Minimum Wage Regulation under Devolution in Northern Ireland

This paper assesses the development and functioning of regional minimum wage regulation in Northern Ireland in the interwar period under a federal form of devolution. Unlike current devolution arrangements in Scotland and Wales, this gave the Stormont Parliament powers over employment and minimum wage regulation. Northern Ireland Trade Boards were set up by the Ulster Unionist Government under the Trade Boards (Northern Ireland) Act 1923 and functioned along the same lines as those in Great Britain. Uniquely in the UK in this period, employer opposition resulted in the main Trade Board in the Irish Linen Industry being replaced by voluntary collective bargaining machinery. About one-quarter of employees were covered by minimum wage regulation, including two-thirds of females in Belfast, keeping a protective floor under low pay.

Living with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parental and professional views

The number of children diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising and is now thought to be as high as 1:100. While the debate about best treatment continues, the effects of having a child diagnosed with ASD on family life remain relatively unexplored. This article, by Karola Dillenburger of Queens University Belfast, Mickey Keenan of the University of Ulster, Alvin Doherty from the Health Service Executive Western Region, Tony Byrne of Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) and Stephen Gallagher of the University of Ulster, sets out to adjust that balance. Drawing upon data from a comprehensive study of parental needs, these authors argue that parental and professional views do not always concur; that families make extraordinary sacrifices; that siblings are affected; and that parents are under tremendous stress. Parents argue that educational and social service supports are not efficient and that they are forced to rely largely on support from within the family or from friends. In particular, some important differences between parental and professional perceptions became apparent in relation to interventions based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). The authors of this article propose that these differences need to be taken seriously by teachers and other professionals as well as by policy-makers.

Is naturalisation of the brown hare in Ireland a threat to the endemic Irish hare?

On islands, one of the greatest risks to native wildlife is the establishment of alien species. In Ireland, the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus), the only native lagomorph, may be at risk from competitive exclusion and hybridisation with naturalised brown hares (L. europaeus) that were introduced during the late nineteenth century. Pre- and post-breeding spotlight surveys during 2005 in the north of Ireland determined that brown hare populations are established in mid-Ulster and west Tyrone. In mid-Ulster, brown hares comprised 53%-62% of the hare population, with an estimated abundance of 700-2000 individuals between pre- and post-breeding periods. Comparison of habitat niches suggest that Irish and brown hares have comparable niche breadths that at times completely overlap, suggesting the potential for strong competition between the species. Anecdotal evidence suggests that both species may hybridise. Further research is urgently required to assess the degree of risk that naturalised brown hares pose to the Irish hare population and what action, if any, is needed to ensure the future ecological security and genetic integrity of the native species.