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Northern Ireland 2012Neil MatthewsPublished online: 16 May 2013.

To cite this article: Neil Matthews (2013) Northern Ireland 2012, Irish Political Studies,28:2, 231-314, DOI: 10.1080/07907184.2013.786569

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Northern Ireland 2012

1. Northern Ireland Devolved Government

Table 1.1. Northern Ireland Office (31 December 2012)

Position Name

Secretary of State Theresa Villiers1

Minister of State Mike Penning2

Labour opposition spokesperson Vernon Coaker

1With effect from 4 September, Theresa Villiers replaced Owen Paterson.2With effect from 4 September, Mike Penning replaced Hugo Swire.

Table 1.2. Northern Ireland Executive (31 December 2012)

Portfolio Name Party

First Minister Peter Robinson DUPDeputy First Minister Martin McGuinness SFJunior Minister Jonathan Bell DUPJunior Minister Jennifer McCann1 SFAgriculture and Rural Development (DARD) Michelle O’Neill SFCulture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) Caral Nı Chuilın SFEducation (DENI) John O’Dowd SFEmployment and Learning (DEL) Stephen Farry APEnterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) Arlene Foster DUPEnvironment (DoE) Alex Attwood SDLPFinance and Personnel (DFP) Sammy Wilson DUPHealth, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) Edwin Poots DUPRegional Development (DRD) Danny Kennedy UUPSocial Development (DSD) Nelson McCausland DUPJustice (DoJ) David Ford AP

1With effect from 12 June, Jennifer McCann replaced Martina Anderson (SF).Source: http://www.northernireland.gov.uk

Irish Political Studies, 2013Vol. 28, No. 2, 231–314, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07907184.2013.786569

# 2013 Political Studies Association of Ireland

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1.1 Other Bodies

Table 1.3. Significant political reports 2012

Date Main author(s) Report

28 February Dr Paul Nolan Community Relations Council: PeaceMonitoring Report

12 March OFMDFM Programme for Government 2011–201514 March Independent Financial

Review PanelReport on NI Assembly Members’ Salaries,

Allowances and Pensions10 April Dr Patricia Lundy

(Uni. of Ulster)Report on the Independence of the Historical

Enquiries Team (HET)6 July NI Audit Office NI Housing Executive Accounts 2011–2012July and Dec NISRA Census 20116 November NI Audit Office Financial Auditing and Reporting 201212 December Sir Desmond de Silva Report of the Pat Finucane Review

Note: OFMDFM, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister; NISRA, NorthernIreland Statistics and Research Agency.

Table 1.1.1. Northern Ireland Policing Board (31 December 2012)

Name Role Party

Brian Rea Chair IndGearoid O hEara Vice-Chair IndAnne Connolly Independent Member IndJonathan Craig Political Member DUPRyan Feeney Independent Member IndRoss Hussey Political Member UUPGerry Kelly Political Member SFStuart MacDonnell Independent Member IndIan McCrea Political Member DUPConall McDevitt Political Member SDLPDavid McIlveen Political Member DUPTrevor Lunn Political Member APSammy Douglas1 Political Member DUPJoan O’Hagan Independent Member Ind

Brian Rowntree Independent Member IndCaitriona Ruane Political Member SFPat Sheehan Political Member SFBrice Dickson2 Independent Member IndDeborah Watters Independent Member Ind

1With effect from 15 March, Sammy Douglas replaced Robin Newton.2With effect from 15 March, Brice Dickson replaced Michael Wardlow.Source: http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

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2. State of the Parties

2.1 Northern Ireland Assembly

Table 1.1.2. Parades Commission (31 December 2012)

Name

Peter Osborne (Chair)Douglas BainDelia CloseRev. Brian KennawayDr Catriona KingFrances NolanRobin Percival

Source: http://www.paradescommission.org

Table 2.1.1. Northern Ireland Assembly (31 December 2012)

Party No. of seats

Democratic Unionist Party 38Sinn Fein 29Ulster Unionist Party 15Social Democratic and Labour Party 14Alliance 8Green Party 1Traditional Unionist Voice 1United Kingdom Independence Party1 1Independent 1Total 108

1With effect from 5 October, David McNarry sat as a UKIP MLA. McNarry was elected in2011 as a UUP MLA, before sitting as an Independent from 30 January.Source: A full list of the members of the Northern Ireland Assembly is available at: http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/search.aspx

Table 2.1.2. Membership change in Northern Ireland Assembly 2012

Party New member Replaced Constituency Date

SDLP Sean Rogers Margaret Ritchie South Down 2 FebruarySinn Fein Chris Hazzard Willie Clarke South Down 13 April

(Continued )

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Party New member Replaced Constituency Date

Sinn Fein Maeve McLaughlin Martina Anderson Foyle 18 JuneSinn Fein Declan McAleer Pat Doherty West Tyrone 2 JulySinn Fein Bronwyn McGahan Michelle Gildernew FST 2 JulySinn Fein Rosaleen McCorley Paul Maskey West Belfast 2 JulySinn Fein Megan Fearon Conor Murphy Newry and Armagh 2 July

Source: http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/search.aspx

Table 2.1.3. Gender breakdown in Northern Ireland Assembly by party (31 December 2012)

Party

Men Women

Number % Number %

Democratic Unionist Party 33 87 5 13Sinn Fein 19 66 10 34Ulster Unionist Party 13 87 2 13Social Democratic and Labour Party 12 86 2 14Alliance 6 75 2 25Green Party 1 100 0 0Traditional Unionist Voice 1 100 0 0United Kingdom Independence Party 1 100 0 0Independent 1 100 0 0Total 87 81 21 19

Source: http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/search.aspx

Table 2.1.4. Average age of Northern Ireland Assembly by party (31 December 2012)

SinnDUP Fein SDLP UUP Alliance Green TUV UKIP Ind Overall average

49 49 51 53 54 33 59 64 61 51

Source: Details for individual MLAs are available at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/

Table 2.1.2. (Continued).

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2.2 Westminster

2.3 European Parliament

2.4 Local Government

Table 2.2.1. United Kingdom House of Commons (31 December 2012)

Party No. of seats

Democratic Unionist Party 8Social Democratic and Labour Party 3Sinn Fein 5Alliance 1Independent 1Total 18

Source: http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/state-of-the-parties

Table 2.3.1. Northern Ireland Members of the European Parliament (31 December 2012)

Member Party Grouping

Diane Dodds DUP Non-attachedMartina Anderson1 Sinn Fein European United Left – Nordic Green LeftJames Nicholson UUP European Conservatives and Reformists

1With effect from 3 May, Martina Anderson replaced Bairbre De Brun.Source: www.europarl.europa.eu/

Table 2.4.1. Northern Ireland District Councils (31 December 2012)

Party No. of seats Change since 2011 election

Democratic Unionist Party 178 +3Sinn Fein 136 22Ulster Unionist Party 98 21Social Democratic and Labour Party 87 0Alliance 43 21Others 31 +1Traditional Unionist Voice 6 0Green Party 3 0Total 582

Note: For more information on changes, see Section 8.2.Source: Councillors’ details are available on individual District Council websites: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/local-councils-in-northern-ireland

Data Section – Northern Ireland 235

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Table 2.4.2. Distribution of seats on the 26 District Councils (31 December 2012)

District Council DUP UUP SF SDLP APNI Others No. of seats

Antrim 5 5 4 3 2 0 19Ards 11 6 0 1 4 1 23Armagh 4 6 6 5 0 1 22Ballymena 12 4 2 2 1 3 24Ballymoney 9 1 2 1 0 3 16Banbridge 5 7 2 2 1 0 17Belfast 16 3 16 8 6 2 51

Carrickfergus 8 4 0 0 3 2 17Castlereagh 11 3 0 2 6 1 23Coleraine 8 6 1 3 2 2 22Cookstown 3 3 6 4 0 0 16Craigavon 9 6 8 2 1 0 26Derry 5 1 10 14 0 0 30Down 3 3 4 9 1 3 23Dungannon 6 4 8 3 0 1 22Fermanagh 4 6 9 3 0 1 23Larne 4 3 1 1 3 3 15Limavady 3 2 6 3 0 1 15Lisburn 15 4 4 3 3 1 30Magherafelt 3 2 9 2 0 0 16Moyle 2 3 4 2 0 4 15Newry and Mourne 1 3 14 9 0 3 30Newtownabbey 12 5 2 1 5 0 25North Down 12 4 0 0 5 4 25Omagh 3 3 10 3 0 2 21Strabane 4 1 8 1 0 2 16

Source: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/local-councils-in-northern-ireland

Table 2.4.3. Gender breakdown in Northern Ireland Local Councils by party (31 December 2012)

Party

Men Women

n % n %

Democratic Unionist Party 139 78 39 22Sinn Fein 104 76 32 24Ulster Unionist Party 82 84 16 16Social Democratic and Labour Party 64 74 23 26Alliance 25 58 18 42Other 34 85 6 15Total 448 77 134 23

Source: Councillors’ details are available on individual local council websites: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/local-councils-in-northern-ireland

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2.5 Party Finances

Table 2.5.1. Political party accounts (year ended 31 December 2011)

Party Income Expenditure Surplus/deficit

DUP 615,052 444,125 170,927Sinn Fein1 1,266,079 1,161,224 104,855UUP 353,583 345,274 8,309SDLP 429,941 339,858 90,083Alliance 201,520 251,575 250,055

1Sinn Fein accounts are for units registered in Northern Ireland only.Source: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/party-finance

Figure 2.5.1. Alliance Party finances (2003–2011)Source: Electoral Commission.

Data Section – Northern Ireland 237

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Figure 2.5.2. Democratic Unionist Party finances (2003–2011)Source: Electoral Commission.

Figure 2.5.3. Social Democratic and Labour Party finances (2003–2011)Source: Electoral Commission.

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Figure 2.5.4. Sinn Fein finances (2003–2011)Source: Electoral Commission.

Figure 2.5.5. Ulster Unionist Party finances (2003–2011)Source: Electoral Commission.

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3. Parliamentary Committees

Table 3.1. Northern Ireland MPs on House of Commons Select Committees(31 December 2012)

Member Party Committee

Jeffrey Donaldson DUP DefenceMargaret Ritchie SDLP Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Source: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/

Table 3.2. Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee (31 December 2012)

Member Constituency Party

Laurence Robertson (Chair) Tewkesbury ConservativeDavid Anderson Blaydon LabourJoe Benton Bootle LabourOliver Colvile Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport ConservativeStephen Hepburn Jarrow LabourLady Sylvia Hermon North Down IndependentKate Hoey Vauxhall LabourNaomi Long East Belfast AllianceJack Lopresti Filton and Bradley Stoke ConservativeAlasdair McDonnell South Belfast SDLPNigel Mills Amber Valley ConservativeIan Paisley Jr North Antrim DUPAndrew Percy Brigg and Goole ConservativeDavid Simpson Upper Bann DUP

Table 3.3. Northern Ireland MPs vote attendance in House of Commons (2011–2012)

MP Constituency PartyAttended

(n)Attended1

(%)

Naomi Long East Belfast Alliance 170 66Gregory Campbell East Londonderry DUP 104 40Nigel Dodds North Belfast DUP 132 51Jeffrey Donaldson Lagan Valley DUP 107 41William McCrea South Antrim DUP 146 57

(Continued)

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4. Assembly Committees

MP Constituency PartyAttended

(n)Attended1

(%)

Ian Paisley Jr North Antrim DUP 95 37Jim Shannon Strangford DUP 155 60David Simpson Upper Bann DUP 136 53Sammy Wilson East Antrim DUP 84 33Lady Sylvia Hermon North Down Ind. 93 36Mark Durkan Foyle SDLP 174 67Alasdair McDonnell South Belfast SDLP 73 28Margaret Ritchie South Down SDLP 107 41

Note: Figures for Sinn Fein MPs not included, as they are not entitled to vote.1‘Attendance’ is for voting or telling in divisions. Members may have spoken in a debate butnot voted. The total number of debates held was 258.Source: Members’ voting attendance figures are available at: http://www.publicwhip.org.uk

Table 4.1. Departmental committee chairpersons

Chairperson Committee Party

Paul Frew Agriculture and Rural Development DUPMichelle McIlveen Culture, Arts and Leisure DUPMervyn Storey Education DUPBasil McCrea Employment and Learning UUPPatsy McGlone Enterprise, Trade and Investment SDLPAnna Lo Environment APDaithi McKay Finance and Personnel SFSue Ramsey Health, Social Services and Public Safety Statutory Committee SFPaul Givan Justice DUPMike Nesbitt Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister UUPJimmy Spratt Regional Development DUPAlex Maskey Social Development Committee SF

Source: Details on membership of Departmental, Ad hoc and Joint Committees are available at:http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Committees/

Table 3.3. (Continued).

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Table 4.2. Assembly Standing committees

Chairperson Committee Party

Stephen Moutray Assembly and Executive Review DUPDanny Kinihan Audit UUPWilliam Hay Business The SpeakerGerry Kelly Procedures SFMichaela Boyle Public Accounts Committee SFAlastair Ross Standards and Privileges DUP

Source: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Committees/

Table 4.3. Committee reports and inquiries 2012

Committee ReportDate

published

Agriculture and RuralDevelopment

Review into Bovine Tuberculosis 19 November

Assembly and ExecutiveReview

Number of Members of the Northern IrelandLegislative Assembly

12 June

Reduction in the Number of Northern IrelandDepartments

20 November

Audit Report on the Estimate of the Use of Resourcesby the Northern Ireland Audit Office 2012–2013

21 February

Culture, Arts and Leisure Report on the Legislative Consent Motion to theCultural Gifts Scheme Provisions of theWestminster Finance Bill

17 May

Education Report on the School Councils Inquiry 20 JuneEmployment and Learning Summary of Responses and Evidence to the

Committee’s Consultation on the Dissolutionof the Department for Employment andLearning and the Transfer of its Functions

9 May

Enterprise, Trade andInvestment

Committee for Enterprise, Trade and InvestmentReport on its Consideration of the LegislativeConsent Memorandum Concerning theTransfer of Responsibility for Northern IrelandCredit Union Registration to the AppropriateGB Authority

24 May

Report on the Committee’s Inquiry intoDeveloping the Northern Ireland Economythrough Innovation, Research andDevelopment

24 May

(Continued )

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Committee ReportDate

published

Committee for Enterprise, Trade and InvestmentReport on its Consideration of the LegislativeConsent Memorandum Concerning theEnterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

19 October

Environment An Interim Report on the Committee’s Inquiryinto Used Tyre Disposal

19 April

Report on the Marine Bill 5 JulyFinance and Personnel Report on the Response to the Executive’s

Review of the Financial Process in NorthernIreland

18 January

Report on the Legislative Consent Motion: UKFinance Bill (Air Passenger Duty)

16 May

Report on the Superannuation Bill 26 SeptemberJustice Review of Judicial Appointments in Northern

Ireland26 April

Report on the Committee’s Inquiry into theCriminal Justice Services available to Victimsand Witnesses of Crime in Northern Ireland

21 June

Report on the Criminal Justice Bill 13 DecemberOffice of First Minister and

Deputy First MinisterReport on the Executive’s draft Programme for

Government 2011–2015 and draft InvestmentStrategy for Northern Ireland 2011–2021

15 February

Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse Bill 24 OctoberReport on Statutory Committee Activity on

European Issues May 2011–August 201221 November

Public Accounts Report on Creating Effective Partnershipsbetween Government and the Voluntary andCommunity Sector

18 January

Report on the Use of Locum Doctors by NorthernIreland Hospitals

15 February

Report on the Use of External Consultants byNorthern Ireland Departments: Follow-upReport

18 April

Report on the Uptake of Benefits by Pensioners 18 AprilReport on Excess Votes (Northern Ireland)

2010–20112 May

Report on The Bioscience and TechnologyInstitute

2 May

Report on the Transfer of Former Military andSecurity Sites to the Northern IrelandExecutive and Ilex Accounts 2010-2011

4 July

(Continued )

Table 4.3. (Continued).

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Committee ReportDate

published

Report on Safeguarding Northern Ireland’sListed Buildings

4 July

Report on Statements of Rate Levy andCollection 2009-2010 and 2010-2011

12 December

Regional Development Response to the Consultation on the DraftProgramme for Government 2011–2015, theDraft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland2011-2021 and the Draft Economic Strategy

25 January

Inquiry into Unadopted Roads in NorthernIreland

7 November

Social Development Report on the Pensions Bill 8 MarchReport on Fuel Poverty 17 MayReport on the Charities Bill 23 OctoberReport on the Business Improvement Districts

(BIDs) Bill13 December

Standards and Privileges Report on the Unauthorised Disclosure of a DraftReport of the Public Accounts Committee

20 June

Report on a complaint by Mr Jason Johnstonagainst Mr David McIlveen MLA

19 September

Report on complaints against Mr Jim Wells MLAfrom Ms Caral Nı Chuilın MLA and from MsMary McArdle

17 November

Legacy Report-former interim AssemblyCommissioner for Standards

18 December

Note: Each of the 18 committees published an ‘End of Session Report 12 May 2011–31August 2012’.Source: All reports can be accessed at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Committees/

Table 4.4. Northern Ireland Assembly All-Party groups

Chairperson Group

Dominic Bradley (SDLP) AutismThomas Buchanan (DUP) CancerMichelle McIlveen (DUP) Children and Young PeopleRoy Beggs (UUP) Community and Voluntary SectorPatsy McGlone (SDLP) Construction

(Continued )

Table 4.3. (Continued).

