Inspire Public Affairs Update 02/02/26

Inspire’s public affairs update is your source for the latest Northern Ireland Assembly discussions relevant to mental health, addiction, intellectual disability and autism. 

Our aim is to inform the public, our colleagues and the people who use Inspire services about pertinent issues in the political space, issues that should always be informed by the voice of lived experience. 

On Tuesday 20th January, the All-Party Group on Suicide Prevention formally launched its new inquiry into cross‑departmental funding for suicide prevention. The inquiry responds to newly released figures confirming that 290 people in Northern Ireland died by suicide in 2024, underlining the urgent need for a more coordinated and better‑resourced approach to prevention.

• The APG emphasised that suicide prevention cannot sit solely within the Department of Health. Instead, it must involve Departments across Communities, Justice, Education, and the Economy, reflecting the broader social and economic pressures that place individuals at risk.
• Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA, who officially opened the inquiry, noted that effective suicide prevention requires a whole‑government response due to risk factors spanning housing insecurity, financial stress, education pressures, and community safety.
• You can contribute to the inquiry and complete the online evidence survey at https://s.surveyplanet.com/yogdrupj

On 29th January, Professor Michael McBride, Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer, briefed the Committee for Health on the Department of Health’s proposals for minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol. 

• He laid out the mental and physical health risks of consuming alcohol and highlighted a range of other issues: social and economic problems, and large health inequalities. 
• He confirmed that alcohol use costs Northern Ireland £900m per year. On average, alcohol-related deaths sit at 676 annually; 127 die every12 months because of alcohol-related cancers.
• “Each year, alcohol causes twice as many deaths as illicit drugs,” he said.
• He stated that the Department has issued guidelines on low-risk alcohol use rather than safe alcohol use. There is, he said, no safe level of consumption. 
• He pointed to evidence that shows MUP to be an effective means of preventing alcohol-related harm. 
• Committee Chair Philip McGuigan MLA asked why, given the factors in its favour, MUP had yet to be introduced as legislation. He suggested that its effect on health inequalities syncs with the Minister of Health’s stated aims around health inequalities. 
• Professor McBride said that MUP had yet to receive Northern Ireland Executive approval but that it could be passed in the time remaining in the current mandate. However, he denied any knowledge of why it had been delayed. 
• He cited evidence from Scotland showing MUP to be having a positive impact ahead of schedule: “The evidence base is compelling.”

On 29th January, the Committee for Communities received a briefing from the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons.

• Following a question from Andy Allen MLA asking for an update on the Fuel Poverty Strategy, the Minister emphasised the importance of improving energy efficiency in homes, saying that the Strategy “will make a difference in people’s lives.”
• He noted the positive impact already seen in households that have received upgrades. He confirmed that an announcement on the Strategy will be made in the coming days. This will include details of departmental funding for an action plan.
• He added that that the establishment of a new Disability Forum will act as the review and accountability mechanism for the Strategy.
• Later, during oral evidence from the advice sector, Kevin Higgins from Advice NI highlighted the importance of safeguarding existing welfare mitigation measures. He stressed the need to ensure that no late changes undermine the legislation passed by the Assembly, referring to the many families who are heavily reliant on these payments.
• In addition, a delegation from the Cliff Edge Coalition underlined the necessity of proper planning to facilitate effectively the removal of the two-child limit in Northern Ireland. However, they also stated that the limit’s cancellation, while welcome and essential, is far from a remedy to broader welfare reform issues. 

Week commencing 2nd February

Ministerial questions: First Minister and deputy First Minister – 2nd February

All-Party Group on Dual Diagnosis – 4th February

Committee for Health: Permanent Secretary briefing – 5th February

Committee for Communities: Department briefing on Disability Action Plan – 5th February

Written by: