Budget analysis and Housing in Northern Ireland

Prof Rory O’Connell (Ulster), Mr Eoin Rooney, Prof Colin Harvey (QUB) and Prof Aoife Nolan (Nottingham, ex QUB): This presentation discusses the findings of multidisciplinary research, to develop an approach to budget analysis, as applied to housing in Northern Ireland. The research is based upon a robust methodology incorporating economic analysis and legal principles, following … Read more

Changing the Minimum Standard for Housing

Ms Lindsay Shaw (Ulster): There are social inequality issues relating to low/limited income households being less able to afford a better standard of housing. While there is a ‘Fitness Standard’ (the minimum standard for housing in Northern Ireland), this is recognised as outdated and offers inadequate protection. In England, the fitness standard’ was replaced by … Read more

Making timely decisions for children: balancing differing needs in families

Prof Brigid Featherstone (OU) and Dr John Devaney (QUB):  In both England and Northern Ireland there appears to be a policy consensus that early authoritative intervention is required with families in order to ensure vulnerable children do not remain too long in neglectful situations. Recent legislation in England – such as the Children and Families … Read more

The child’s right to genetic ancestry as a key element of the best interests principle in adoption, donor and surrogacy contexts: reforming adoption law in Northern Ireland

Dr Alice Diver (Ulster): This presentation looks at the right to genetic identity/relatedness, with reference to some recent controversial cases involving adoption, surrogacy, donor children in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. Such comparative research indicates that in many cases the rights of the child are either over looked or … Read more

Developing and harnessing golf tourism and film tourism as economic drivers

Dr Peter Bolan, Dr Karise Hutchinson and Mr Matthew Kearney (Ulster): This presentation explains that golf and film tourism are both highly lucrative and Northern Ireland must develop and plan for them in a more strategic manner. First it outlines findings from an extensive study (utilising surveys, interviews, and observation methods internationally and domestically) by … Read more

Benefiting a regional economy with societal-driven innovation adoption in high-tech small firms

Dr Brendan Galbraith and Ms Kirsty McManus (Ulster): A key question is how do business models ensure that new high-tech innovations are responsible, benefit society and are well aligned to regional policy? This is an increasingly important question for policy-makers and high tech small firms in Northern Ireland. The question is important because although innovation adoption … Read more

Hide and Seek: Where is design in the creative industries network of Northern Ireland and do we really understand its power in the growth of our economy?

Ms Michelle Douglas, Prof Karen Fleming and Prof Ian Montgomery (Ulster): In almost all the official Northern Ireland documentation highlighting statistics and reviews for the creative industries, there is very little differentiation of the sector and little recognition of design as a distinct and essential factor in success. With debate focused on end-product, digital and … Read more

Area of residence and admissions to care homes for older people: data linkage study of factors associated with entry to care

Dr Mark McCann and Dr Dermot O’Reilly (QUB): Research on admissions to care homes for older people has paid more attention to individual and social characteristics than to geographical factors. This presentation considers rural-urban differences in household composition and admission rates and presents key findings arising from this research. Data on 51,619 people aged 65 … Read more

The Health and Mental Health of Informal Caregivers in Rural and Urban Northern Ireland

Dr Stefanie Doebler (QUB): This presentation discusses new research findings from a project that analyses effects of providing unpaid care to a family member or neighbour on the self-reported health and mental health of the care-giver. The results are based on robust statistical analyses of Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS)-data. The NILS is a Census-linked … Read more

Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland: Putting Gender on the Agenda

Dr Catherine O’Rourke (Ulster): This presentation outlines research findings that aim to constructively contribute to the vexed and halting debate in Northern Ireland about dealing with the past. It seeks to usefully reframe the debate by explaining how gender should be understood as a structural factor of conflict and resolution. The presentation draws on the … Read more