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5. Productivity of the Northern Ireland Devolved Government

5.1 Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly 2012

Full versions of the Acts are available from Legislation.gov.ukSource: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2012/[Date of Royal Assent is indicated in brackets]

1 Rates (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2012 [28 February]2 Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2012 [20 March]3 Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) [1 June]

Chairperson Group

Steven Agnew (Green) Co-operatives and MutualsPat Ramsey (SDLP) DiabetesPat Ramsey (SDLP) DisabilityFra McCann (SF) Ethnic Minority CommunitiesDanny Kinihan (UUP) European Environmental Regulations, Directives and DecisionsDavid Hilditch (DUP) FootballDavid McClarty (Ind) Funerals and BereavementsMickey Brady (SF) Heart Disease and StrokeAnna Lo (Alliance) Human TraffickingConall McDevitt (SDLP) International DevelopmentPat Ramsey (SDLP) Learning DisabilitySue Ramsey (SF) Mental HealthConall McDevitt (SDLP) Muscular DystrophyGeorge Robinson (DUP) NeurologySteven Agnew (Green) Renewable EnergyAlastair Ross (DUP) RugbyBasil McCrea (UUP) Science and TechnologyAnna Lo (Alliance) Sexual HealthTrevor Lunn (Alliance) Cost of Motor Insurance in Northern IrelandDavid McIlveen (DUP) TourismPaula Bradley (DUP) UNSCR 1325: Women, Peace and SecurityJim Wells (DUP) Visual ImpairmentPat Ramsey (SDLP) Pro-Life

Source: Details on membership of All-Party groups are available at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/All-Party-Groups/

Table 4.4. (Continued).

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4 Budget (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) [20 July]5 Air Passenger Duty (Setting of Rate) Act (Northern Ireland) 2012 [11 December]

5.2 Numbers of Acts Passed by the Assembly Since 2000

Table 5.2.1. Acts passed

Year Number signed into law

2012 52011 292010 162009 82008 132007 32002 142001 172000 5

Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2012/

Figure 5.2.1. Number of acts passed by devolved regional assemblies (2000–2012)Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk

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5.3 Operational Statistics of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Table 5.3.1. Assembly operations

Activity 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12

No. of Assembly sittings days 17 70 72 70 49 81No. of Committee meetings 319 549 509 405 402 595

Note: The timeframe refers to NI Assembly session (e.g. 06–07 refers to the 2006–2007session). Years are abbreviated (e.g. 06 refers to 2006)Source: Data provided by the NI Assembly Office, http://www.niassembly.gov.uk

Table 5.3.2. Number of Assembly questions processed

Activity 1999 2000 2001 2002 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Written 887 4,219 5,145 786 1,598 10,312 10,367 3,875 8,107 6,087 15,051Oral 348 1,592 1,663 355 277 4,259 4,087 544 1,764 1,367 2,355

Total 1,235 5,811 6,808 1,141 1,875 14,571 14,454 4,419 9,871 7,454 17,406

Note: Years are abbreviated (e.g. 2010 refers to 2009–2010).Source: Data provided by the NI Assembly Office, http://www.niassembly.gov.uk

Table 5.3.3. Average activity of MLAs by party (2011–2012 session)

Activity DUP Sinn Fein UUP1 SDLP2 Alliance Green TUV Ind3

Questions 193 97 165 186 142 658 1,092 86Motions 17 14 14 19 25 15 34 2Votes 51 45 45 47 48 54 56 18

Note: The averages presented in this table include only those members eligible to partake in theactivities. Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive are not permitted to ask questions. TheSpeaker of the Assembly is not permitted to ask questions or vote on divisions.1Averages for the UUP include activity of David McClarty up until his expulsion on 29January.2Averages for the SDLP include activity of Margaret Ritchie up until her replacement by SeanRogers on 2 April.3Averages for Independent members include activity of David McClarty from 30 January.Source: Details on individual MLA activity are available at: http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/search.aspx

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6. Other Political Bodies

Table 6.1. Plenary meetings of the North–South Ministerial Council (2012)

Date Meeting Location

15 June 14th Plenary Dublin, ROI2 November 15th Plenary Armagh, NI

Note: Information on sectoral meetings and institutional joint communiques is available at:http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/index/publications/joint-communiques.htm

Table 6.2. Summit meetings of the British–Irish Council (2012)

Date Meeting Location

13 January 17th Summit Dublin, ROI22 June 18th Summit Stirling, Scotland26 November 19th Summit Cardiff, Wales

Note: Information on Ministerial meetings and communiques is available at: http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/

Table 6.3. Plenary meetings of the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly (2012)

Date Meeting Location

14–15 May 44th Plenary Dublin, ROI22–23 October 45th Plenary Glasgow, Scotland

Note: For Committees and reports produced by the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly see:http://www.britishirish.org/committees-reports/

Table 6.4. Plenary meetings of the North–South Inter-Parliamentary Association (2012)

Date Meeting Location

12 October 1st Plenary Dublin, ROI

Source: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/Joint-Communique-from-the-Inaugural-Plenary-of-the-NorthSouth-Inter-Parliamentary-Association/

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7. Electoral Data

7.1 Relevant Reports

Electoral Office of Northern Ireland (2012) Report of the Chief Electoral Officer forNorthern Ireland 2011–2012, September, http://www.eoni.org.uk/ceo_annual_report_2011-12.pdf

The Electoral Commission (2012) Costs of the May 2011 Referendum on the UK Par-liamentary Voting System, December, http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/153000/Costs-of-UK-May-2011-UKPVS-referendum.pdf

Table 7.1. Northern Ireland electorate statistics (2003–2012)

Parliamentary electorate Local govt electorate Total electorate Change (%)

Dec 2003 – – 1,097,511 –Dec 2004 – – 1,047,601 4.6Dec 2005 – – 1,157,052 10.4Dec 2006 – – 1,075,116 27.1Dec 2007 1,120,343 1,125,935 1,125,979 4.7Dec 2008 1,134,983 1,142,513 1,142,547 1.4Dec 2009 1,160,757 1,170,295 1,170,336 2.4Dec 2010 1,190,635 1,202,145 1,202,200 2.7Dec 2011 1,212,967 1,227,086 1,227,121 2.0Dec 2012 1,230,197 1,247,293 1,247,312 1.6

Note: The ‘total electorate’ is the number of electors listed on the full Northern IrelandElectoral Register. The ‘parliamentary electorate’ is the number of electors who are able to voteat Westminster elections. The ‘local government electorate’ is the number of electors who areable to vote at local government and Northern Ireland Assembly elections.Source: Electoral Office of Northern Ireland, http://www.eoni.org.uk/index/statistics/electorate-statistics/

Table 7.2. Completeness and accuracy of the Northern Ireland electoral register(2007 and 2012)

Sample date Completeness Accuracy

December 2007 83 94April 2012 71 78

Note: Accuracy: ‘there are no false entries on the electoral registers’. Completeness: ‘everyperson who is entitled to have an entry in an electoral register is registered’.Source: The Electoral Commission, Continuous Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland(November 2012), http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/ data/assets/pdf_file/0004/152626/Continuous-electoral-registration-in-Northern-Ireland.pdf

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The Electoral Commission (2012) Continuous Electoral Registration in NorthernIreland, November, http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/152626/Continuous-electoral-registration-in-Northern-Ireland.pdf

8. Main Political Events of 2012

8.1 Summary of Political Developments

10 January Alliance leader David Ford’s tenure as Justice Minister isextended until the next Assembly election in 2015 or 2016.

18 January Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness unveil plans toabolish the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL).

20 January Brian Shivers (46) receives a life sentence for the 2009murder of British soldiers Patrick Azimkar (21) and MarkQuinsey (23).

23 January UUP MLA David McNarry reveals the UUP has beeninvolved in discussions with the DUP since June 2011regarding unionist unity.

6 February A special Assembly debate is held to mark the Queen’sDiamond Jubilee.

22 February Twelve of 13 alleged UVF members are declared innocent ofall charges, including murder, in the biggest ‘supergrass’ trialfor decades.

8 March Tom Elliott resigns as UUP leader.30 March John Paul Wooton (20) and Brendan McConville (40) are

convicted of the 2009 murder of PSNI Constable StephenCarroll (46) in Craigavon, Co. Armagh.

31 March Mike Nesbitt is elected leader of the UUP.26 April Dissident republicans abandon a 600 lb bomb in Fathom

Line, Co. Armagh.14 May The Assembly Commission announces an agreed approach

to several commemorations, including the 1912 signing ofthe Ulster Covenant.

17 May Martina Anderson is selected to replace Bairbre de Brun asSinn Fein (SF) MEP.

22 May The UUP expels Strangford MLA David McNarry.24 May The Alliance Party withdraws from a five-party working

group tasked with agreeing a Cohesion, Sharing and Inte-gration strategy.

24 May The DUP and SF face criticism over new plans for a socialhousing development at the former Girdwood Barracks sitein north Belfast.

12 June West Belfast MLA Jennifer McCann replaces MartinaAnderson as Junior Minister in the Executive.

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21 June Former SF DRD Minister Conor Murphy and the DRD arefound guilty of unlawful religious discrimination by a FairEmployment Tribunal.

27 June The Queen and SF Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinessmeet and shake hands at a charity event at a theatre in southBelfast.

5 July The PSNI announces the launch of a murder inquiry intoBloody Sunday, 1972.

12 July Violent clashes involving police officers, nationalists andloyalists break out in Ardoyne, north Belfast.

26 July A collection of dissident republican factions merges to createa unified group.

1 August UUP DRD Minister Danny Kennedy unveils plans for thesingle greatest infrastructure scheme in the history of North-ern Ireland.

25 August Serious disturbances break out between loyalists, nationalistprotestors and the PSNI during a Royal Black Institution(RBI) parade in north Belfast.

2–4 September Three nights of serious rioting involving loyalists, republi-cans and the PSNI occurs in north Belfast.

4 September Conservative MP Theresa Villers replaces Owen Paterson asSecretary of State.

20 September DENI and SF Minister John O’Dowd are found to haveengaged in bad practice when making appointments to theGeneral Teaching Council Northern Ireland.

29 September The centenary of the signing of the 1912 Ulster Covenant ismarked.

3 October An Audit Office report finds that 19% of the 5,000 RUC offi-cers made redundant under reforms headed by Chris Pattenwere rehired by the PSNI.

9 October The Assembly passes a motion supporting the biggest reformof social security benefits in the UK for decades.

1 November Dissident republican terrorists murder serving prison officerDavid Black (52).

3 December Serious rioting erupts after Belfast City Council votes torestrict the flying of the Union Flag from City Hall to desig-nated days only.

5 December Rioting breaks out in several areas across Northern Irelandfollowing loyalist flag protests.

7 December Alliance MP Naomi Long and SF councillor Jim McVeighreceive loyalist death threats.

7 December US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visits Northern Ireland.

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11 December DUP Minister Edwin Poots and MP Jeffrey Donaldsonreceive dissident republican death threats.

12 December A review into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucane by the UDAis published.

12 December A death threat is made against DUP First Minister PeterRobinson.

13 December SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt and DUP councillor GuySpence both receive death threats.

17 December Eighty separate loyalist flag protests take place across North-ern Ireland.

18 December Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt announce the establish-ment of The Unionist Forum.

19 December Bullets are posted to SF MLAs Gerry Kelly, Alex Maskeyand Alliance representatives David Ford, Naomi Long andGeraldine Mulvenna.

8.2 Detailed Chronology of Political Events 2012

January

2 SDLP: Party leader Alasdair McDonnell announces that DoE Minis-ter Alex Attwood will be replaced in the summer of 2013 as part of aplan to rotate the party’s sole ministerial post every 18 months.

3 Boston College: US officials receive transcripts of interviews given byformer IRA member Dolours Price to an oral history project at BostonCollege. Against the wishes of the researchers who led ‘The BelfastProject’, and on behalf of British authorities, US prosecutors havedemanded anything in the Boston College archive related to the 1972abduction and murder of Jean McConville by the IRA.

4 Merger: Following criticism from Conservative Chairman LordFeldman, UUP leader Tom Elliott defends his decision to rejectplans to merge with the Tories.

4 Alasdair McDonnell: Facing criticism from fellow SDLP representa-tives, the party leader defends his recent claim that MLAs deserve payrises and larger pensions. It also emerges that McDonnell’s stance onthe issue breaches party policy, which supports a pay freeze.

5 Alasdair McDonnell: The SDLP leader issues an apology to his partyand the public, retracting his support for increasing MLA salaries andpensions.

5 Security: A booby-trap bomb is planted in the car of a British soldierin north Belfast by dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann.

7 Security: A retired police officer discovers a viable explosive deviceclose to his car in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.

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10 Executive: The cross-community vote that elected Alliance leaderDavid Ford as Justice Minsiter is extended until the next Assemblyelection in 2015 or 2016. First Minister Peter Robinson andDeputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also propose that the Alli-ance’s other ministry, DEL, be abolished and its functions splitbetween DETI and DENI. The proposal receives the support of theUUP, while the SDLP and Alliance register their opposition.

12 DEL: David Ford refuses to rule out the possibility of his resignationas Justice Minister in response to the OFMDFM proposal to abolishDEL.

13 International Independent Commission on Decommissioning:Martin McGuinness expresses his concern that documents belongingto the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning,the body which monitored paramilitary decommissioning in NorthernIreland, are being held in Boston College.

13 British–Irish Council: The 17th summit of the British–Irish Councilis held in Dublin.

13 Historical Enquiries Team: A new HET report into the 1972 deathof Francis Rowntree (11) in west Belfast calls for the army to apolo-gise after finding that he was struck in the head at close range by arubber bullet fired by a British soldier.

16 Anniversary: On the eve of the 20th anniversary of theTeebane bombing, in which eight people were killed in an IRAattack, a HET report reveals how interview notes from the initialRUC investigation were destroyed following an asbestoscontamination.

17 Marian Price: A judge rules that the former IRA member will standtrial in connection with the 2009 murder of two British soldiers inMassereene, Co. Antrim. Price is a member of the 32 County Sover-eignty Movement who was jailed in 1973 for her part in an IRAbombing campaign in London. In 2011, Owen Paterson revoked herrelease from prison on licence.

17 Unionist unity: Peter Robinson outlines his desire forgreater cooperation between the DUP and UUP, remarking that,‘some of the heat . . . in the exchanges between the DUP and UUPhas now been removed [and] there is now a much improvedrelationship’.

17 Ombudsman: Colin Lewis is appointed interim chief executive forthe Office of the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

17 PSNI: The BBC reveals that more than three-quarters ofcivilian staff employed by the PSNI on temporary contracts areformer RUC officers who retired under the Patten redundancyscheme.

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18 Executive: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness unveil plans to:abolish DEL; extend the method of selection of David Ford asJustice Minister beyond May 2012; and ask Owen Paterson to intro-duce legislation at Westminster to ensure the tenure of Justice Ministeris consistent with other ministers.

19 Security: Dissident republicans are suspected of detonating twobombs in Londonderry, which prompted widespread evacuations.

20 Justice: Brian Shivers (46) receives a life sentence for the murder ofBritish soldiers Patrick Azimkar (21) and Mark Quinsey (23) atMassereene Barracks, Co. Antrim, in March 2009. Owing toinsufficient evidence, Shiver’s co-defendant Colin Duffy (44) isfound not guilty.

20 Supergrass trial: A number of charges are dropped against 14 loyal-ists accused of terrorist activity by two brothers, Robert (37) and IanStewart (41), who have turned state’s evidence. The ‘supergrass’ trial,which began in September 2011 continues, with the co-accused facingcharges of murder, administering punishment beatings and member-ship of the UVF.

23 Unionist unity: UUP MLA David McNarry reveals that the UUPhas been involved in discussions, both informal and formal, withthe DUP since June 2011 regarding closer cooperation between thetwo parties. McNarry claims that UUP DRD Minister DannyKennedy attends most DUP ministerial meetings to coordinatestrategy, and discussion on unionist unity has moved to ‘a higherlevel’.

25 Unionist unity: DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson reveals that DUP andUUP members are working together at Westminster.

26 Cross-border strategy: Alongside his Irish counterpart, Dr JamesReilly, DUP DHSS&PS Minister Edwin Poots launches a newcross-border strategy to combat the problems of alcohol misuse inNorthern Ireland and the Republic.

27 UUP: Tom Elliott reveals that he has written to his entire party mem-bership reassuring them about the nature of private discussions withthe DUP, stressing that talks were ‘without prejudice to the interestsand integrity of the UUP’.

28 UUP: Strangford MLA David McNarry resigns from the UUP’sAssembly group following Tom Elliott’s decision to removehim as Deputy Chair of the Education Committee as punishmentfor McNarry’s recent revelations about talks between the UUP andDUP.

28 GAA: Peter Robinson attends his first GAA match in Armagh.30 Bloody Sunday: A memorial service marking the 40th anniversary of

Bloody Sunday takes place in Derry.

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30 Border poll: Martin McGuinness states his ambition to see a referen-dum on Irish unity held during the next term of the Northern IrelandAssembly.

31 DUP–UUP: Further details emerge about the formal talks betweenthe DUP and UUP, including the names of those in attendance. TheUUP also announces that, owing to statutory rules, it will relinquishtwo Assembly committee positions following David McNarry’s resig-nation from the UUP Assembly group.

February

1 UUP: In a 35-minute broadcast interview, David McNarry questionsthe leadership skills of Tom Elliott. The interview comes amidstcontinued speculation that Elliott is set to expel McNarry from theUUP.

1 UUP: Former UUP Assembly candidates Lesley Macaulay and BillManwaring join the Northern Ireland Conservative Party.

2 Stormont: Figures released to TUV MLA Jim Allister reveal that theNorthern Ireland Executive employs 161 press officers at a cost to thetaxpayer of £5m.

2 PSNI: At a meeting of the Policing Board, Chief Constable MattBaggott defends the practice of rehiring retired police officers.

5 Memorial: Hundreds attend the unveiling of a memorial to thevictims of a 1992 UFF gun attack that killed five people at SeanGraham’s bookmakers in south Belfast.

6 Queen: A special Assembly debate is held to mark the Queen’sDiamond Jubilee.

6 Paisley: Former DUP First Minister Ian Paisley, now officially knownas Lord Bannside, is admitted to intensive care after suffering respir-atory problems.

10 RAAD: Father Michael Canny claims vigilante group RepublicanAction Against Drugs (RAAD) forced approximately 40 men toleave Derry in 2011 alone.

10 Justice: Brian Shivers (46), who was recently found guilty of the2009 murder of two British soliders at Massereene, Co. Antrim,receives a minimum sentence of 25 years.

14 Investment: DUP DFP Minister Sammy Wilson unveils £580m ofcapital investments in Northern Ireland’s hospitals and road network.Peter Robinson claims the investment will create or sustain approxi-mately 3,000 jobs.

16 PSNI: Matt Baggott appears before the Assembly Justice Committee forthe first time. Issues raised include the rehiring of former RUC memberson temporary contracts, the HET and police station closures.

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16 Disappeared: SF MP Pat Doherty admits that the IRA perpetrated‘massive injustice’ on those victims it murdered and secretly buriedduring the Troubles. Doherty urges ex-paramilitaries to provide infor-mation on the whereabouts of the so-called ‘Disappeared’, followingthe announcement by the Independent Commission for the Locationof Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) that it has run out of clues in thesearch for seven bodies.

21 Justice: David Ford faces criticism from nationalist politicians forrefusing to publish the findings of a Prisons Service report intoalternatives to full body searching in Northern Ireland’s prisons.

21 SF: South Down MLA Willie Clarke announces his decision to giveup his Northern Ireland Assembly seat.

22 Defection: DUP Coleraine Councillor William McCandless defects tothe UUP.

22 Commemoration: The 40th anniversary of an IRA bomb attack on aBritish Army barracks in Aldershot, Co. Hampshire, is marked with aceremony.

22 March: A controversial march commemorating the 1967 Kingsmillmassacre is postponed at the request of the victims’ families.

22 Equality: Michael Wardlow is appointed as the new chief commis-sioner of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission.

22 Supergrass: 12 of 13 alleged UVF members are declared innocent ofall charges, including murder, in the biggest ‘supergrass’ trial fordecades. In his ruling, Justice Gillen questions the credibility of thetwo key prosecution witnesses, stating that their testimony was‘infected with lies’.

24 Double-jobbing: SDLP DoE Minister Alex Attwood unveils plans tooutlaw double-jobbing by 2014.

24 Security: A hoax device causes serious traffic disruption in northBelfast.

24 Gordon Gallagher: The IRA admits responsibility for the1973killing of Gordon Gallagher (9) in Derry. The admission of guiltcomes only days after a direct appeal by Gallagher’s family forMartin McGuinness to urge republicans to come forward with thetruth.

27 Peace wall: A barrier separating Catholic and Protestant communitiesin north Belfast is opened for the first time in 20 years.

27 Centenaries: The Assembly debates an Alliance motion calling onministers to ensure that an upcoming decade of centenaries wouldbe marked in an inclusive manner. DUP DETI Minister ArleneFoster and SF DCAL Minister Caral Nı Chuilın agree to present ajoint ministerial paper on the issue.

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27 Legacy: Owen Paterson holds a series of meetings with politicalparties on the issue of dealing with the past and the legacy of theTroubles. The DUP repeats its opposition to an amnesty for past para-military crimes, while SF declares its support for a truth recoveryprocess.

27 Security: Owen Paterson tells the Commons that the threat level fromdissident republicans in Northern Ireland remains severe, with secur-ity services foiling ‘many’ potential terrorist attacks in the past sixmonths.

28 Justice Minister: The Assembly votes to continue an arrangementthat sees the Justice Ministry allocated without the use of thed’Hondt mechanism.

29 Report: The Northern Ireland Community Relations Council releasesthe first of its annual Peace Monitoring reports. The report is highlycritical of the governing political parties’ failure to tackle sectariandivision and reach a solution on dealing with the past.

March

1 Supergrass: David Ford tells the Assembly Justice Committee thathe sees no need to change the current law permitting ‘supergrass’ trials.

2 Gerry McGeough: Ex-IRA member Gerry McGeough, who wasjailed for the attempted murder of an off-duty UDR soldier in 1981,fails in a High Court appeal to have his sentence quashed. McGeoughwas sentenced to serve 20 years in 2011. Under the terms of the GoodFriday Agreement he is expected to serve only two years of hissentence.

2 Presidential visit: Irish President Michael D. Higgins makes his firstofficial visit to Belfast since being elected the Republic’s Head ofState in 2011.

3 Apology: In an article in An Phoblacht, SF Chairman DeclanKearney challenges republicans to apologise for any hurt causedby past IRA armed action. Unionist reaction to Kearney’s article issceptical.

3 Debate: Owen Paterson faces criticism for failing to attend a West-minster debate on the future of Northern Ireland’s economy.

5 HET: A HET report into the 1990 killing of Sam Marshall (31) by theUVF in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, finds no evidence of state collusion,despite the presence of eight undercover British soldiers close to thescene of the shooting.

5 Prisons: The Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service,Colin McConnell, quits unexpectedly after little more than a year inthe post.

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6 Survey: A survey conducted by Queen’s University Belfast confirmsthat middle-class Protestants are the least likely group to vote inNorthern Ireland. The research also finds that the UUP is the leastinfluential party in the Northern Ireland Executive.

7 PSNI: In an unprecedented move, SF councillor Paul Maguireopposes the closing of a police station in Broughshane, Co. Antrim.

7 Speech: DUP MP Jim Shannon uses parliamentary privilege to nameWilliam Gerard McMonagle as the man he believes was responsiblefor the 1982 murder of part-time UDR member Hugh Cummings.McMonagle is the current mayor of Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

8 UUP: Tom Elliott announces his decision to step down as UUP leader.8 Education: An audit report into the education system in Northern

Ireland reveals that 538 out of 1,055 schools are experiencing somedegree of difficulty in their quality of education, pupil numbers, orfinances.

9 UUP: Tom Elliott attributes his decision to resign as party leader to‘mounting pressure’, and a ‘build up’ of problems and tensions‘behind the scenes’. Elliott claims that some members of the partyundermined his position by briefing the press against him, a develop-ment that left him ‘hurt and disappointed’.

11 Drumcree: Orange Order members in Portadown hold a special cer-emony to mark the 5,000th day of a protest aimed at a ban – intro-duced in July 1998 – which prevents the Order from marchingdown the nationalist Garvaghy Road.

12 Security: In a joint statement on Anglo-Irish relations, British PrimeMinister David Cameron and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny vow toresist republican dissidents aiming to destabilise Northern Ireland.

12 Centenary: Enda Kenny and Owen Paterson mark the centenary of theThird Home Rule Bill at a commemorative ceremony in Westminster.

12 Security: A bomb explodes under a car in east Belfast in an apparentparamilitary operation.

12 Defection: UUP Ballymoney councillor Bill Kennedy defects to theDUP.

13 UUP: South Down MLA John McAllister announces his candidacyfor the forthcoming party leadership contest.

13 St Patrick: Leading politicians from both Ireland and NorthernIreland take part in an unprecedented St Patrick function in Ballyna-hinch, Co. Down.

13 Advisor: SF announces that special advisor Mary McArdle is to leavethe office of DCAL Minister Caral Nı Chuilın. McArdle was at thecentre of controversy when she was first appointed to the governmentposition in May 2011, given her conviction for the 1984 murder ofMary Travers (22).

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14 Narrow Water: The Smithwick Tribunal hears how former Taoi-seach Jack Lynch decreed the Garda give no assistance to the RUCinvestigation into the 1979 Narrow Water bombing in which 18British soldiers and one civilian were killed by the IRA near Warren-point, Co. Down.

14 Ombudsman: David Ford unveils a series of proposals to reform thePolice Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, including the power toinvestigate alleged misconduct by ex-RUC officers rehired by thePSNI as civilian staff.

14 Media strategy: Details emerge of a confidential memo sent byDCAL Minister Caral Nı Chuilın to several sporting and culturalbodies demanding that they consult her department before respondingto requests from the media.

14 UUP: Mike Nesbitt announces his candidacy in the UUP leadershipcontest.

14 Report: The Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP), establishedby the Assembly in 2011 to provide recommendations on the salaries,expenses and pensions of MLAs, publishes its first report. IFRP pro-posals include a pay-rise for MLAs but cuts to other expenses andallowances.

16 UUP: DRD Minister Danny Kennedy decides against running for thevacant UUP leadership, leaving John McAllister and Mike Nesbitt asthe only candidates. Nesbitt also emerges as the clear leadershipfavourite after three out of four UUP peers declare their support forhis candidacy.

16 Expenses: The main political parties unite in their opposition to arecent proposal by the IFRP to cut constituency office costallowances.

20 US visit: As part of a week-long visit to both the US and Canadacentred on St Patrick’s Day celebrations, Peter Robinson and MartinMcGuinness meet with President Barack Obama.

21 Budget: UK Chancellor George Osborne delivers his 2012 Budgetstatement in the Commons. The Northern Ireland Executiveemerges £14.3m better off.

26 Prisons row: A lengthy dispute between the Justice Department andthe union that represents prison officers in Northern Ireland on newworking practices comes to an end.

27 Hain: The publisher of former Northern Ireland Secretary PeterHain’s recent memoir reveals that Hain faces contempt of court pro-ceedings over his criticism of a 2006 ruling by Lord Justice Girvan.

28 Donors: The Electoral Commission supports ending the currentpolicy on party funding in Northern Ireland which sees the identityof all donors kept secret.

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29 Covenant: Peter Robinson delivers the inaugural Edward CarsonLecture at a ceremony organised by the Irish Government inDublin. The DUP leader expresses his desire to see more Catholicsjoin his party’s ranks.

29 Reunification: Taoiseach Enda Kenny tells an audiencein Beijing, China, that no timescale exists for the reunification of Ireland.

29 UUP: David McNarry is suspended from the UUP for nine months.30 Salaries: SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell states that his party will

decline the 11% increase in MLA salaries, as recommended by theIFRP.

30 Justice: John Paul Wooton (20) and Brendan McConville (40) areconvicted of the murder of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll (46) inCraigavon, Co. Armagh, in March 2009. The two men weremembers of the Continuity IRA.

31 UUP contest: Mike Nesbitt is elected the new leader of the UUP at theparty’s annual general meeting in Belfast, beating John McCallister by407 votes.

31 DUP: Junior Minister Jonathan Bell delivers an unprecedented speechat the Fine Gael conference in Dublin.

April

2 Security: Dissident republicans leave a viable explosive deviceoutside the house of a UUP councillor in Rosslea, Co. Fermanagh

3 UUP: Mike Nesbitt announces a reshuffle of the UUP assemblygroup, including plans to rotate the party’s sole ministry amongparty members.

4 HET: An independent report finds that the HET has shown favourabletreatment to soldiers compared with former paramilitaries. Inresponse, Matt Baggott invites independent inspectors to reviewhow the HET investigates killings by soldiers in the Troubles.

4 Ombudsman: Doctor Michael Maguire replaces Al Hutchinson asNorthern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman.

5 Education: The DUP chairman of the Education Committee,Mervyn Storey, criticises SF DENI Minister John O’Dowd’sdecision to commission a cross-border education survey at a cost of£50,000.

6 DUP–UUP: David McNarry provides more detail on the formal talksbetween the DUP and UUP regarding closer cooperation. McNarryclaims that new UUP leader Mike Nesbitt knew of the talks and didnot object to them.

7 Security: A substantial viable device causes major traffic disruptionin Newry, Co. Armagh.

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8 UUP: A leaked report of the UUP’s 2010 Westminster election cam-paign, written by the then vice-chairman Terry Wright and distributedamong senior party figures, contains a critical assessment of theparty’s electoral strategy.

9 IRA: SF chairman Declan Kearney delivers an address at an EasterRising commemoration in west Belfast. Kearney tells dissident repub-licans that the conditions of conflict had been removed, stressing:‘Make no mistake; there is no other IRA, here in Belfast, or anywhereelse’.

10 Dissidents: Several hundred people attend a dissident republican rallycommemorating the 1916 Easter Rising, where a masked man readsout a statement from the Real IRA, which includes a threat to attacksecurity forces.

11 Alban Maginness: The SDLP Chair of the Enterprise Committeedefends his decision to attend a major three-day US economic confer-ence at a cost of £7,994.

11 IRA: In response to Declan Kearney’s recent address, senior DUPrepresentative Jeffrey Donaldson states that he accepts that the IRAand its ‘army council’ are no longer active.

15 Centenary: A service is held at Belfast City Hall in memory of the1,502 victims of the RMS Titanic maritime disaster.

16 Security: A pipe-bomb device is discovered under the car of thefamily of a serving PSNI officer in Derry.

16 Disappeared: The Assembly debates the issue of the ‘Disappeared’.SF MLA Mitchel McLaughlin declines an invitation to retract com-ments made in 2005 that the IRA killing of Jean McConville wasnot a criminal act.

17 Justice Minister: David Ford warns that unrest in his party over thedissolution of DEL may result in him resigning as Justice Minister.

18 Donations: Alliance MP Naomi Long calls on David Cameron tourge Northern Ireland’s parties to publish details of donors. Longalso reveals that her party plans to publish details of who donates to it.

19 Taoiseach: Enda Kenny addresses an audience at the University ofUlster, Belfast. Kenny uses the speech to repeat his support for apublic inquiry into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucane by the UDA.

20 Spy: Details emerge of an admission by former commander of UKLand Forces General Sir John Wilsey that Freddie Scappaticci, amember of the IRA’s internal security team and codenamed ‘Stake-knife’, was Britain’s most valuable spy in the IRA during theTroubles.

20 Funeral: SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood defends his decision to carrythe coffin of a friend at a paramilitary-style funeral in Londonderry.

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20 Alliance: Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore addressesmembers of the Alliance Party in Belfast.

21 Alliance: Leader David Ford warns delegates at the party’s annualconference that ‘if the UUP and SDLP are to be pitied, then theDUP and SF are to be feared’, questioning other parties’ commitmentto a shared future.

23 Mayor: Sources reveal that SF Lord Mayor of Belfast Niall O Donn-ghaile is to resign earlier than scheduled to avoid meeting the Queenwhen she visits the city during Jubilee celebrations in June.

24 Presidential visit: Michael D. Higgins delivers a lecture at theUniversity of Ulster, Derry, urging the fostering of conciliation inNorthern Ireland.

25 Council reform: The task force that will oversee a reduction in thenumber of local councils, the Regional Transition Committee, meetsfor the first time. DoE Minister Alex Attwood faces criticism for theslow pace of reform to date.

26 Royal visit: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visitBelfast.

26 Security: A 600 lb bomb is discovered in an abandoned van inFathom Line, Co. Armagh. The bomb is believed to be the largestever planted by dissident republicans.

27 Security: A bomb is discovered underneath a car in north Belfast.27 Conference: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness deliver

speeches at a major pan-European conference in Dublin examiningthe lessons of Northern Ireland for resolving conflict.

29 Maze: TUV MLA Jim Allister accuses Peter Robinson of performing apolicy U-turn following the First Minister’s endorsement of a plannedconflict resolution centre at the old Maze Prison site.

30 Speech: Martin McGuinness delivers an address at the LondonSchool of Economics questioning the need for the continued existenceof a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Northern IrelandOffice.

30 SF: Independent Moyle Councillor Colum Thompson joins SF.

May

2 DUP–UUP: UUP leader Mike Nesbitt meets with Peter Robinson forface-to-face talks. Nesbitt states that the issue of unionist unity wasnot on the agenda.

3 Cardinal Brady: The head of Ireland’s Catholic Church, CardinalSean Brady, faces political pressure to resign over allegations thathe failed to act when alerted to child abuse allegations against afellow priest in 1975.

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3 Inquest: An inquest jury rules that an SAS soldier was justified inshooting IRA member Dessie Grew during a military ambush inLoughgall, Co. Armagh. The ruling is the first ‘shoot-to-kill’ verdictin Northern Ireland in 30 years.

4 Bairbre de Brun: The SF MEP resigns from the European Parliamentfor personal reasons.

6 Adviser: DUP DFP Minister Sammy Wilson refuses to sanction thesalary of a new special adviser to SF DCAL Minister Caral NıChuilın. Wilson claims that SF has failed to comply with securityclearance regulations introduced in 2011.

9 Pensions: The Assembly grants final passage to a bill that raises thepension age of women in Northern Ireland to 65 by 2018.

14 Meeting: The British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly meets in Dublinfor a two-day plenary.

14 Sectarianism: Participating in a community relations conference,Junior Ministers Jonathan Bell and Martina Anderson make com-ments to suggest that Northern Ireland’s golf clubs may harboursecret sectarian attitudes. Both Bell and Anderson later retract theircomments and offer separate apologies.

14 Commemorations: The Assembly Commission announces an agreedapproach to several commemorations.

16 Adviser: Peter Robinson insists that a row over the vetting of Stor-mont Special Advisers involving DUP DFP Minister SammyWilson and SF should be resolved out of court.

16 Cohesion, Sharing and Integration: In his keynote address to the Com-munity Relations Council, David Ford refutes recent accusations byMartin McGuinness that Alliance has held up OFMDFM efforts toproduce a long-awaited Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) strategy.

16 HET: A HET report finds that British soldiers lawfully killed IRAmember Seamus Bradley (15) during Operation Motorman in Lon-donderry in 1972.

16 Body parts: A UK-wide audit of all police forces reveals that thePSNI kept body parts and tissue in 23 Troubles-related caseswithout informing the victims’ families. The PSNI subsequentlyissues an apology.

17 SF: Martina Anderson is selected to replace Bairbre de Brun as SFMEP.

17 Hain: The High Court in Belfast rules that a contempt of court casetaken against Labour MP Peter Hain by Northern Ireland AttorneyGeneral John Larkin will not proceed.

20 SDLP: Alasdair McDonnell confirms he is seeking a contribution of£7,000 from each of his MLAs and MPs to improve the SDLP’s pressand research operations.

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22 Security: A number of viable devices are discovered at a flat inLondonderry.

22 UUP: The UUP expels Strangford MLA David McNarry. In a shortpublic statement the party offers no explanation for the punishment.

23 SDLP: Deputy Leader Dolores Kelly is removed, reportedly againsther will, from the position of vice-chairperson of the Assembly Agri-culture and Rural Development Committee.

24 CSI: The Alliance Party withdraws from a five-party working grouptasked with agreeing a CSI strategy. David Ford explains that his partylost faith in the ‘integrity’ of the process and accuses the DUP and SFof creating an ‘illusion’ that they were cooperating on the issue. Fordalso lambasts new plans recently announced by DUP DSD MinisterNelson McCausland for a housing development at the former Gird-wood Barracks site in north Belfast. Both the DUP and SF criticiseAlliance’s decision to withdraw from the committee.

24 Girdwood: The DUP and SF defend recently announced plans for asocial housing development at the former Girdwood Barracks site innorth Belfast. The plans fail to provide the 200 new houses promisedby DSD in 2010, with the focus instead on sport and educational facili-ties. The plans also specify that the development will be segregated,with two separate Catholic and Protestant estates, despite the overwhel-mingly nationalist waiting list for social housing in north Belfast.

24 SF: Ballymoney Councillor Anita Cavlan resigns from SF to sit as anindependent. Cavlan cites concerns over how SF treats political prisoners.

26 Ard Fheis: In a speech at the SF party conference, Martin McGuin-ness offers to hold talks with dissident republicans and explainshow republicans have held private talks with ‘a very significantgroup of Protestants and unionists’.

28 Girdwood: SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell claims that his partywill be consulting the Equality Commission and lawyers over theredevelopment of the Girdwood Barracks site in north Belfast.

30 CSI: Peter Robinson, during a broadcast interview, accuses the AllianceParty of being ‘belligerent and bellicose’ over its ‘ludicrous’ decision topull out of a Stormont group aimed at agreeing a shared future strategy.

31 Jubilee: SF reveals that it will not use its cross-community veto toprevent the Executive from providing the Queen with a gift to markher Diamond Jubilee.

June

2 Security: A bomb is thrown at police in Derry, Co. Londonderry.3 Security: Arsonists attack the home of Progressive Unionist Party

(PUP) spokesperson Ken Wilkinson in Antrim, Co. Antrim.

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4 Security: Dissident republicans disrupt the progress of the Olympicflame as it passes through Derry City on day 17 of its relay aroundthe UK.

6 Appointment: Unionist politicians react angrily to the appointment offormer IRA bomber Eibhlin Glenholmes to the new Forum forVictims and Survivors.

6 Mayor: A solicitor is consulted following a dispute between unionistsand SF over the voting mechanism used in the election of DUPcouncillor Carla Lockhart as Mayor of Craigavon.

7 UUP: Mike Nesbitt addresses the cross-party Joint OireachtasCommittee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement,becoming the first leader of a unionist party to speak at LeinsterHouse.

7 Mayor: Ballymena Borough Council elects its first nationalist mayor,SDLP councillor P. J. McAvoy.

7 SF: Maeve McLaughlin is selected to replace Martina Anderson asMLA for Foyle.

10 Jubilee: SF DCAL Minister Caral Nı Chuilın criticises the NorthernIreland Office (NIO) for announcing a Diamond Jubilee event in thegrounds of Stormont without consulting SF.

11 SF: Gerry Adams announces that SF will phase out its dual-mandatesin coming weeks. Martin McGuinness will resign as MP forMid-Ulster, and the party’s five other MPs will resign their Assemblyseats.

12 Councils: DoE Minister Alex Attwood confirms that he has soughtlegal advice on the actions of local councils that fail to observepower-sharing arrangements. Attwood also outlines plans for newcouncil boundaries set to come into place when the existing 26 coun-cils are reduced to 11 local authorities.

12 SF: West Belfast MLA Jennifer McCann replaces Martina Andersonas Junior Minister in the Executive. McCann’s appointment is criti-cised by unionist politicians as she served 10 years in prison for theattempted murder of an RUC officer in 1980.

13 UUP: UUP peer Lord Maginnis equates homosexuality to bestialityduring a local radio debate on gay marriage. The UUP distancesitself from Maginnis’s comments, clarifying that his views do notreflect party policy.

14 NI Conservatives: The Conservative Party relaunches itself as astand-alone party in Northern Ireland, declaring its intention tocontest all elections.

15 North–South Ministerial Council: The 14th plenary meetingof the North–South Ministerial Council (NSMC) takes place inDublin.

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17 SF: Delivering the annual Wolfe Tone address at Bodenstown, Co.Kildare, SF MEP Martina Anderson declares that, ‘SF fully acknowl-edges the attachment that many within the unionist section of Irishsociety have to a sense of Britishness and to symbols and institutionssuch as the English royal family – and we respect that’.

17 UUP: The UUP withdraws the party whip from Lord Maginnis aspunishment for his recent comments on the issue of gay marriage.

18 Omagh: Relatives of victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing presentOwen Paterson with an inquiry report that finds evidence that boththe RUC and Garda could have intercepted the Real IRA bombersprior to the atrocity.

18 Girdwood: New evidence shows that DUP DSD Minister NelsonMcCausland held ‘discussions’ with the Housing Executive toensure that four loyalist areas in north Belfast were given preferentialtreatment to be included in the new Girdwood housing scheme.

19 Justice: The Belfast High Court rules that the Justice Minister mustreconsider his decision to refuse compensation to Christy Walsh(48) whose 1991 conviction for possessing explosives was overturnedin 2010.

20 Dissidents: Carl Reilly, chair of Republican Network for Unity(RNU), challenges SF to prove it is serious about talks before any dia-logue with dissident republicans can begin.

20 RAAD: The republican vigilante group warns that its campaign willcontinue and claims that it has the same capability as the IRAbefore its ceasefire.

20 Inquiry: Owen Paterson informs the families of 11 people killed byBritish troops in the case known as the Ballymurphy Massacre thatthere will be no independent investigation of the deaths.

21 Tribunal: An employment tribunal in Belfast finds former SF Minis-ter Conor Murphy and the DRD guilty of unlawful religious discrimi-nation against a Protestant applicant for the post of chairman ofNorthern Ireland Water in 2011. Murphy rejects the tribunal’s findingsamidst strong criticism from across the political spectrum.

21 Justice: The Belfast court of appeal quashes the 1973 conviction ofLiam Holden (58) for the murder of a British soldier. Holden wasthe last person in the UK to be sentenced to hang.

22 SF: Following months of speculation, SF announces that MartinMcGuinness will hold a landmark meeting with the Queen whenshe visits Belfast later in the month.

22 British–Irish Council: The 18th summit meeting of the British–IrishCouncil takes place in Stirling, Scotland.

23 SF: Rosie McCorley is selected to replace outgoing west Belfast MLAPaul Maskey.

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25 SF: Megan Fearon is selected to replace outgoing Newry and ArmaghMLA Conor Murphy.

26 Royal visit: The Queen is greeted by hundreds of well-wishers inEnniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, as part of a two-day visit to NorthernIreland celebrating her Diamond Jubilee.

27 Meeting: The Queen and SF Deputy First Minister Martin McGuin-ness meet at a charity event at a theatre in south Belfast. The twoshake hands during a short private meeting attended by other princi-pals, including the Irish President and First Minister. McGuinnesswould later reveal that he acknowledged the IRA murder of theQueen’s cousin Lord Mountbatten in 1979. On leaving the event,the Queen publicly shakes hands with McGuinness, who wishes her‘health and blessings’ in Irish. Peter Robinson confirms that theprivate meeting was ‘warm and friendly’ and remarks that ‘anothertaboo has been broken’.

27 SF: Bronwyn McGahan is selected to replace outgoing Fermanaghand South Tyrone (FST) MLA Michelle Gildernew.

28 SF: In a speech at a SF event held in the Palace of Westminster,Martin McGuinness accuses British Prime Minister David Cameronof ‘a lack of engagement’ in the Northern Ireland peace process.

July

1 Remembrance: Irish Minister for Transport Alan Kelly becomes thefirst member of the Republic’s Government to take part in the annualSomme commemorations at Belfast City Hall.

3 Orange Order: The Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland,Drew Nelson, delivers an unprecedented address by a senior Orange-man to the Irish senate.

3 Housing: DUP DSD Minister Nelson McCausland tells the Assemblythat the Housing Executive (NIHE) is failing tenants and taxpayersfollowing a highly critical independent report on multi-million-pound maintenance contracts.

3 Handshake: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness shake hands inpublic for the first time at an event at the Giants Causeway, Co. Antrim.

3 Meeting: SF chairman Declan Kearney and MLA Alex Maskey holda meeting with senior loyalist figures, including UDA leaders inBelfast.

3 Executive: The Executive unveils its legislative programme for thecoming year, on the last day of plenary before the summer break.

3 SF: Lisburn Councillor Angela Nelson resigns from SF in protest atMartin McGuinness’s decision to meet and shake hands with theQueen.

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5 Bloody Sunday: The PSNI announces the launch of a murder inquiryinto the Parachute Regiment’s killing of 13 civilians in Derry in 1972.The four-year investigation is prompted by the 2010 Saville Report,which concluded that all those who died were innocent victims.Unionist politicians criticise the decision, with Peter Robinsoncalling on Martin McGuinness to be investigated and warning thatit will damage the prospects of building a shared society.

6 Parade: The Parades Commission rules that a contentious OrangeOrder parade through the Ardoyne area in north Belfast on 12 Julymust take place several hours earlier than in previous years. TheDUP calls the ruling ‘appalling’.

9 Justice: Former IRA prisoner Martin Cory wins a high court appeal tobe released from Maghaberry Prison. Hours after the ruling OwenPaterson revokes Corey’s licence and orders his re-arrest. SF sub-sequently accuses the Secretary of State of ‘outrageous interference’in the judicial system.

9 Parades: Approximately 400 people protest outside HillsboroughCastle against restrictions placed by the Parades Commission on a con-tentious Orange Order march through Crumlin, Co. Antrim, on 12 July.

11 Lords reform: In a Commons vote, the DUP and independent MPLady Sylvia Hermon oppose the Coalition Government’s plans toreform the House of Lords.

11 UDA: UDA chief Jackie McDonald is rebuked by other senior loyal-ists after branding the 12 July celebrations the ‘worst day of his year’in a newspaper interview. McDonald later argues that his commentswere taken out of context.

12 Security: Following a contentious Orange Order parade and counter-protest by nationalist residents, violent clashes involving police offi-cers, nationalists and loyalists break out in Ardoyne, north Belfast.Shots are fired at police lines from the nationalist side by suspecteddissident republicans. Minor disturbances also take place in anumber of other locations across Northern Ireland.

13 Band: Footage emerges showing a loyalist flute band playing report-edly sectarian tunes while marching in circles outside St Patrick’sCatholic Church in north Belfast during a break in the 12 Julycelebrations.

15 Band: Reverend Brian Kennaway confirms that the Parades Commis-sion will investigate the actions of a loyalist band outside St Patrick’sChurch on 12 July. DUP and SF representatives also clash over theincident.

17 Band: The loyalist flute band filmed playing reportedly sectariantunes outside a Catholic church in north Belfast issues an apologyfor its actions.

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18 OFMDFM: In a joint statement, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuin-ness confirm that they have reached agreement on a number of keypolicy areas, including the appointment of a single Victims Commis-sioner, ‘considerable progress’ on an agreed CSI strategy, and plansfor the regeneration of the former Maze Prison site.

19 CSI: The UUP quits the CSI group in protest at the recent announcementby OFMDFM that agreement had been reached on the issue. The UUPclaim that the decision was taken without their involvement or consent.

20 Paterson: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness launch separatestatements criticising Owen Paterson after delivering a recentspeech in Dublin in which he rebuked OFMDFM for alleged lackof progress on issues such as creating an opposition and building ashared society.

21 Bloody Friday: Politicians and religious leaders mark the 40th anni-versary of Bloody Friday in a series of ceremonies. On the eve of theanniversary senior SF figures speak of their personal shame of theincident, which saw the IRA detonate a series of bombs in Belfast,killing nine and injuring hundreds. National chairman DeclanKearney describes the operation as ‘unjustifiable’ and states that ‘itshouldn’t have happened’.

22 Security: A third consecutive night of rioting takes place in thenationalist Galliagh area of Londonderry.

26 Dissidents: A collection of dissident republican factions – includingthe Real IRA and RAAD – announce that they have merged to createa single unified group. The leaders of the new group style themselvesthe ‘IRA Army Council’.

27 Finance: DUP DFP Minister Sammy Wilson warns that he has ‘noconfidence’ in the ability of Owen Paterson to ensure the devolutionof corporation tax.

27 Tribunal: PSNI Chief Superintendent Roy McComb presents evi-dence at the Smithwick Tribunal that a fourth Garda officer, basedat Dundalk station, and not previously under consideration by the Tri-bunal, colluded with the IRA in the 1989 ambush of RUC ChiefSuperintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan.

28 Appointments: SF DENI Minister John O’Dowd faces criticism overhis appointment of two prominent SF members to the board of gover-nors at Lumen Christi College, Londonderry.

30 Security: Shots are fired at the PSNI in west Belfast in a suspecteddissident republican attack.

31 Anniversary: On the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Claudy bombingin which the IRA killed nine people, a victim demands a meetingwith Martin McGuinness, to ask the former IRA leader for answerson the atrocity.

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31 Policing Board: Sam Pollock is appointed as the new head of theNorthern Ireland Policing Board.

August

1 Road scheme: UUP DRD Minister Danny Kennedy unveils plansfor a new road scheme to replace the existing A5. The scheme willbe the single greatest infrastructure project in the history of NorthernIreland. A public consultation saw 2,000 formal objections to theproject.

1 Visit: David Cameron visits Northern Ireland as part of a UK-wide tourto promote the London Olympics. Cameron stresses that he is ‘fullyengaged’ in the Northern Ireland peace process and urges the mainparties to reach agreement on a shared future strategy.

1 Security: Dissident republicans launch a pipe-bomb attack on a PSNIstation in Craigavon, Co. Armagh.

2 Appointments: SF DENI Minister John O’Dowd denies claims thatthe appointment of two high-profile SF members to the board ofgovernors at a top Catholic grammar school is political.

6 Constituency reform: The Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime MinisterNick Clegg withdraws support for plans to reduce the number of MPsby 50, meaning that suspected changes to Northern Ireland’sWestminster constituency boundaries face further delay.

7 DRD: Former SF DRD Minister Conor Murphy demands an expla-nation from UUP DRD Minister Danny Kennedy for his decision toignore legal advice from the Attorney General to appeal a recentruling against Murphy by a Fair Employment tribunal.

7 Disappeared: SF President Gerry Adams issues an appeal forinformation about the remains of people killed and secretly buriedby the IRA.

8 SDLP: In an interview with the News Letter, SDLP leader AlasdairMcDonnell criticises SF and DUP’s disregard for other parties inthe Executive and dismisses the possibility that the SDLP will leavethe Executive.

8 Security: Violence breaks out between suspected dissidentrepublicans and the PSNI at an anti-internment bonfire in northBelfast and Banbridge, Co. Down.

11 Security: Petrol bombs are thrown at the PSNI in the nationalistBogside area of Derry following the annual Apprentice Boys paradein the city.

12 Inquiry: Several hundred people march to demand an inquiry into theshooting dead of 11 people by soldiers in the Ballymurphy area ofwest Belfast in 1971.

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13 SF: National Chairman Declan Kearney accuses sections of unionismof ‘slowing down the peace process’ during an address at an event inLondonderry.

15 Reform: Owen Paterson launches a public consultation on the size ofthe Assembly, the length of Assembly terms, double-jobbing and thecreation of an opposition in Northern Ireland.

20 Apology: The PSNI meets with SF mayor of Derry Kevin Campbellto apologise for a police raid on his home in Londonderry on 12 July.

24 Parades Commission: Peter Robinson writes a public letter to OwenPaterson imploring him to scrap the Parades Commission followingthe placement of restrictions on a contentious RBI parade in northBelfast. The letter is signed by several high-profile unionist politicians,representatives of the Orange lodges and several loyalist bands.

24 Abortion: Future DUP DHSS&PS Minister Jim Wells courts contro-versy by stating during a public radio debate that women who havebeen raped should not be exempt from restrictions on abortion.

25 Security: Serious disturbances break out between loyalists, national-ist protestors and the PSNI during a RBI parade in north Belfast.Several loyalist band members defy a recent Parades Commissionruling not to play loyalist tunes or march past St Patrick’s chapel inDonegall Street.

28 UUP: Lord Maginnis quits the UUP in protest at being punished forspeaking out against homosexuality. Maginnis calls on Mike Nesbittto resign.

28 Parade: The DUP and SF call for urgent dialogue to avoid a repeat ofthe trouble that marred a recent RBI parade in Belfast city centre. Else-where, DUP DSD Minister Nelson McCausland claims that thedecision by loyalist bands to defy Parades Commission restrictionswas ‘almost inevitable’.

29 Parades: Chairman of the Parades Commission Peter Osborne stateshis desire to see responsibility for parading structures devolved toStormont.

30 Parade: SF calls on the Orange Order to re-route parades away fromSt Patrick’s Church in north Belfast for the remainder of the marchingseason. Loyalist bands are set to pass the church during an UlsterCovenant commemoration event in September.

September

1 Gay marriage: The Alliance Party ruling council passes a motioncalling for same-sex civil marriage in Northern Ireland with protectionfor faith groups.

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2 Security: Serious overnight rioting erupts in north Belfast. Loyalistsand republicans attack police lines in nearly 10 hours of rioting, with47 PSNI officers reported injured. Initial violence was caused by loy-alists demonstrating against a republican band parade passing by theClifton Street Orange Hall.

3 Security: Further rioting takes place in north Belfast. Violent clashesbetween loyalists and police result in 15 police officers being injured.

3 Appointment: Kathryn Stone is announced as the new single Victimsand Survivors Commissioner.

4 Security: A third night of rioting takes place in north Belfast, withloyalists attacking police lines. Prior to the violence, PSNI AssistantChief Constable Will Kerr calls on politicians to stop ‘posturing’and resolve recent parading disputes.

4 Secretary of State: Conservative MP Theresa Villers replaces OwenPaterson as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in a Cabinetreshuffle.

4 Report: The Audit Office publishes a highly critical report of theNIHE’s management of multi-million-pound maintenance contracts.

5 Talks: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness hold emergency talksat Stormont with Assembly members from north Belfast in an attemptto end recent sectarian violence in the area. Robinson later meets withan Orange Order delegation and condemns those involved in the vio-lence, urging people to abide by Parades Commission determinations.Elsewhere, the SDLP announces that it is investigating whether DUPDSD Minister Nelson McCausland broke his pledge of office by con-doning breaches of Parades Commission rulings.

6 Talks: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness hold talks with PSNIChief Constable Matt Baggott, DoJ Minister David Ford, DoE Minis-ter Alex Attwood and DRD Minister Danny Kennedy in an attempt tofind a solution to recent tensions and violence over parading disputesin north Belfast.

6 Apology: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness welcome an unpre-cedented apology from the RBI for ‘any offence caused’ to the clergyand parishioners of St Patrick’s Church after a recent parade in northBelfast.

6 Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: The NorthernIreland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) claims that there hasbeen ‘very little progress’ on plans to introduce a bill of rights forNorthern Ireland since 2008.

7 Boston College: Belfast High Court grants an injunction stopping thePSNI from accessing any interviews that may be handed over from aUS court ruling until a full hearing is carried out.

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8 Council reform: SDLP DoE Minister Alex Attwood tables a motionrequesting £30m in financial assistance from other Executive depart-ments for the planned reform of local government.

8 Parades: Unionist and nationalist politicians welcome a landmarkdecision by the Orange Order to withdraw an application for a conten-tious parade in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast during an upcomingmarch marking the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant.

9 SF: National Chairman Declan Kearney tells a SF summer school inCo. Cork that unionist and nationalist politicians should embark onjoint initiatives towards reconciliation. Kearney also concedes thatthe 1993 Shankill Road bombing by the IRA in which nine peoplewere killed was not justified.

10 Appointment: Terrence Brannigan is appointed as chairman of thenew Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation. It later emergesthat Brannigan failed to declare that he was a DUP member whenapplying for the position.

13 Kingsmill: A victim’s group representing the sole survivor and rela-tives of those killed in the 1976 Kingsmill atrocity meet with EndaKenny in Dublin. The group later expresses its disappointment thatKenny declined to apologise for Irish Government failure to dealwith paramilitaries in the 1970s.

18 Parade: The Orange Order refuses to meet a north Belfast residents’group ahead of a contentious parade marking the 1912 signing of theUlster Covenant. A SF Assembly motion calling for direct dialoguebetween the Loyal Orders and the Carrick Hill Concerned ResidentsCommittee is defeated.

20 Appointments: The Commissioner for Public Appointments North-ern Ireland (CPANI) finds seven breaches by the DENI and afurther five examples of bad practice in relation to SF Minister JohnO’Dowd’s appointments in March 2012 to the General TeachingCouncil Northern Ireland.

20 Parade: Unionist and loyalist representatives hold talks with theOrange Order, in an attempt to find a resolution to a contentiousparade in north Belfast.

20 Security: Two bombs planted by dissident republicans in London-derry are defused.

21 HET: A new HET report into the 1976 murder of John Toland (35)and Jim Loughrey (35) by the UDA in two separate but closelyrelated incidents claims that members of the security forces mayhave colluded in the killing of Toland.

22 UUP: Addressing delegates at his first annual conference as leader,Mike Nesbitt calls for the creation of an official opposition at Stor-mont and a reduction in the number of Executive ministries.

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24 Gerry Adams: The SF President rejects allegations by Dolours Pricein a newspaper interview that he sanctioned the 1973 Old Baileybombing.

24 Censure: SF, Alliance and the Greens support an SDLPmotion demanding that DUP DSD Minister Nelson McCauslandshould be suspended for three months for failing to condemn recentbreaches of Parade Commission rulings. The motion is eventuallydefeated.

26 Parades Commission: The Parades Commission imposes restrictionson an upcoming Orange Order parade past St Patrick’s Church innorth Belfast. Restrictions are also imposed on a counter-protest byrepublican residents. The ruling follows meetings between theParades Commission and leaders of the DUP, UUP and SF.

28 SF: A party spokesperson announces that SF MPs will have ‘a regularand more frequent presence’ in Westminster now that they have givenup Assembly seats.

29 Centenary: Up to 30,000 people take part in events across Belfast tomark the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant – the 1912petition against Home Rule that helped lead to the partition of Ireland.After weeks of tension and amidst a huge policing operation, the cel-ebrations pass relatively peacefully. A contentious Orange Orderparade past St Patrick’s Church in north Belfast also passes peace-fully. Elsewhere, SF accuses the Orange Order of contraveningParades Commission determinations in east Belfast.

October

1 Gay marriage: The Assembly rejects a joint proposal by SF and theGreen Party to allow same-sex couples to be married in NorthernIreland.

1 UUP: South Down MLA John McAllister is sacked as deputy leaderof the UUP as punishment for a letter regarded as an attack on partyleader Mike Nesbitt. In the letter, McAllister expressed his fear thatthe UUP were ‘sleepwalking into unionist unity’ following a seriesof joint DUP–UUP events and statements in the run-up to the centen-ary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant.

3 PSNI: A report by The Audit Office finds that 19% of the 5,000 RUCofficers laid off under the reforms headed by Chris Patten were rehiredby the PSNI. The financial watchdog describes the rehiring process as‘out of control’.

3 Labour: Leader Ed Miliband tells delegates at the Labour Party con-ference in Manchester that the party will not contest future elections inNorthern Ireland.

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4 UKIP: Independent Strangford MLA and former UUP member DavidMcNarry joins the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).UKIP leader Nigel Farage also announces that his party will contestEuropean elections in Northern Ireland.

4 Defection: UUP Lisburn Councillor Alan Carlisle defects to the DUP.5 Security: The discovery of a substantial mortar-type device causes a

large security alert in Ardoyne, north Belfast.7 Shared future: Addressing the Conservative Party conference,

Theresa Villiers states that a key priority must be building a sharedsociety in Northern Ireland. Villiers also mentions the prospect offorming a future official opposition at Stormont

9 Welfare reform: The Assembly passes a motion supporting thebiggest reform of social security benefits for decades, 60 votes to42. The changes included in the Welfare Reform Bill affect disabilityliving allowance, housing benefit and employment support. SF andthe SDLP sought separate deferrals to give the bill further consider-ation, while other parties, including the DUP, supported its passagedue to the risk of losing millions of pounds in Treasury funding.

12 Forum: The first plenary meeting of the North–South Inter-Parlia-mentary Association takes place in the senate chambers of LeinsterHouse, Dublin.

13 PUP: Matt Baggott addresses the PUP’s annual conference in Belfast.16 Border poll: Following the agreement on a date for a referendum on

Scottish independence in 2014, SF President Gerry Adams asks Taoi-seach Enda Kenny to begin discussions on holding a referendum on aunited Ireland.

16 Robinson: Peter Robinson, in a speech to party members in Co.Tyrone, claims SF’s ‘fear’ of the SDLP often impedes Executivedecision-making. The criticism follows reported tension and ill-tem-pered exchanges between DUP and SF ministers during an Executivemeeting on welfare reform plans.

17 Boston College: The US Supreme Court temporarily blocks BostonCollege from handing over interviews conducted by researcherswith former IRA member Dolours Price to the PSNI.

18 Corporation tax: Representatives from the NIO, NI Executive andthe British Treasury fail to reach agreement on the terms of devolvingcorporation tax powers at a crunch meeting at Stormont.

18 Abortion clinic: Protestors picket outside the Marie Stopes Clinic onits opening day in Belfast city centre. The private clinic is the first inIreland to provide abortion and is headed by former PUP MLA DawnPurvis. Elsewhere, Attorney General John Larkin, in a move sup-ported by the DUP, urges the Assembly Justice Committee to inves-tigate the operations of the clinic.

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24 Security: An MI5 security assessment rules that a terrorist attack inNorthern Ireland by dissident republicans remains ‘highly likely’.

24 SF: Chairman Declan Kearney offers heavy criticism of Peter Robin-son and the DUP leadership in a speech in Westminster, accusing theparty of being ‘in a time-warp’.

25 SF: Martin McGuinness confirms that he has recently held unprece-dented face-to-face interviews with senior members of the Orange Order.

26 DUP: In a continuation of highly critical exchanges between the DUPand SF, Peter Robinson calls on Gerry Adams to admit his past role inthe IRA leadership. Robinson also criticises a recent speech in West-minster by SF chairman Declan Kearney.

30 President: Michael D. Higgins delivers the annual British Councillecture to an audience in Belfast.

November

1 Security: Dissident republican terrorists murder serving prison officerDavid Black (52) in an ambush on the M1 motorway near Portadown,Co. Armagh. British, Irish and local politicians unite in condemnationof the attack, with Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness holding ajoint press conference at Stormont. Black is the first prison officer tobe killed in a terrorist attack in Northern Ireland since 1993.

2 NSMC: The 15th plenary meeting of the North–South MinisterialCouncil takes place in Armagh, Co. Armagh. Afterwards EndaKenny, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness condemn the recentmurder of David Black by dissident republicans.

5 PSNI: SF accuses the PSNI of ‘political policing’ following the arrestof the party’s director of international affairs Padraic Wilson (53) inrelation to the 2005 murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast.

5 Debate: The Assembly passes a DUP motion in support of Dungan-non DUP councillor Sammy Brush. The motion is in response to avote taken by Dungannon Council on 15 October to support therelease of Gerry McGeough, an IRA member imprisoned in February2011 for the attempted murder of Brush in 1981.

6 David Black: The funeral of the murdered prison officer takes placein Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. The ceremony is attended by politicalleaders from each of the main parties, with the exception of MartinMcGuiness who the Black family requested did not attend.

6 Voting age: The Assembly passes a motion calling for the voting ageto be lowered to 16.

7 Audit: The Northern Ireland Audit Office issues a report that drawsattention to deficiencies in auditing arrangements in five Executivedepartments.

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10 SDLP: Alasdair McDonnell addresses delegates at the SDLP annualconference in Armagh, highlighting plans to re-energise the party anddescribing the party as ‘a watchdog in the Executive’. McDonnellmakes no reference to the party withdrawing from the Executive,despite an earlier speech by deputy party leader Dolores Kellycalling for the party to consider it.

11 Remembrance: In an unprecedented move, Irish Taoiseach EndaKenny and his deputy Eamon Gilmore attend two separate Remem-brance Sunday ceremonies in Enniskillen and Belfast. The ceremonyin Enniskillen marks the 25th anniversary of an IRA bombing thatkilled 11 people in the town.

12 SF: Down Councillor Mickey Coogan resigns from SF to sit as anindependent.

13 Leaflet: Alliance confirms party staff have received abusive phonecalls following the distribution by the DUP and UUP of 40,000 leaf-lets claiming that the party has sided with nationalists to stop theUnion Flag flying 365 days from Belfast City Hall.

13 DUP: Independent Belfast Councillor Frank McCoubrey joins theDUP.

16 Flag: UUP Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea opposes his party’ssupport for flying the Union Flag every day of the year fromBelfast City Hall. McCrea also criticises a joint DUP–UUP leafletthat attacked Alliance over the issue.

17 UKIP: Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall uses an address to the TUV con-ference to make a direct appeal for the party to stand aside in the 2014European election in favour of UKIP.

20 Jim Wells: The Assembly rejects a proposal from the Committee onStandards and Privileges to suspend DUP MLA Jim Wells over com-ments he made to SF Minister Caral Nı Chuilın and to her formeradviser Mary McArdle.

20 Summit: During a one-day tour of Northern Ireland Prime MinisterDavid Cameron announces that Co. Fermanagh will host the 2013G8 Summit.

21 Prison protest: Dissident republican inmates at Maghaberry Prisonend a long-running ‘dirty protest’ over prisoner rights, including theuse of strip searches.

23 DUP: Fine Gael Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney becomes thefirst Irish politician to address the DUP annual conference.

24 DUP: Peter Robinson addresses delegates at the DUP annual confer-ence, stressing that the peace process has helped secure Northern Ire-land’s place in the UK. He also dismisses SF’s recent calls for a unitedIreland referendum and confirms that Irish cross-border relations havenever been better.

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26 British–Irish Council: The 19th summit of the British–Irish Counciltakes place in Cardiff, Wales.

