems across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
This Briefing Paper compares existing key provisions of Non-Domestic Rating and its equivalents under current legislation in Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland; and highlights any recent reform-related developments and announcements.

Comparative Overview: Domestic Rating Systems across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
This Briefing Paper compares existing key provisions of domestic rating and its equivalents under current legislation in Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland; and highlights any recent reform-related developments and announcements.

Proxy voting - long-term illness

This briefing paper has been prepared following a request from the Committee on Procedures. The committee asked for information on the provision for proxy voting in other legislatures for reasons of long-term illness. The research looked at the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and House of Commons. There is currently no provision for proxy voting in Dáil Eireann.

Approaches to inter-parliamentary and international engagement in other legislatures
This briefing paper has been prepared for the Assembly and Executive Review Committee. It sets out the arrangements for international and inter-parliamentary engagement in the Scottish Parliament, Senedd, House of Commons and the Oireachtas.

Scrutiny and Presentation of Parliamentary Corporate Body Budgets and Estimates: A comparative perspective
This Briefing Paper, commissioned by the Assembly's Audit Committee provides comparative research on the scrutiny and presentation of the budgets and estimates of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission - a parliamentary corporate body - and its counterparts within the United Kingdom.

Mutual Banking in Northern Ireland: preliminary considerations
This Briefing Paper outlines key issues regarding the potential introduction of a “mutual banking” ownership model in Northern Ireland. It is prepared at the request of the Committee for Finance (the Committee), as part of the Committee’s ongoing review of the financial services landscape in Northern Ireland. It follows on from a previous RaISe paper prepared for the Committee’s review -  NIAR 151-24 Current Financial Services Landscape in Northern Ireland: preliminary considerations - which highlighted key themes concerning access to cash services for customers in Northern Ireland after recent bank branch closures.

An Overview of the Current Skills Landscape in the Republic of Ireland
This Briefing Paper provides an overview of the current skills landscape in the Republic of Ireland. It is prepared at the request of the Public Accounts Committee (the PAC), as part of an ongoing review of the skills system in Northern Ireland. It is the second of such briefings prepared by RaISe. The previous paper, NIAR 249-24 Addressing Public Sector Skills Gaps, was published in November 2024. 

The Agriculture Bill (Northern Ireland) 2024
This Bill paper provides an overview of the Agriculture Bill (Northern Ireland) 2024 as introduced to the Assembly on 25 November 2024. The paper also identifies those areas within the Bill which may merit further consideration and, where relevant, compares similar provisions within GB and Ireland.

The regulation of gambling in Northern Ireland and key developments in other jurisdictions
This paper provides an overview of the regulatory framework for gambling in Northern Ireland including the regulation of online gambling.  It also explores recent developments in gambling law and policy in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Regulating gambling advertisements in Northern Ireland
A description of who regulates broadcast and online gambling advertisements in Northern Ireland, and consideration of how the Online Safety Act 2023 extends to Northern Ireland for the advertisement of gambling.

Republic of Ireland: Biometric Data and Policing 
This Briefing Paper provides further information for the Justice Committee in relation to the approach taken to the retention and destruction of biometric data in the Republic of Ireland held by the Garda Síochána.