FactCheckNI

FactCheckNI is Northern Ireland’s first and only dedicated not for profit fact checking and training service. Accuracy matters.

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

📣News From FactCheckNI📣

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of FactCheckNI’s first-ever billboards,now at locations throughout NI.

You’ll be able spot our billboards across the region. From Belfast to L/Derry; Newry to Lisburn; and Fivemiletown

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🚨 FACT CHECK 🚨

A WhatsApp message claiming a woman in Limavady lost consciousness after being handed a business card by a group of foreign nationals is circulating online.

We found no evidence the incident occurred. Similar rumours have appeared around the world for years and have repeatedly been debunked.

Read more: https://t.co/kcLxD7u73D

#FactCheckNI #Misinformation #ThinkBeforeYouShare

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🚨 FACT CHECK 🚨

A WhatsApp message claiming a woman in Limavady lost consciousness after being handed a business card by a group of foreign nationals is circulating online.

We found no evidence the incident occurred. Similar rumours have appeared around the world for years and have repeatedly been debunked.

Read more: https://t.co/kcLxD7u73D

#FactCheckNI #Misinformation #ThinkBeforeYouShare

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🚧 Was the redevelopment of the A5 stopped by the Climate Change Act?

The claim has been widely repeated in political debate, but what do the facts say?

Our latest fact check examines the court ruling, the Climate Change Act, and the wider reasons behind delays to one of Northern Ireland’s most significant infrastructure projects.

Read more 👇
https://t.co/OjpCVwgQA0

#FactCheckNI #A5 #ClimateChange #FactCheck

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🔗 https://t.co/HfsAnOgLR4

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

False or misleading claims spread fast on WhatsApp.

We investigated viral claims about the Orange Order and home buying support in NI.

Read the fact check ⬇️

#MediaLiteracy #FactCheck #NorthernIreland

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Northern Ireland’s renewable energy story is more complicated than “we stalled after 2016.”

Our latest prebunk breaks down what the data really shows about wind power growth, why the 80% by 2030 target matters, and how misleading claims can shape the debate.

Read more: https://t.co/ykjGXALzL4

#GreenEnergy #Renewables #NorthernIreland #ClimateFacts #FactCheckNI

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🔗 https://t.co/BkI7jxtICg

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

How does Derry/Londonderry compare on jobs and education?

Employment is the lowest in NI, but the picture on education is less straightforward.

Read the analysis 👇

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🚑 “Less than 20% hit target response times” true or misleading?

👉 Verdict: It’s complicated

The figure reflects real data, but context matters. How targets are defined, which cases are included and how the stats are framed can change the story.

🔎 Full fact check: https://t.co/Pw8z69FUmW

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

📊 What’s really happening to Northern Ireland’s population?

Our FactCheckNI analysis shows a clear shift; not sudden decline, but long-term ageing:

👶 In the 1970s, there were nearly 3× as many under-10s as over-70s. Today, over-70s outnumber young children.
📉 Under-10s ↓ ~27% since 1971; even as the total population ↑ ~25%
🎂 Median age has risen from 32 to 40
👨‍👩‍👧 Children now make up 20% (down from 24%)
👵 65+ now 18% (up from 13%)

🌍 And this isn’t unique. Similar trends are seen across the UK, Ireland and other developed economies.

👉 Get the full picture:
https://t.co/HcCpH4mRCf

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Are beef cattle numbers in NI at a 55 year low? 🤔

Our latest fact check digs into the data behind the claim 👇
https://t.co/g0NVz5LR8u

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Around 3% of adults in Northern Ireland are classed as problem gamblers.

But what does that actually mean; and how is it measured?

Our latest fact-check breaks it down 👇
🔗 https://t.co/qets77f5A5

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

⚠️ 40% of women in NI wrongly believe smear tests check for ovarian cancer; but they don’t.

Understanding the difference could save lives.

Get the facts ⬇️
https://t.co/GQuHc40m9U

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

So much is said about immigration in the UK, but how much of it is accurate?

FactCheckNI has put together a clear explainer that cuts through the noise and sets out the facts

Let’s elevate the conversation with accurate evidence and insights - not myths and fears.

🔗Read now: https://t.co/X31cavktox…

#FactCheckNI #MigrationFacts

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Behind every statistic is a real human impact.

What does the £3.4bn cost of mental ill health in Northern Ireland really represent?

FactCheckNI explains 👇
https://t.co/XBuWtaAzYU

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Government in NI: Have only ten laws been passed at Stormont since it resumed after the last collapse?

We’ve taken a look 👉 https://t.co/cwS5S3TiQm

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🔺Health in NI: Are deaths due to alcohol at the highest levels on record?

Some recent figures on alcohol-related harm in Northern Ireland are worth understanding 📊

397 alcohol-specific deaths were recorded in 2024; the highest on record, and 80% higher than a decade ago.

The impact isn’t evenly felt, with deaths almost four times higher in the most deprived areas.

There is evidence that policy can make a difference.

#PublicHealth #NorthernIreland #HealthInequality #AlcoholAwareness

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🔗 https://t.co/qyYBEJG3jc

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Behind every statistic on Violence Against Women and Girls is a real person - but if the data’s unclear, how can we fight it?

Our article explores the serious gaps in how NI’s justice system records and understands VAWG.

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

Read more 🔗 https://t.co/20TvEhuqIj

[FactCheckNI @FactCheckNI]

🔺Health in NI: Are deaths due to alcohol at the highest levels on record?

Some recent figures on alcohol-related harm in Northern Ireland are worth understanding 📊

397 alcohol-specific deaths were recorded in 2024; the highest on record, and 80% higher than a decade ago.

The impact isn’t evenly felt, with deaths almost four times higher in the most deprived areas.

There is evidence that policy can make a difference.

#PublicHealth #NorthernIreland #HealthInequality #AlcoholAwareness