27 Electoral register: An Electoral Commission report recommendsimmediate action is taken to improve the completeness and accuracyof the electoral register in Northern Ireland.

30 Flag row: Ahead of an upcoming Belfast City Council vote on theflying of the Union Flag from City Hall, Alliance MP Naomi Longaccuses the DUP of stirring up tension over the issue in an attemptto reclaim the east Belfast parliamentary seat.

December

3 Flag row: Serious rioting erupts after Belfast City council votes 29–21 to restrict the flying of the Union Flag from City Hall to 20 desig-nated days. Loyalist demonstrators clash with police lines, while somemanage to force their way into City Hall. Prior to the vote around1,500 loyalists disrupt traffic outside City Hall.

3 Justice: Former TUV Ballymena Councillor David Tweed is con-victed of 13 charges of child abuse against two girls.

4 Flag row: 100 loyalists protest outside Alliance’s east Belfast consti-tuency office against Belfast City Council’s decision to fly the UnionFlag on designated days only. Loyalists accuse Alliance of siding withthe SDLP and SF on the motion. Peter Robinson condemns the pre-vious night’s violence but describes the decision to remove the flagas ‘foolish and provocative’.

4 Threats: Alliance councillor Lauren McNamee flees her homebecause of loyalist threats against her for voting to fly the UnionFlag from City Hall on designated days only. SF MLA Gerry Kellyalso confirms that he has received a death threat from loyalists.

5 Budget: Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, delivering hisautumn statement in Westminster, reveals that the Executive willbenefit from an additional £132m of capital spending.

5 Flag row: Rioting breaks out in several areas across Northern Irelandas loyalists protest against Belfast City Council’s decision to fly theUnion Flag on designated days only. The most serious rioting takesplace in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, where police discharge batonrounds during clashes with approximately 1,200 loyalist protestors.The town’s Alliance constituency office is also damaged in a loyalistarson attack. Alliance Minister Stephen Farry also confirms that hisconstituency office in Bangor, Co. Down, was targeted in a failedarson attempt. Earlier in the day the home of two Alliance councillorsis attacked by loyalists in Bangor. Alliance leader David Forddescribes the attacks as an ‘assault on democracy’.

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6 Flag row: David Ford demands the recall of the Assembly to discussthe flag protests and show ‘united opposition’ to attacks on electedrepresentatives – a call backed by the SDLP. Unionist politicians,while condemning the violence, criticise Alliance for their stance onthe flag issue.

6 Anniversary: A memorial service takes place in Ballykelly, Co. Lon-donderry, marking the 30th anniversary of an INLA bombing thatkilled 17 soldiers and civilians in the Droppin’ Well pub.

6 Security: Police discover a mortar-type device during an arrest oper-ation targeting dissident republicans in Derry.

7 Flag row: The PSNI informs Alliance MP Naomi Long of a deaththreat against her, while SF councillor Jim McVeigh also confirmsthat he has received a death threat. Peter Robinson condemns the vio-lence and calls for loyalists to suspend protests. The home and car ofAlliance councillor Linda Cleland is attacked overnight. In centralBelfast, 200 loyalist protestors clash with the police, with watercannon deployed. In Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, loyalists protestoutside a district council event, hijacking and burning cars.

7 Clinton visit: US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton visits NorthernIreland as part of a four-day tour of Europe. Speaking alongsidePeter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, she condemns the continueddissident republican terror campaign and the recent loyalist deaththreat against Alliance MP Naomi Long.

7 UUP: Three UUP councillors demand that UUP MLA Basil McCreabe disciplined by the party over declaring his support for flying theUnion Flag over Belfast City Hall on designated days during arecent radio interview.

8 Flag row: Sporadic and mainly peaceful loyalist flag protests breakout in many loyalist areas across Northern Ireland. Approximately2,000 protestors gather outside Belfast City Hall for a largedemonstration.

10 Flag row: During a special sitting, the Assembly unanimously passesa motion tabled by Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness condemn-ing the disorder surrounding ongoing flag protests. The motion alsospecifies that any further protests remain peaceful. Trouble laterbreaks out across loyalist areas of Northern Ireland. The mostserious disorder occurs in east Belfast where a loyalist gang launchesa petrol-bomb attack on a PSNI patrol car guarding an Alliance partyoffice. In south Belfast, the PSNI use water cannon against loyalistprotestors close to the M1 motorway.

10 Planning dispute: SDLP DoE Minister Alex Attwood refutes alle-gations that he accelerated the planning application process for anew cross-border bridge at Narrow Water, Co. Down.

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11 Flag row: Theresa Villiers condemns the violent disorder surroundingthe flag protests in Northern Ireland in an address to the Commons. Inthe Assembly a planned meeting of the Assembly Commission, insti-gated by the DUP, to discuss a proposal to increase the number of daysthe Union Flag flies at Stormont does not go ahead as Alliance, SDLPand SF fail to attend. Elsewhere, loyalists hold flag protests acrossNorthern Ireland.

11 Threats: The DUP reports that Minister Edwin Poots and MP JeffreyDonaldson have received separate death threats from dissidentrepublicans.

12 Finucane: The Da Silva review into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucaneby the UDA confirms the involvement of British agents in the killing.However, the report fails to find conclusive evidence of any ‘over-arching state collusion’. In an address to the Commons, DavidCameron calls the level of security force collusion ‘shocking’ andoffers an apology to the Finucane family. Matt Baggott also offers a‘complete, absolute and unconditional’ apology. The Finucanefamily rejects the report’s conclusions and repeats their call for apublic inquiry.

12 Threat: A death threat is made against DUP First Minister PeterRobinson.

12 Flag talks: Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt meet with the leadershipof the PUP in an attempt to find a solution to ongoing loyalist flagdemonstrations. Elsewhere, small protests are held in loyalist areasacross Northern Ireland.

12 By-election: Francie Molloy is selected by SF to contest the 2013Mid-Ulster Westminster by-election.

13 Threats: SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt and DUP councillor GuySpence both receive death threats. Elsewhere, a DUP constituencyoffice in Richhill, Co. Armagh, is vandalised.

13 Flag row: As the row over the flying of the Union Flag at Belfast CityHall moves into its second week, DUP DETI Minister Arlene Fosterwarns of the damage caused to local trade by continued protests. PUPleader Billy Hutchinson also calls for a new forum involving unionistsand loyalists to deal with the flags issue.

13 UUP: Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea loses the UUP whip as pun-ishment for his stance on the ongoing flags dispute.

14 Threat: SF councillor Jim McVeigh receives a second death threat ina week.

14 Libel: SF is found guilty of libelling the former director of NorthernIreland Water, Declan Gorman, in 2010 and ordered to paycompensation.

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17 Flag row: 80 separate loyalist flag protests, including road blockadesin some areas, take place across Northern Ireland. A small group ofloyalists disrupt a council meeting in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim.Earlier, Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt issue a joint statementcalling for an end to protests.

18 Forum: Peter Robinson and Mike Nesbitt announce the establishmentof The Unionist Forum, which will seek to build unionist consensuson addressing the flags issue, parading and ‘strengthening British cul-tural identity in NI’.

19 Loughinsland: Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire orders a newinquiry into the 1994 Loughinsland atrocity, consequently quashinga widely discredited 2011 report into the incident by his predecessorAl Hutchinson.

19 Threats: Individual letters containing bullets are sent to SF MLAsGerry Kelly, Alex Maskey and Alliance representatives David Ford,Naomi Long and Geraldine Mulvenna.

20 Talks: After a special meeting lasting almost eight hours, the leadersof the five main political parties issue a joint statement condemningthe violence that has marred recent loyalist flag demonstrations. It isthe first time all five party leaders have met since protests beganthree weeks previously.

21 Defection: Alliance councillor Adam Harbinson defects to the DUP inprotest over the party’s support for gay marriage.

21 Flag row: Approximately 50 mainly low-key and peaceful flag pro-tests are held across Northern Ireland. Loyalist protestors clash withthe police at a protest in east Belfast.

30 SF: Martin McGuiness formally resigns as MP for Mid-Ulster.31 Security: An off-duty PSNI officer discovers a booby-trap

bomb, planted by dissident republicans, underneath his car in eastBelfast.

.Sources: Irish Times, The Belfast Telegraph, Irish American Information Service,BBC News, The Guardian, Northern Ireland Executive, UTV News, News Letter,RTE News.

8.3 Main EU Related News for Northern Ireland 2012

16 January Following talks at Stormont Castle, Irish Deputy Prime MinisterEamonn Gilmore states that both the British and Irish Govern-ments will lobby for a new tranche of European Peace Moneyfor Northern Ireland. The EU Peace III funding – worth justunder £300m – runs out in 2013.

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2 February Details emerge that EU funding of £18m, taken from NorthernIreland’s Peace III allowance, has been approved for a ConflictResolution Centre on the site of the former Maze Prison. Thepeace-building project is part of a £300m redevelopment ofthe 350-acre site near Lisburn.

20 February Unionist politicians register their opposition to DARD’sdecision to assess an application for EU funding for the renova-tion of an IRA monument in Co. Armagh.

17 April The Orange Order receives £884,022 from the Special EuropeanUnion Programmes Body to establish an organisation – Step-ping Towards Reconciliation in Positive Engagement(STRIPE) – designed to address the legacy of the Troubles inProtestant border and interface communities.

20 April A new cross-community childcare and education facility islaunched in west Belfast, backed by over £700,000 of fundingfrom the EU’s Peace III programme.

4 May The European Commission writes to DARD to remind it of itsresponsibilities in promoting good relations in the Province, fol-lowing a row between Sinn Fein DARD Minister MichelleO’Neill and unionists over funds from the Northern IrelandRural Development Programme potentially being spent on therenovation of an IRA monument in Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh.

7 June European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science,Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, visits Northern Ireland at the invita-tion of DUP DETI Minister Arlene Foster. The Commissionerhighlights the importance of research and innovation inEurope 2020, the EU’s strategy for economic growth and jobcreation.

20 June EU funding is awarded under the INTERREG IVA Programmeto three new North West Region Cross Border Group(NWRCBG) projects, which will be rolled out over the nextthree years.

17 July A report from the Open Europe think tank claims that NorthernIreland’s taxpayers pay £1.58 for every £1 of EU regionaldevelopment funds reinvested back into the province. Accord-ing to the report, the total contribution from Northern Ireland’staxpayers between 2007 and 2013 is £826m – yet just £523mwas allocated back to be spent here, making Ulster a ‘net con-tributor’ to the ERDF scheme.

8 August A report from accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers warns thatNorthern Ireland’s economy faces ‘very serious problems’ ifthe eurozone crisis deepens.

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24 October The Special EU Programmes Body approves a E17.4m grantfor the construction of the cross-border Narrow Water Bridge.

31 October The Orange Order receives a £3.6m grant from the EU Peace IIIProgramme to develop two centres in Loughgall, Co. Armagh,which will promote the history and traditions of the Order.

31 October DUP MPs support a Commons amendment calling on ministersto demand ‘a reduction in real terms’ of the 2014–2020 EUbudget at an EU summit in November. The amendment ispassed by 307 votes to 294, with 53 eurosceptic Tory MPsrebelling against Prime Minister David Cameron.

Sources: European Commission: The EU in the United Kingdom, http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/about_us/office_in_northern_ireland/index_en.htm; Northern IrelandExecutive, http://www.northernireland.gov.uk; The Belfast Telegraph, News Letter,RTE News.

9. Opinion Polls

9.1 LucidTalk–Belfast Telegraph Poll

Date of opinion poll fieldwork: 6–26 May 2012. Selected poll questions are pre-sented in the following tables. Results are presented as rounded percentages.Sample: 1,267 adults, resident in six selected areas of Northern Ireland.Source: Published by LucidTalk [computer file], http://www.lucidtalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/120530BelfTelResTbles-14Qs.pdf. Distributed by BelfastTelegraph, 11–15 June.

Constitution

Table 9.1.1. If a Border referendum was held within the next year – how would you vote?

Yes, for unitedIreland

Yes, within next20 years

No for keep NI and theROI

Noopinion

Total 7 25 55 13Male 9 25 54 12Female 5 25 55 1518–24 15 18 59 825–44 7 26 52 1545–64 5 27 52 1965+ 5 26 58 12Protestant 0 4 86 10Catholic 7 41 38 14Other 5 21 51 23No religion 15 36 39 10

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Party Support

Table 9.1.2. If a NI Assembly election were held tomorrow, which party would you vote foras a first preference?

DUPSinnFein UUP SDLP Alliance Green TUV

Other/wouldn’tvote

Total 16 14 6 6 6 2 2 48Male 21 22 7 8 6 2 3 32Female 13 9 5 6 5 2 1 5918–24 7 11 7 7 9 5 1 5325–44 18 21 3 5 5 3 1 4545–64 18 13 6 7 5 1 2 4965+ 16 11 8 7 5 1 3 49Protestant 34 2 12 4 7 2 6 33Catholic 4 30 2 13 5 1 0 45Other 10 10 3 5 10 2 0 60No religion 6 6 4 3 5 3 0 73

Northern Ireland Devolved Government

Table 9.1.3. The NI Assembly has a higher number of members at 108 than other UKRegional Assemblies. Would you like to see the number of MLAs:

Remain thesame

Reduced tobetween 90

and 108Reduced tobelow 90

Stormont should be abolished,and direct rule returned

Total 13 33 36 18Male 14 32 38 17Female 13 33 36 1818–24 6 33 46 1525–44 15 32 33 1945–64 16 32 35 1765+ 13 33 36 18Protestant 8 39 43 10Catholic 28 35 28 9Other 12 21 27 40No religion 5 28 37 29

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Table 9.1.4. Compared with direct rule from Westminster – how would you rate theperformance of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly?

Excellent Good No difference Poor Very poor No opinion

Total 1 8 33 27 14 17Male 0 6 35 32 12 15Female 1 9 32 24 16 1818–24 0 9 27 20 15 2825–44 1 7 31 26 18 1745–64 1 9 32 29 16 1365+ 0 7 40 30 8 15Protestant 1 6 35 31 10 17Catholic 0 8 38 30 11 13Other 1 12 25 19 28 15No religion 0 5 27 29 18 21

Table 9.1.5. Do you believe there should be an official opposition at Stormont, similar to Westminsterand the Dail?

Yes No No opinion

Total 23 39 37Male 21 51 27Female 24 32 4418–24 20 33 4725–44 26 39 3645–64 26 41 3465+ 19 42 39Protestant 25 37 39Catholic 21 48 31Other 33 42 25No religion 24 20 56

Political Parties

Table 9.1.6. Should UK and Irish parties such as Conservative and Labour and/or SouthernIrish political parties such as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael contest elections in NI?

Both UK and Irishparties

UK partiesonly

Irish partiesonly

No, NI-based partiesonly

Total 27 16 17 40Male 28 15 15 42

(Continued )

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Economy

Both UK and Irishparties

UK partiesonly

Irish partiesonly

No, NI-based partiesonly

Female 26 17 18 3918–24 15 16 16 5225–44 26 15 15 4345–64 33 16 16 3565+ 27 18 18 37Protestant 27 29 3 42Catholic 28 5 18 49Other 15 17 26 42No religion 29 13 16 42

Table 9.1.7. Current public finances are under strain. Do you believe the shortfall should bemade up from:

Cuts and efficiencies inpublic spending

Increased taxation and/or introducinglocal taxes, e.g. water rates

Noopinion

Total 41 22 37Male 44 19 38Female 38 24 3718–24 44 27 3025–44 43 18 3945–64 43 22 3565+ 34 23 43Protestant 43 22 35Catholic 38 18 44Other 45 21 34No religion 37 26 36

Table 9.1.8. Business opinion states that reducing corporation tax, i.e. tax on companies, willattract investment and jobs to NI. Would you accept an initial reduction in public spending to

pay for this?

Yes No No opinion

Total 30 34 36Male 30 38 32

(Continued )

Table 9.1.6. (Continued).

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Shared Education

Policing

Yes No No opinion

Female 30 32 3818–24 36 38 2725–44 30 35 3545–64 29 35 3665+ 28 30 41Protestant 30 39 31Catholic 23 40 36Other 39 33 28No religion 26 31 44

Table 9.1.9. Should the Education Minister encourage State and Catholic schools to sharefacilities and/or teachers, in view of falling pupil numbers and cuts in funding?

Yes No No opinion

Total 54 19 27Male 56 17 26Female 52 20 2818–24 44 22 3425–44 53 20 2645–64 57 17 2665+ 55 18 27Protestant 70 17 14Catholic 51 28 21Other 56 24 20No religion 46 13 41

Table 9.1.10. If a close relative wanted to join the PSNI would you encourage them?

Yes No No opinion

Total 25 10 65Male 17 10 74Female 31 10 60

(Continued )

Table 9.1.8. (Continued).

