News

19 October, 2024

We are delighted to announce the successful recruitment of 15 participants to the Northern Ireland Public Data Panel (NIPDP).

Applications for Data Dialogues to the Northern Ireland Public Data Panel - Now Live

9 February, 2025

Northern Ireland Public Data Panel The Northern Ireland Public Data Panel (NIPDP) welcomes applications from across sectors; community, government, industry, academia and about all types of data use for public good.

Perceptions on the use of Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Data

24 April, 2025

Summary Report A ‘data dialogue’ is the NIPDP approach to deliberations on topics related to data use.

Data Dialogue: Data for Poverty - Report & Summary

5 November, 2025

Case Study Insights

The Panel were introduced to the Northern Ireland Biobank

NI Biobank

NIPDP were asked about Public Perspectives on Ethical Use, Access, and Future Data Strategy

Key panel perspectives from case study reviews

Throughout the session, participants raised questions, shared concerns, and explored the conditions under which the use of NI Biobank samples and data is acceptable to the public.

NIPDP Data Dialogue Report - December 2025

Equiplace: Building Healthier, Fairer Places: Why Data Matters

Data Dialogue 4

December 2025

The EquiPlace Hub research proposal seeks to connect engineers, data scientists, health researchers, policymakers and communities aiming to integrate housing, transport and environmental data to reveal how infrastructure decisions affect health and inequality.

Across the region, poor-quality housing, unreliable transport and environmental pressures such as air pollution and flooding are driving long-term health inequalities, which are among the widest in the United Kingdom. The data needed to understand and address these challenges remain fragmented across systems and sectors.

The Northern Ireland Public Data Panel (NIPDP) were asked to discuss how Northern Ireland can create a trusted, interoperable data infrastructure that enables safe, equitable use of linked housing, transport and environmental data to reduce health inequalities and improve health related outcomes.

NIPDP’s expertise was recognised by the researchers leading EquiPlace as critical to ensuring transparency, public trust and inclusion in the development of their research proposal, and development processes. Their aim is, through a range of mechanisms one of which is speaking to NIPDP to embed public values in their data approach.

Equiplace A.I (ENGAGE)

Researchers from EquiPlace produced a discussion guide which was distributed to all attendees a few days ahead of the event and provided as a handout on the day of the Panel. The day was structured with scene setting presentations followed by roundtable discussions focussed on a series of interrelated topic areas with group rapporteurs capturing feedback using ‘Engage’. Engage is a digital tool, using iPads at each discussion table, to facilitate data capture and feedback after each topic. It is described by the researcher team as ‘a responsible AI tool’, which operates offline working from a dedicated closed server, provided a ‘real time’ synopsis of each discussion topic in the room. This real-time data capture will generate an event PDF report for all attendees within 30 minutes of the event end time. This report was circulated to participants post event for review and comment and is appended to this overview summary. It forms the main report from the Panel.

This Panel was facilitated by the EquiPlace rapporteurs and provided a new format for session participants, one which was, by Panel members who engaged and responded with support and value in the interaction. The dialogue raised interesting points of consideration for such an approach in the future.

Thank you again to our speakers Professor Jonathan Wallace (Professor of Innovation, School of Computing - University of Ulster) & Tadhg Hickey (Head of AI and Digital Ethics Policy, School of Computing - University of Ulster) and the panel for contributing to this vital 'Data Dialogue' on 'Building Healthier, Fairer Places: Why Data Matters'.

The finding of the report can be downloaded on the links below:

Report Published: March 2026

DD4-Equiplace_Instant_Report