Mark H. Durkan | Mark H. Durkan Latest News

Northern Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis

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Tenants on benefits face shortfall in monthly rent

Almost 30,000 private renters in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) here are facing a shortfall in their monthly rent, it has emerged.

Tourists ‘confused’ by use of Derry and Londonderry, SDLP MLA says

Tourists travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland can become "confused" by the use of Derry and Londonderry, SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan has said.

The latest Housing Executive figures have prompted concern from MLAs

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Almost 40,000 Housing Executive tenants in rent arrears, figures reveal

Almost 40,000 households across Northern Ireland are in rent arrears with the Housing Executive amounting to millions of pounds, according to new figures.

Northern Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis. Credit: Graham Moore

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Housing crisis worsens with 44,000 on waiting list as 22,000 homes lie vacant

Almost 22,000 homes here are lying empty while more than 44,000 people are on the waiting list, according to new figures.

Emergency fuel payments cannot be reopened without Executive: Hargey

An emergency fuel payment scheme cannot be reopened due to the lack of an Executive, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has said.

Sinn Fein's Padraig Delargy gets elected for Foyle. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Foyle: Sinn Fein first-timers put in excellent debut performances

The Foyle election count was the focus of attention late on Saturday night as the only constituency which had not declared all five MLAs.

North Down Alliance candidate Andrew Muir completed the Dublin Marathon in 2019.

Running for office... the MLA hopefuls who are also making a marathon effort

Election candidates are starting their sprint for the finish line as May 5 approaches.

Mark H Durkan. Credit: DARDNI/David A Scott

Cost of living crisis: SDLP drafts emergency bill to access £300m for struggling families

The SDLP has said it will try to introduce emergency legislation in the Assembly today in a last ditch attempt to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds in support for struggling families as the cost of living crisis deepens.

Social housing plea for 3,600 families stuck in temporary accommodation

More than 1,800 households presenting as homeless have been temporarily housed in Belfast — more than three times the number of any other council area.

Farcical: MLAs voting through something they said they opposed in the Assembly

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Sam McBride Opinion MLAs ‘mistakenly’ vote to force 10% cut on rents in latest Stormont shambles

MLAs have voted, seemingly by mistake, to change the law in a way which would cut housing rents for every private renter by 10%, and a Sinn Fein minister is now desperately trying to undo what she allowed to happen.

Electricity and gas prices are surging yet four out of 10 consumers have never switched supplier. Photo: Matthias Lindner

Minister Deirdre Hargey confirms £200 energy support payments to begin from March 10

A one-off £200 payment scheme for those struggling with rising energy costs in Northern Ireland is to open from March 10.

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Durkan ‘shocked’ that Stormont minister returned almost £50m in funding

Concerns have been raised after it emerged that Stormont’s Department for Communities (DfC) returned almost £50m in funding in the last financial year.

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State Papers: Jim Molyneaux pulled the strings with other MPs opposed to Agreement, warned David Trimble

Former Ulster Unionist leader Jim Molyneaux was “pulling the strings” with Jeffrey Donaldson and other UUP MPs opposed to the Belfast Agreement, David Trimble privately told the government.

The Huntsman Master leads the hounds and riders through Main Street, Crawfordsburn, during the North Down New Year Hunt in 2019

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Andrew Madden Opinion The weekly political spin: From ‘Vets For Hunting’ to a housing letter for Santa

From leaks and Vets For Hunting, to coughing fits and a housing letter for Santa, Andrew Madden takes a closer look at some of the more unusual things in the Assembly and further afield this week.

Moving: Poor housing has forced people to seek a transfer

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HE reveals over 600 tenants were transferred as homes assessed as ‘not reasonable’

More than 600 Housing Executive (NIHE) tenants had to move last year as their accommodation was deemed “not reasonable”.

Capita carries out health assessments for the PIP scheme

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PIP firm Capita to be paid over £30m after contract extension

Anger has been voiced after it emerged that a private firm repeatedly criticised for its handling of health assessments carried out for the Personal Independence Payment scheme is to be paid a further £31m.

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Hundreds waiting over two years for Personal Independence Payment appeal hearing

A total of 251 people in Northern Ireland have been waiting more than two years for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal to be heard, it has emerged.

While on the social housing waiting list, those classified as homeless here can be placed in temporary accommodation until a more permanent home is available.. Stock image

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£35m bill for temporary housing of homeless branded ‘disgraceful’

More than £35 million was spent last year on temporary housing for homeless people in Northern Ireland, with the figure steadily climbing in recent years.

65 social housing schemes have been delayed due to the pandemic, amounting to some 1,802 housing units (PA)

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Construction of 1,800 social housing units held up by pandemic

The impact of the pandemic on the building of social housing has been laid bare after it emerged some schemes have been delayed by as much as two years.

PIP assessment firm Capita apologises for any hurt caused to applicants

A private firm hired to carry out health assessments on people applying for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits scheme has apologised for any hurt caused to those going through the process.

Address: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivers his keynote speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Stormont to look at ways of keeping up welfare payments

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended the cut to the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift amid rising bills, strains on people’s finances, and dissent within his own party.

Stop ‘cruel and unjustifiable’ Universal Credit cut, minister is urged

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey will today be urged to reverse the £20 per week Universal Credit (UC) cut which will see low-income households in Northern Ireland lose out on £1,040 annually.

Appeal: Deirdre Hargey. Credit: Pacemaker

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Minister is urged to increase grant for upgrades to homes of disabled people

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has been urged to increase the grant paid to disabled people to adapt their homes due to the rising cost of construction and materials caused by Brexit.

Northern Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis (Yui Mok/PA)

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£516m worth of Housing Executive repairs and maintenance waiting to be carried out

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive currently has a backlog of £516m worth of repairs and maintenance waiting to be carried out, it can be revealed.

As little as 2% is recovered, according to analysis of figures from the Department for Communities.

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Only tiny fraction of tens of millions lost to benefit fraud in NI recovered, shocking figures reveal

Only a tiny fraction of the tens of millions of pounds lost to benefit fraud in Northern Ireland each year is ever clawed back, shock figures suggest.

Capita carries out health assessments for the PIP scheme (Andrew Matthews/PA)

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Stormont department receives more than 500 complaints over Capita PIP assessments

A Stormont department has received more than 500 complaints about a private company hired to complete Personal Independence Payment (PIP) health assessments, it has emerged.

SDLP announce Foyle candidates for next Assembly election with former city mayor Brian Tierney selected

SDLP politicians Mark H Durkan, Sinead McLaughlin and Brian Tierney have all been selected by the party to stand as candidates in the next Assembly election.

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Private firm paid £75m for PIP health assessments since 2016

A Stormont department has paid private firm Capita more than £75m to carry out Personal Independence Payment (PIP) health assessments since 2016, it has emerged.

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Over £10m spent on PIP appeals in the last three years

More than £10m has been spent on processing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals over the last three years, it has emerged.

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PIP appeals led to a better result in majority of cases, ‘shocking’ new figures reveal

Almost two-thirds of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals last year resulted in a more favourable outcome for the applicant, according to "shocking" new figures.