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9.2 LucidTalk–Belfast Telegraph Poll

Date of opinion poll fieldwork: 6–23 November 2012. Selected poll questions arepresented in the following tables. Results are presented as rounded percentages.Sample: 1,130 adults, resident in six selected areas of Northern Ireland.Source: Published by LucidTalk [computer file] http://www.lucidtalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/BelTeleResBTPoll.pdf. Distributed by Belfast Telegraph,30 November.

Party Support

Yes No No opinion

18–24 33 17 5025–44 22 8 7045–64 27 8 6565+ 23 8 69Protestant 32 4 64Catholic 10 12 77Other 25 10 65No religion 24 12 64

Table 9.2.1. If a NI Assembly election were held tomorrow, which party would you vote foras a first preference?

DUPSinnFein UUP SDLP Alliance Green TUV

Other/wouldn’tvote

Total 18 16 7 8 7 2 2 40Male 17 20 7 7 6 2 3 39Female 18 12 7 7 8 3 2 4218–24 14 16 4 6 8 5 2 4625–44 17 17 6 8 7 3 2 4045–64 20 15 7 9 7 0 2 3965+ 20 15 10 9 6 1 3 37Protestant 37 2 8 3 6 1 5 38Catholic 1 33 2 19 8 1 0 36Other 15 13 5 8 6 3 1 49No religion 10 19 4 6 4 3 0 53

Table 9.1.10. (Continued).

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Political Awareness

Table 9.2.2. Apart from the First and Deputy First Ministers, the Northern Ireland Executivehas 11 ministers and two junior ministers. Can you name five of these ministers?

Name Party Constituency Department/position Mentions

Sammy Wilson DUP East Antrim Finance 437John O’Dowd Sinn Fein Upper Bann Education 427Arlene Foster DUP FST Enterprise 412David Ford Alliance South Antrim Justice 391Caral Nı Chuilın Sinn Fein North Belfast Culture 389Edwin Poots DUP Lagan Valley Health 363Alex Attwood SDLP Belfast West Environment 293Michelle O’Neill Sinn Fein Mid Ulster Agriculture 282Nelson McCausland DUP Belfast North Social Development 278Stephen Farry Alliance North Down Employment and

Learning217

Danny Kennedy UUP Newry andArmagh

Regional Development 186

Jennifer McCann Sinn Fein Belfast West OFMDFM 146Jonathan Bell DUP Strangford OFMDFM 117

Other mentions

Basil McCrea UUP Lagan Valley MLA 93Gerry Kelly Sinn Fein Belfast North Former Junior Minister 83Mike Nesbitt UUP Strangford MLA, Party Leader 66Naomi Long Alliance Belfast East MP, Deputy Leader 63Tom Elliott UUP FST MLA, Former Leader 62Jim Allister TUV North Antrim MLA, Party Leader 49Alasdair

McDonnellSDLP Belfast South MP, Party Leader 47

Ian Paisley Jnr DUP North Antrim MP 45Anna Lo Alliance Belfast South MLA 45Mark Durkan SDLP Foyle MP, Former Leader 36Sylvia Hermon Ind North Down MP 31John McCallister UUP South Down MLA 28Danny Kinihan UUP South Antrim MLA 15Michael

McGimpseyUUP Belfast South MLA 9

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9.3 Northern Ireland Young Life and Times Survey

Date of opinion poll fieldwork: 16 November 2011–31 December 2011. Selected pollquestions are presented in the following tables. Results are presented as percentages.Sample size: 1,434 young people who celebrated their 16th birthday during Februaryand March 2011.Source: ARK, Young Life and Times Survey, 2011 [computer file]. ARK, www.ark.ac.uk/ylt [distributor], May 2012.

Community Relations

Table 9.3.1. Are relations between Protestants and Catholics better now than five years ago?

Better Worse About the same Other Don’t know

Total 64 4 27 2 4Male 64 4 27 2 4Female 64 4 27 2 4Catholic 67 3 26 2 2Protestant 60 5 30 1 5No religion 66 3 24 3 5

Table 9.3.2. Will relations between Protestants and Catholics be better in five years time?

Better Worse About the same Other Don’t know

Total 50 6 39 2 5Male 51 6 36 1 6Female 48 5 41 2 4Catholic 54 4 37 1 4Protestant 45 7 43 2 4No religion 49 8 36 3 5

Table 9.3.3. If you had a choice, would you prefer to live in a neighbourhood with people ofonly your own religion, or in a mixed-religion neighbourhood?

Own religion only Mixed-religion neighbourhood Other Don’t know

Total 22 64 7 8Male 25 60 8 8Female 19 67 6 8Catholic 24 64 6 7Protestant 27 59 7 8No religion 9 72 9 10

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Identity

Table 9.3.4. If you were deciding where to send your children to school, would you prefer aschool with children of only your own religion, or a mixed-religion school?

Own religion only Mixed-religion school Other Don’t know

Total 38 51 5 7Male 39 49 5 7Female 37 53 4 7Catholic 52 37 5 7Protestant 39 52 4 7No religion 12 76 5 7

Table 9.3.5. Thinking about how you feel about the other main religious community, whatdo you think has been the most important influence on your views?

My Church My family My school My friends Other Don’t know

Total 6 55 15 16 4 5Male 7 51 15 17 5 5Female 6 58 15 14 3 4Catholic 5 60 18 11 5 3Protestant 11 53 12 17 2 6No religion 0 44 15 30 7 4

Table 9.3.6. How important is your religious identity to you?

Veryimportant

Quiteimportant

Neitherimportant norunimportant

Not veryimportant

Not at allimportant

I don’thave a

religiousidentity

Total 18 26 19 13 15 8Male 17 26 17 13 16 11Female 19 25 22 13 15 6Catholic 23 34 24 12 8 0Protestant 25 30 19 15 11 1No religion 1 4 11 11 37 35

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Politics

Table 9.3.7. Which of these best describes the way you think of yourself?

British Irish Ulster Northern Irish Other Don’t know

Total 26 35 2 34 3 1Male 28 34 2 32 3 1Female 24 36 2 35 3 1Catholic 5 73 0 20 2 1Protestant 47 2 5 43 2 0No religion 30 16 1 46 6 1

Table 9.3.8. How important is your national identity to you?

Veryimportant

QuiteImportant

Neitherimportant norunimportant

Not veryimportant

Not at allimportant

I don’thave a

nationalidentity

Total 25 31 22 13 8 1Male 29 31 19 11 9 1Female 22 32 24 15 7 1Catholic 34 31 20 10 4 1Protestant 25 35 20 13 6 1No religion 10 25 26 20 18 2

Table 9.3.9. How much interest do you generally have in what is going on in politics?

A great deal Quite a lot Some Not very much None at all Don’t Know

Total 6 8 24 33 29 1Male 8 10 28 29 25 1Female 4 7 22 36 32 1Catholic 6 8 23 36 26 1Protestant 4 9 27 32 29 0No religion 7 7 23 29 34 0

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Rights and Perceptions

Table 9.3.10. How much do you feel you know about politics in Northern Ireland?

A great deal Quite a lot Some Not very much None at all Don’t know

Total 3 13 27 41 16 1Male 4 15 32 36 13 1Female 2 11 23 45 18 1Catholic 3 13 30 38 14 2Protestant 2 11 28 44 15 1No religion 3 15 20 42 21 1

Table 9.3.11. Thinking about all the political changes that have taken place in NorthernIreland since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, would you say:

Protestantsbenefited a

lot morethan

Catholics

Protestantsbenefited alittle more

thanCatholics

Catholicsbenefited alot more

thanProtestants

Catholicsbenefited alittle more

thanProtestants

Protestantsand

Catholicsbenefitedequally Other

Don’tknow

Total 3 8 10 15 49 3 12Male 3 8 12 17 46 4 10Female 3 7 9 13 52 3 14Catholic 5 13 4 12 55 3 8Protestant 0 4 19 20 42 3 12No religion 4 5 8 12 49 4 1

Table 9.3.12. Northern Ireland has its own devolved government at Stormont. In general,how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way the Northern Ireland Government is doing its

job?

Verysatisfied Satisfied

Neithersatisfied nordissatisfied Dissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

Don’tknow

Total 1 16 40 14 6 24Male 1 15 41 16 7 20Female 1 17 40 12 4 27Catholic 1 15 42 14 6 24Protestant 1 20 38 14 5 23No religion 1 12 42 13 6 26

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9.4 Other Relevant Opinion Polls

ARK, Attitudes to Peace Walls in Northern Ireland, 2012 [computer file]. ARK,http://www.ark.ac.uk/peacewalls2012/ [distributor], September 2012.

10. Changes in Political Attitudes

Note: The Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) Survey was not conducted in2011. For the most recent longitudinal trends in public attitude on topics, includingthe constitutional status of Northern Ireland, community relations, and perceptionsof equality, see Murphy & Matthews (Eds) (2012) Data Yearbook 2012, IrishPolitical Studies, 27(2), pp. 308–314.

10.1 Party Support

Figure 10.1.1. Support for main political parties (2005–2012)Note: No polling data on political party support are available for 2011.Source: Northern Ireland Life and Times (1998–2010), http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt; LucidTalk–Belfast Telegraph poll (May 2012), http://www.lucidtalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/120530BelfTelResTbles-14Qs.pdf; LucidTalk–Belfast Telegraph poll (November 2012),http://www.lucidtalk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/BelTeleResBTPoll.pdf

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10.2 Political Identity

11. Political Issues 2012

11.1 Security and Policing

Note: Security data are collated by the PSNI by financial year (1 April–31 March).

Figure 10.2.1. Which of these best describes the way you usually think of yourself?Note: The phrasing of the question posed on national identity differs between the NILT surveysand the 2011 Census.Source: Northern Ireland Life and Times (1998–2010), http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt; NISRA,Census 2011, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_report_2011.pdf

Figure 11.1.1. Deaths due to the security situation (2002–2012)Source: http://www.psni.police.uk/annual_security_situation_statistics_report_2011.12.pdf

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Figure 11.1.2. Shooting and bombing incidents (2002–2012)Note: Shooting incidents include: shots fired by terrorists; shots fired by the security forces;paramilitary-style attacks involving shootings; and shots heard (and later confirmed). An indi-vidual bombing incident may involve one or more explosive devices. Incidents recordedinclude explosions and defusing (devices used). Incidents involving hoax devices, petrolbombings or incendiaries are excluded.Source: http://www.psni.police.uk/annual_security_situation_statistics_report_2011.12.pdf

Table 11.1.1. Casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks (PSNI)

Year

Shootings Assaults

TotalcasualtiesTotal

By loyalistgroups

By republicangroups Total

By loyalistgroups

By republicangroups

2001/2002 190 124 66 112 76 36 3022002/2003 165 110 55 144 94 50 3092003/2004 149 102 47 149 101 48 2982004/2005 93 76 17 116 71 45 2092005/2006 76 70 6 76 57 19 1522006/2007 26 14 12 48 36 12 742007/2008 7 2 5 45 35 10 522008/2009 20 2 18 41 28 13 612009/2010 46 1 45 81 69 12 1272010/2011 33 0 33 50 34 16 832011/2012 33 0 33 46 31 15 79

Source: http://www.psni.police.uk/annual_security_situation_statistics_report_2011.12.pdf

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Table 11.1.2. Number of reviews completed by the PSNI Historical Enquiries Team (HET)

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total

108 236 170 493 470 308 1,785

Note: HET remit: 2557 cases involving 3,257 deaths from August 1968 to April 1998. TheHET does not review deaths that have been the subject of a public inquiry.Source: Data provided on request by the HET and are collated by calendar year.

Table 11.1.3. Number of complaints (C) and allegations (A) received by the Office of thePolice Ombudsman

Type 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

C 3,600 3,214 2,979 2,887 3,140 3,282 2,997 3,091 3,542 3,334 3,336A 4,366 4,389 4,236 4,401 5,515 5,636 5,435 5,415 6,499 6,326 5,896

Total 7,966 7,603 7,215 7,288 8,655 8,918 8,432 8,506 10,041 9,660 9,232

Note: Years are abbreviated (e.g. 2000 refers to 2000/2001).Source: NI Police Ombudsman, http://www.policeombudsman.org/

Figure 11.1.3. Percentage of complaints received by the Police Ombudsman by genderand religion (2000–2012)

Source: NI Police Ombudsman, Annual Statistical Bulletin for the Office of the PoliceOmbudsman for Northern Ireland, 2011/12, http://www.policeombudsman.org/

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11.2 Terrorism

11.2.1 Relevant ReportsNorthern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Terrorism Legislation: Annual Statistics2011/12, http://www.nio.gov.uk/getattachment/ac15050e-a41b-48f7-8e40-1be8ffc4ca18/6187.aspx

Table 11.2.1. Number of persons and vehicles searched under Section 44 and now Section47a of the Terrorism Act (2000)1

20052 2006 2007 2008 2009 20103 2011 2012

Persons 204 948 2,167 6,922 24,519 28,770 9,156 0Vehicles 156 791 1,801 6,016 24,251 31,014 11,262 0

1From 18 March 2011 to 10 July 2012, Section 44 was temporarily replaced by an interimpower through the Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011.2Data not available before July 2005.3The Home Secretary ceased use of stop and search under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act(2000) on 8 July 2010.Source: Police Service of Northern Ireland, http://www.nio.gov.uk/getattachment/ac15050e-a41b-48f7-8e40-1be8ffc4ca18/6187.aspx

Figure 11.2.1. Cordoned areas designated under Section 33 of the Terrorism Act (2000)(2001–2012)

Source: Police Service of Northern Ireland, http://www.nio.gov.uk/getattachment/ac15050e-a41b-48f7-8e40-1be8ffc4ca18/6187.aspx

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11.3 Economy

Table 11.3.1. Northern Ireland economic summary (2010–2012)

Date 2010 2011 2012

Output NI Annual GVAgrowth

1.1% 0.5% 20.2%

UK Annual GDPgrowth

1.2% 1.5% 1.0%

Employment rate [July–Sept] 818,000 (annualaverage)

810,600 (annualaverage)

804,00067.4% (July–

Sept 12)Unemployment ILO rate [Annual

average]7.2% 7.3% 67,000

7.6% (July–Sept 12)

Claimant count[Annual average]

6.4% 6.75% 64,1007.0% (Oct 12)

Inflation [CPI annual average](y/y change)

3.3% 4.5% 2.7% (Oct 12)

Interest rate1 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% (Oct 12)

1Bank of England official rate (annual average).Source: Danske Bank Quarterly Economic Overview for Q3 2012, http://www.danskebank.co.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/economic/2012/danske-q3-economic-review.pdf

Figure 11.3.1. Annual average house price by region (2001–2011)Source: Office for National Statistics, http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-272359

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Figure 11.3.2. Unemployment rate by ageNote: No data available for 50+ September–November 2009 as sample size too small for areliable estimate.Source: NI Labour Force Survey (LFS) (January 2013), http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index/stats-labour-market/stats-labour-market-unemployment.htm

Figure 11.3.3. Unemployment rate by durationSource: NI LFS (January 2013), http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index/stats-labour-market/stats-labour-market-unemployment.htm

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Table 11.3.2. Budget 2011–2015 (Northern Ireland Executive) departmental current expenditure (£million)

Department 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–152010–11 to

2014–15

Agriculture and Rural Development 224.9 220.1 (22.2%) 230.4 (4.7%) 220.0 (24.5%) 218.6 (20.6%) 22.8%Culture, Arts and Leisure 113.3 112.1 (21.0%) 107.4 (24.2%) 107.4 (0.0%) 104.3 (22.9%) 28.0%Education 1,914.8 1,894.6 (21.1%) 1,876.1 (21.0%) 1,887.7 (0.6%) 1,874.5 (20.7%) 22.1%Employment and Learning 798.9 787.3 (21,5%) 780.3 (20.9%) 798.5 (2.3%) 826.7 (3.5%) 3.5%Enterprise, Trade and Investment 199.5 207.1 (3.8%) 211.6 (2.2%) 203.3 (23.9%) 205.5 (1.1%) 3.0%Finance and Personnel 182.9 188.6 (3.1%) 185.3 (21.8%) 180.7 (22.5%) 181.2 (0.3%) 20.9%Health, Social Services and Public Safety 4,302.9 4,383.1 (1.9%) 4,447.6 (1.5%) 4,569.2 (2.7%) 4,659.4 (2.0%) 8.3%Environment 129.6 127.0 (22.0%) 124.0 (22.4%) 121.2 (22.3%) 121.0 (20.2%) 26.6%Justice 1,223.7 1,213.1 (20.9%) 1,189.0 (22.0%) 1,166.7 (21.9%) 1,176.4 (0.8%) 23.9%Regional Development 517.3 508.3 (21.7%) 495.2 (22.6%) 463.1 (26.5%) 457.5 (21.2%) 211.6%Social Development 521.1 505.4 (23.0%) 525.5 (4.0%) 537.4 (2.3%) 523.4 (22.6%) 0.4%Office of the First Minister and Deputy First

