Infrastructure – Slugger O'Toole

The UK should unilaterally devolve tax varying powers to NI

Brendan Heading on June 28, 2026, 4:13 pm

| Readers 1395

Budget

It looks like we are a couple of weeks out from a new Prime Minister in the UK. There’s been plenty of commentary about Andy Burnham and what he may bring to the table when, as seems inevitable, he takes over in mid-July. But what about Northern Ireland ? Burnham is making a major set-piece speech tomorrow about his economic plans, and we know that devolving more power to regions across the UK is something he has strong views on. …

Sixty years on from Lemass-O’Neill, actions are beginning to speak louder than words

Mick Fealty on June 26, 2026, 10:54 am

| Readers 4232

closeup photo of pink petaled flowers

During a week dominated by Jeffrey Donaldson’s conviction, a quieter story slipped past: the Irish Government’s Shared Island Initiative passed €1 billion in commitments to 2030. From a Stormont cricket ground to a sub-two-hour Belfast–Dublin train, it revives a pragmatism that runs from Seán Lemass straight to Micheál Martin: cooperation without precondition, benefit without constitutional strings. The question now is whether Northern ministers will become active partners or passive recipients.

Riots in Northern Ireland: this is also about racism

Sarah Creighton on June 15, 2026, 2:21 pm

| Readers 4458

My dad died two days before Christmas in 2023. On the day of his funeral rain poured from the heavens. We waded through thick mud to get to his grave. “Christ,” my brother remarked, “it’s like the f**king Somme.” In Northern Ireland, protestant burials are often small, private affairs. Only close family go and you must be invited to attend. When we arrived, we expected a small number of people. To our surprise, there was a crowd. My dad was …

What happens when a Minister announces that public transport fares will be frozen

Andy Boal on May 21, 2026, 8:00 am

| Readers 1908

Signing of the new Enterprise Train Contract at Grand Central Station

We all know the quotation from David Copperfield, the most impenetrable novel I had to study in school. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery. Translink wishes. The reality is that Translink has been running at a substantial loss for the last two years. Forget Grand Central, forget new buses, forget the new Enterprise trains, all funded by DfI and not …

DFI punched in the face over its active travel strategy…

Stephen McNally on January 31, 2026, 8:36 am

| Readers 1692

2 boxers sparring in ring, black and white.

For two decades, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) published unchallenged plans regarding its Active Travel strategies. Like Tyrell Biggs’ pre-fight plan to defeat Mike Tyson, their plans eventually met reality on September 29, 2025. In 1987 Tyrell Biggs said he had a plan to beat Mike Tyson. Tyson famously responded, “everyone has a plan until they get a punch in the face” and then proceeded to punch Biggs repeatedly in the face until his plan fell apart. The Department for …

If we want to be a place of prosperity for all, then let’s start with the basics

Soapbox on November 3, 2025, 10:00 am

| Readers 1302

Seamus Leheny is the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations. I can still just about remember learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs back in school. It’s a psychological theory that outlines five levels of human needs from the most basic to the most advanced: Physiological, safety, love & belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. The theory suggests that for any person or civilisation to achieve high-level outcomes, the most basic must be achieved first. The foundation stone for …

Bounced cheques. People want their investment back…

Stephen McNally on June 20, 2025, 7:30 am

| Readers 1176

The Department for Infrastructure produced their Bicycle Strategy 10 years ago. It promised a revolution in transport. It’s delivered nothing. It now feels like a rather large bounced cheque – some people are angry and want their investment back. Government policy and strategy documents are like cheques – promissory notes given to the public, promising to deliver something of value at specified point in the near future. A minister signs-off the document giving it credibility and pledges to honour it …

Farage isn’t your friend

Sarah Creighton on May 3, 2025, 9:04 am

| Readers 6189

Every time I do a panel; there’s always a smart alec in the crowd. A man, usually. Without doubt he will say, “Yeah, but the British don’t care about you.” He thinks he’s the first person in the world to have this original thought. Yes, I always say, yes we know. I don’t know a single protestant in Northern Ireland that doesn’t. My grandparents knew. My great grandparents knew before them. It’s not my fault you’ve never spoken to a …

Slugger Exclusive: the Saltwater Bridge has been saved

Andy Boal on October 22, 2024, 7:00 am

| Readers 5402

Poster at Boyne abridge reading “touch the bridge beware”

Well, really not exclusive at all, but the truth is that the Saltwater Bridge wasn’t in serious danger in the first place, and this was established by Jim Allister in the Assembly in 2020, who followed the linked question with further queries regarding the progress of the investigation. The history It’s well established that King William III is believed to have passed through Belfast on his way from Carrickfergus to Drogheda in 1690, and would almost certainly have crossed the …

All Island Rail Review final report analysis – how are those buffers looking?

Andy Boal on August 15, 2024, 7:00 am

| Readers 3865

Brian took a brief look at the final report a couple of weeks ago, but real life has stopped me taking much more than an even briefer look up to now. Last year, I did a fairly in-depth review of the draft report, which Mick generously described as “proper scepticism.” I’m not going to repeat the analysis today, rather I’m going to look at what has changed between the two, but will it be enough for me to change what …

15 minute cities. Exactly who is being controlled?

Andy Boal on May 12, 2024, 6:22 pm

| Readers 2150

man walking on street

15 minute cities. Within 15 minutes’ walk you will find all your amenities. Work. Recreation. Shopping. School. Places of worship. Must surely be government oppression to take our freedom. #amiright? #areyouwhat? If you know anything about me, you know I don’t do conspiracy theories. What I do is turn things on their head. Find a paper street map of your town or city (not village. Villages are a different issue.) Get a pair of compasses out. Old school. Set them …

The past, present and future of cross-border rail

Brendan Heading on March 3, 2024, 1:12 pm

| Readers 4608

Enterprise crossing Craigmore Viaduct near Bessbrook

Recently, to great fanfare, the Irish government announced an €800m funding package in support of its Shared Island strategy aimed at funding public spending on projects in Northern Ireland. The lion’s share of the spend is on the A5 project, and that, together with Casement, is where most of the media attention went. However, there is also an allocation aimed at increasing the frequency of cross border rail services. Before looking at this in detail we should talk a little …

The Hope of Possibility

Sarah Creighton on January 17, 2024, 6:31 pm

| Readers 3815

My Dad died two days before Christmas. I was on my way up to see him when I got a missed call and a text from my brother telling me he’d passed away. He had pancreatic cancer. The time between diagnosis and death is often short. Before you’ve had time to wrap your head around the fact that your loved one is ill, they are gone. The shock of the loss is as sharp and painful as the grief. How …

The end of free GP access in Northern Ireland is in sight

Brendan Heading on December 30, 2023, 9:00 am

| Readers 63554

A couple of years back, I was chatting to a friend of a friend who is a GP. Like, I suspect, most of us, I had (and still have) a fairly limited understanding of the nuts and bolts of how healthcare is actually provided in Northern Ireland, and he spent a bit of time explaining it to me. I was quite surprised to discover, for example, that GP surgeries are actually private businesses. They’re almost exclusively organised as partnerships, a …

Fix climate change and congestion with better buses

Brendan Heading on December 29, 2023, 5:56 pm

| Readers 1680

A recent job change, for me, led to a minor conundrum associated with the loss of a free city centre parking space. I could either continue to drive to work and pay for all day parking (£7 is the lowest price I’m aware of) or I could use the bus. I opted for the bus. The Antrim Road area, where I live, is quite well served by the Metro 1 route. Using the “Belfast Bus Tracker” third party app (App …

The other waiting list crisis

Paul Gosling on October 23, 2023, 9:03 am

| Readers 2815

When waiting lists are discussed and shouted about in Northern Ireland, we are usually talking about our disintegrating healthcare system. But there is a second waiting list crisis – that of households seeking social housing. As at March of last year, there were 44,426 applicants on the social housing waiting list. Of these, over 10,000 were regarded as homeless and more than 31,000 were in housing stress. Nor is the situation improving. There was a 20% jump in applicants for …

Equalising rail fares – balancing the books but at what cost?

Andy Boal on October 19, 2023, 7:50 pm

| Readers 2021

Once upon a long ago – I think way back in the 1990s – I looked at the fares from Belfast Central to every station on the network. In those days, the Great Northern branch line from Knockmore to Antrim was still open, and I found a few surprises. Chiefly, that Bangor, 13 miles from Belfast Central, had the same fare as Whitehead (15 miles away) and Crumlin (a lot further). Granted, Crumlin had an unusual fare because the fare …

A tale of one city and two regeneration sites

Paul Gosling on October 9, 2023, 9:22 am

| Readers 3866

Derry is a frustrated city. Too often promises of improvement either come to nothing, or happen too slowly. Anyone who doubts this can consider the regeneration of two major development sites – Ebrington and Fort George. One is now partially occupied, the other largely vacant. This is two decades after the fanfare of their transfer from the Ministry of Defence for the benefit of the city. The former Ebrington Barracks, also known at one time as HMS Sea Eagle, were …

Once more unto the data breach…

Ciaran Ward on August 18, 2023, 11:10 am

| Readers 1319

worm's eye-view photography of ceiling

PSNI and other NI public bodies face data breaches due to human errors. ICO investigates and warns. Ciaran Ward urges better data protection.

Travel Concession Consultation…

Soapbox on August 17, 2023, 11:00 am

| Readers 2763

David Jamison is from Belfast. He has recently retired and to use his own words, now with time on his hands to think and write about things he probably should have thought more about years ago. Public Transport in all its various forms seems to be getting a lot of attention at the moment. The new Belfast Grand Central Station is proceeding a pace. Cycle routes have got a mention. Train routes and Connectivity to the NW. Then Bus Passes …