Minister80.2 78.6 (22.0%) 80.0 (1.8%) 77.0 (23.8%) 73.7 (24.3%) 28.1%

Non-ministerial departments

AssemblyOmdudsman/ Commissioner for Complaints

1.6 1.7 (4.4%) 1.7 (0.4%) 1.7 (0.9%) 1.7 (21.0%) 2.9%

Food Standards Agency 9.6 9.4 (21.5%) 9.3 (21.0%) 9.2 (21.0%) 9.2 (20.7%) 24.2%NI Assembly 48.4 46.5 (23.9%) 45.0 (23.2%) 44.7 (20.7%) 44.1 (21.4%) 29.0%NI Audit Office 9.5 8.8 (27.5%) 8.7 (21.4%) 8.5 (21.9%) 8.4 (20.9%) 211.3%NI Authority for Utility Regulation 0.5 0.5 (21.0%) 0.5 (21.0%) 0.5 (21.0%) 0.5 (21.0%) 24.0%Public Prosecution Service 37.4 37.0 (21.1%) 36.0 (22.5%) 35.2 (22.3%) 33.9 (23.6%) 29.2%

Total planned spend1 10,316.1 10,329.1 (0.1%) 10,353.4 (0.2%) 10,431.9 (0.8%) 10,519.9 (0.8%) 2.0%

1Totals may not add due to rounding.Source: Northern Ireland Executive, Revised Budget 2011–2015, http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/revised_budget_-_website_version.pdf

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Figure 11.3.4. Labour market trends: Northern Ireland claimant count rate (seasonallyadjusted)

Source: Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index/stats-surveys/stats-claimant-count.htm

Figure 11.3.5. Northern Ireland claimant count rate by parliamentary constituencySource: Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index/stats-surveys/stats-claimant-count.htm

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11.3.1 Relevant ReportsNorthern Ireland Executive (2011) Budget 2011–2015, March, http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/revised_budget_-_website_version.pdf

PricewaterhouseCoopers (2012) Northern Ireland Economic Outlook, March, http://pwc.blogs.com/files/ni-economic-outlook-march-2012.pdf

PricewaterhouseCoopers (2012) Budget 2012: Northern Ireland Analysis, March,http://pwc.blogs.com/files/ni_budget_analysis_march2012.pdf

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2012) Women in Northern Ireland,September, http://www.detini.gov.uk/women_in_northern_ireland_september_2012_final_version.pdf

European Commission (2012) Eurostat Regional Yearbook 2012, October, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-HA-12-001/EN/KS-HA-12-001-EN.PDF

Figure 11.3.6. Northern Ireland labour market structure (seasonally adjusted)Note: Employment rate: change on year 20.6%; activity rate: Change on year 0.2%.Source: NI LFS (January 2013), http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index/stats-surveys.htm

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11.4. Demography and Migration

Table 11.4.1. Components of population change, Northern Ireland (July 2001–June 2011)

Time periodPopulation at start of

period Births DeathsNaturalchange

Netmigration

Otherchanges

Population at end ofperiod

Populationchange

Number %

July 2001–June 2002 1,689,300 21,500 14,200 7,200 100 0 1,696,600 7,300 0.4July 2002–June 2003 1,696,600 21,500 14,500 7,000 21,000 0 1,702,600 7,700 0.5July 2003–June 2004 1,702,600 22,000 14,600 7,400 800 2600 1,710,300 7,700 0.5July 2004–June 2005 1,710,300 22,400 14,400 8,000 6,700 2600 1,724,400 14,100 0.8July 2005–June 2006 1,724,400 22,700 14,400 8,300 9,900 21,000 1,741,600 17,200 1.0July 2006–June 2007 1,741,600 23,800 14,700 9,100 9,800 21,400 1,759,100 17,500 1.0July 2007–June 2008 1,759,100 25,200 14,600 10,600 5,700 2500 1,775,000 15,900 0.9July 2008–June 2009 1, 775, 00 25,400 14,800 10,600 2,100 1,200 1,788,900 13,900 0.8July 2009–June 2010 1,788,900 25,000 14,200 10,800 0 2300 1,799,400 10,500 0.6July 2010–June 2011 1,799, 400 25,400 14,500 10,900 23,200 2200 1,806,900 7,500 0.4

Note: These estimates differ from the 2011 Census population estimates, and a revision of the 2001–2011 mid-year population estimates, takingaccount of the 2011 Census, is planned for spring 2013.Source: NISRA, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/demography/population/midyear/Statistical_Report_MYE_NI_2011.pdf

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11.4.1 Census 2011Date of census: 27 March 2011. Selected results are presented below. Results fromthe 2011 Census are released in sequential stages. The findings presented beloware taken from the first phase of the second release on 11 December 2012.Source: NISRA, Department of Finance and Personnel: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census.html [distributor]; http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_report_2011.pdf[computer file]

Table 11.4.2. Estimated net international migration (July 2000–June 2011)

Time periodEstimated

international inflows

Estimatedinternational

outflowsEstimated net

international migration

July 2000–June 2001 6,737 8,605 21,868July 2001–June 2002 8,791 9,613 2822July 2002–June 2003 7,230 8,332 21,102July 2003–June 2004 8,060 7,644 416July 2004–June 2005 13,607 8,936 4,671July 2005–June 2006 18,118 9,095 9,023July 2006–June 2007 19,369 11,332 8,037July 2007–June 2008 15,350 11,039 4,311July 2008–June 2009 12,690 11,229 1,461July 2009–June 2010 11,854 11,262 592July 2010–June 2011 11,414 13,824 22,410Total 133,220 110,911 22,309

Source: NISRA, October 2012, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp18.htm

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Table 11.4.1.2. Age structure

Percentage of all usual residents aged:Meanage

Medianage

0–4 5–7 8–9 10–14

15 16–17

18–19

20–24

25–29

30–44

45–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85–89

90 andover

37.59 37

6.87 3.74 2.41 6.57 1.36 2.84 2.77 6.96 6.85 20.65 19.21 5.21 8.04 4.79 1.17 0.56

Note: Table population: all usual residents.

Table 11.4.1.3. Marital and civil partnership status

Percentage of all usual residents aged 16 and over who are:

Single (never married ornever registered in a

same-sex civil partnership Married

In a registeredsame-sex civil

partnership

Separated (but still legallymarried or still legally in asame-sex civil partnership

Divorced or formerly in asame-sex civil partnership

that is now legally dissolved

Widowed or surviving apartner from a same-six

civil partnership

36.14 47.56 0.09 3.98 5.45 6.78

Note: Table population: All usual residents aged 16 and over (n ¼ 1,431,540)

Demography

Table 11.4.1.1. Usual resident population

Area: All usual residents:

Percentage of all usualresidents who are: Percentage of all residents who:

Male Female Live in a household Live in a communal establishment

Northern Ireland 1,810,863 49.00 51.00 98.76 1.24

Note: Table population: all usual residents.

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Table 11.4.1.5. National identity (classification 1)

Percentage of all usual residents with national identity:

Britishonly

Irishonly

Northern Irishonly

British and Irishonly

British and NorthernIrish only

Irish and NorthernIrish only

British, Irish and NorthernIrish only Other

39.89 25.26 20.94 0.66 6.17 1.06 1.02 5.00

Note: Table population: all usual residents.

Table 11.4.1.6. National identity (classification 2)

Percentage of all usual residents with national identity:

British Irish Northern Irish English Scottish Welsh Other

48.41 28.35 29.44 1.00 0.52 0.10 3.42

Note: Table population: all usual residents.

Ethnicity, Identity, Language and Religion

Table 11.4.1.4. Ethnic group

Percentage of all usual residents in ethnic group:

White Chinese Irish Traveller Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Asian Black Caribbean Black African Black other Mixed Other

98.21 0.35 0.07 0.34 0.06 0.03 0.28 0.02 0.13 0.05 0.33 0.13

Note: Table population: all usual residents.

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Table 11.4.1.8. Main language1

Percentage of all usual residents aged three and over and whose main language is:

English Polish Lithuanian Irish (Gaelic) Portuguese Slovak Chinese Tagalog/Filipino Latvian Russian Malayalam Hungarian Other

96.86 1.02 0.36 0.24 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.11 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.06 0.75

Note: Table population: all usual residents aged three and over (n ¼ 1,735,711).1The languages included are those with over 1,000 responses.

Table 11.4.1.9. Knowledge of Irish1

Percentage of all usual residents aged three and over who:

Understand but cannotread, write or speak Irish

Speak but do notread or write Irish

Speak and read butdo not write Irish

Speak, read, write andunderstand Irish

Other combinationof skills

Have someability in Irish

Have noability in Irish

4.06 1.42 0.43 3.74 1.01 10.65 89.35

Note: Table population: all usual residents aged three and over (n ¼ 1,735,711).1An ability to speak, read or write Irish does not imply an ability to understand Irish unless stated. Persons in these categories may or may not havethe ability to understand Irish.

Table 11.4.1.7. Country of birth

Percentage of all usual residents born in:

Other EU1

Northern Ireland England Scotland WalesRepublic of

IrelandMember countries prior to

2004 expansion2Accession countries

2004 onwards Other

88.84 3.57 0.85 0.14 2.09 0.54 1.97 1.99

Note: Table population: all usual residents.1‘EU’ is the European Union and is as defined on Census day (27 March 2011).2‘Member countries prior to 2004 expansion‘ includes the UK (part not specified) and Ireland (part not specified).

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Table 11.4.1.11. Religion1

Percentage of all usual residents stating religion as:

Catholic2Presbyterian Church

in IrelandChurch of

IrelandMethodist Church

in Ireland

Other Christian(including Christian

related)Other

religionsNo

religionPercentage of usual residents

who did not state religion

40.76 19.06 13.74 3.00 5.76 0.82 10.11 6.75

Note: Table population: all usual residents.1‘Religion’ indicates. religion, religious denomination or body.2‘Catholic’ includes those who gave their current religion as Catholic or Roman Catholic.

Table 11.4.1.12. Religion or Religion brought up in1

Percentage of all usual residents with religion or religion brought up as:

Catholic2 Protestant and other Christian (including Christian related) Other religions None

45.14 48.36 0.92 5.59

Note: Table population: all usual residents.1‘Religion’ indicates religion, religious denomination or body.2‘Catholic’ includes those who gave their current religion as Catholic or Roman Catholic.

Table 11.4.1.10. Knowledge of Ulster-Scots1

Percentage of all usual residents aged three and over who:

Understand but cannot read,write or speak Ulster-Scots

Speak but do not reador write Ulster-Scots

Speak and read but donot write Ulster-Scots

Speak, read, write andunderstand Ulster-Scots

Other combinationof skills

Have some abilityin Ulster-Scots

Have no ability inUlster-Scots

5.30 0.59 0.45 0.94 0.79 8.08 91.92

Note: Table population: all usual residents aged three and over (n ¼ 1,735,711).1An ability to speak, read or write Ulster-Scots does not imply an ability to understand Ulster-Scots unless stated. Persons in these categories may or may not have theability to understand Ulster-Scots.

Data

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Figure 11.4.1.1. Census year population estimates by age band (1911 and 2011)Source: NISRA (July 2012), http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/pop_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf

Table 11.4.1.13. Median age of the population by sex (1911–2011)

1911 1926 1937 1951 1961 1971 1981∗ 1991∗ 2001 2011

All 25 26 28 29 30 28 29 31 34 37Male 24 25 27 28 28 26 27 29 33 36Female 26 27 29 30 31 30 31 32 25 38

∗Mid-Year Estimates Data.Source: NISRA, July 2012, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/pop_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf

Table 11.4.1.14. Census year population proportions by age (%) (1911–2011)

1911 1926 1937 1951 1961 1971 1981∗ 1991∗ 2001 2011

0–15 32 31 29 29 31 31 29 26 24 2116–39 37 37 37 24 32 32 35 36 35 3340–64 21 24 25 26 28 26 24 26 29 3165–84 9 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 1385+ 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.4 1.7

∗Mid-Year Estimates Data.Source: NISRA, July 2012, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/pop_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf

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11.4.2 Relevant Reports

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (2012) Monitoring Report No. 22: AProfile of the Monitored Northern Ireland Workforce 2011, November, http://www.equalityni.org/archive/pdf/MonitoringMainReportNo22WEB.pdf

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2012) Census 2011: Population &Household Results for Northern Ireland, July, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/pop_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2012) Census 2011: Key Statisticsfor Northern Ireland, December, http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_report_2011.pdf

12. Useful Online Resources

Northern Ireland governmentNorthern Ireland Executive: http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/Northern Ireland Assembly: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Northern Ireland Office: http://www.nio.gov.ukNorthern Ireland Direct Government Service: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/Northern Ireland Local Government Association: http://www.nilga.org/North–South Ministerial Council: http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.orgBritish–Irish Council: http://www.britishirishcouncil.orgBritish–Irish Parliamentary Assembly: http://www.britishirish.org/European Commission in Northern Ireland: http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland: http://www.boundarycommission.org.uk/Northern Ireland Audit Office: http://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/

Select Public BodiesPolice Service of Northern Ireland: http://www.psni.police.uk/Northern Ireland Policing Board: http://www.nipolicingboard.org.ukPolice Ombudsman for Northern Ireland: http://www.policeombudsman.org/Northern Ireland Parades Commission: http://www.paradescommission.orgEquality Commission for Northern Ireland: http://www.equalityni.orgCommission for Victims and Survivors: http://www.cvsni.orgNorthern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service: http://www.courtsni.gov.uk

Data and StatisticsNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Includes census data onelectoral districts: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/

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Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI). Provides electorate and election stat-istics by ward, canvass response and neighbourhood statistics: http://www.eoni.org.uk/The Electoral Commission (Northern Ireland section): http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/northern-irelandOffice for National Statistics: http://www.ons.gov.uk/Economic and Social Data Service: http://www.esds.ac.uk/UK Polling Report: http://ukpollingreport.co.ukElection Maps: http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ACE Electoral Knowledge Network: http://www.aceproject.orgNorthern Ireland Census of Population: http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census/start.htmlARK (Access Research Knowledge) Northern Ireland: http://www.ark.ac.ukNorthern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe): http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Research-and-Information-Service-RaISe/Ipsos MORI Polling: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/LucidTalk Polling: http://www.lucidtalk.co.uk/YouGov Polling: http://yougov.co.uk/The Public Whip: http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/They Work For You: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/Hansard (Commons & Lords): http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/

ArchivesUK Data Archive: http://www.data-archive.ac.ukPublic Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). PRONI is the official archive andplace of deposit for public records in Northern Ireland. It also collects a wide range ofarchives from private sources: http://www.proni.gov.ukNorthern Ireland Publications Resource: http://www.nibooks.orgConflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN): http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/Declassified secret files on the early years of the Troubles are available on the CAINwebsite: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/proni/LOMOND: Peace Process Directory. The Layers of Meaning Online Directory pro-vides access to interviews, social investigations and oral histories of the peaceprocess: http://www.peaceprocesshistory.orgLinenhall Library Northern Ireland Political Collection (NIPC). The NIPC housesover 14,000 documents related to Northern Irish political history: https://www.linenhall.com/pages/ni-political-collection

CommunityCommunity Evaluation Northern Ireland: http://www.ceni.org/Northern Ireland Neighborhood Service (NINIS). NINIS provides free access to stat-istical and locational information relating to small areas across Northern Ireland.

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Information is available on population, social and welfare, agriculture, education andcrime: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/ninisCommunity Relations Council: http://www.community-relations.org.uk/

EnvironmentCommittee on Climate Change: http://www.theccc.org.uk/Northern Ireland Environment Agency: http://www.ehsni.gov.uk/National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory: http://naei.defra.gov.uk/Department of Environment Northern Ireland (DoENI): http://www.doeni.gov.uk/Department of Energy and Climate Change (UK). Local and regional energy stat-istics: http://www.gov.uk/decc

EconomyInvest Northern Ireland: http://www.investni.com/Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Statistics Research Publications2012: http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-stats-index.htmOffice for National Statistics: http://www.ons.gov.uk/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency: http://www.nisra.gov.uk

Demography and MigrationUK Border Agency website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/

News Sources and Political BlogsBelfast Telegraph: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/The Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/The Irish News: http://www.irishnews.com/News Letter: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/An Phoblacht: http://www.anphoblacht.com/The Detail: http://www.thedetail.tv/RTE: http://www.rte.ie/BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/northern_ireland/Irish Central – Nuzhound: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/nuzhound/Slugger O’Toole: http://sluggerotoole.com/

Political Party WebsitesSinn Fein: http://www.sinnfein.ie/Democratic Unionist Party: http://www.mydup.com/Ulster Unionist Party: http://www.uup.org/

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Social Democratic and Labour Party: http://www.sdlp.ie/The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland: http://www.allianceparty.org/The Green Party in Northern Ireland: http://www.greenpartyni.org/Traditional Unionist Voice: http://www.tuv.org.uk/United Kingdom Independence Party: http://www.ukip.org/Northern Ireland Conservatives: http://www.niconservatives.com/

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