Political, policy and regulatory developments impacting Northern Ireland
What you need to know this week
NI party leaders write to UK Government about City Deals
On Tuesday (17 September) the leaders of the five main Stormont parties wrote to the Chief Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, asking them to reconsider the decision to pause two “City Deals” in NI. City deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than £1.5bn, with around £600m from the UK government. The leaders said Assembly members are “united” in their call for the decisions over the Causeway Coast and Glens and Mid-South West growth deals to be “lifted immediately”. In the letter, the leaders also say if the UK Government is serious about spurring economic growth the deals must be implemented, according to BBC News. The decision to pause two other City Deals last Friday for Belfast and Derry and Strabane has already been reversed.
What Next: It is understood that the funding pause happened in the context of the UK spending review, with the UK Government not wanting to commit to funds before that process completes in October.
PM wants to see ‘alternative proposition’ for Casement Park
The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out providing the extra funding needed to redevelop Casement Park. This week it was reported by BBC NI that the Prime Minister said the government wanted to see the “alternative proposition” now that the plan to redevelop the stadium in time for Euro 2028 is no longer going ahead. In an interview
with BBC News NI this week, NI Secretary of State Hilary Benn declined to say how much money the UK Government would be willing to contribute to redeveloping Casement Park. He was speaking for the first time since it was announced that the stadium would not be built in time for Euro 2028. Mr Benn also defended the government’s decision to release the news late on Friday evening (13 September). First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the UK Government’s handling of the decision was “absolutely shambolic”.
What Next: Meanwhile, earlier in the week, during a visit to Derry~Londonderry, Taoiseach (Irish PM) Simon Harris refused to “rule in or out” providing funding for the stadium development, and said it is crucial that stakeholders “intensively engage to work out how best to proceed”.
Stormont strategy has paid £930k in research funds to environmental law breaching companies
According to the Belfast Telegraph, Stormont has paid out over nine hundred thousand pounds in research funding to companies who subsequently were found to have breached environmental laws. The payments,totaling £932,552, were made under the Executive’s controversial Going for Growth strategy, published back in 2013. The 2013 strategy which Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir has since called a “mistake” has come under fire for incentivising the intensive farming methods which have partly led to the blue-green algae fiasco at Lough Neagh.
Under the action plan resulting from the strategy, the Executive committed to co-funding relevant industry projects under the Research Challenge Fund. One example of a company that received significant research funding under this scheme
as reported by the Belfast Telegraph, was poultry company Moy Park. Moy Park reportedly received £250,000 under the scheme. However a BBC investigation earlier this year revealed the company had breached environmental laws in how it discharged waste in NI.
What Next: Responding to the revelations Friends of the Earth NI Director James Orr said that at the time of the strategy the Executive were repeatedly warned they were “bulldozing through a policy to support factory farming in a way that would devastate our water and air”. Daera has said all appropriate checks had been carried out both before and after the funding awards.
Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald (Sinn Féin, East Londonderry~Derry): “I was delighted to sign the Derry City and Strabane District Council City Deal today [18 Sep]. This is a major milestone and represents a huge investment which will be transformational for the North West and is the outworking of our commitment to promote regional balance.”
Doug Beattie MLA [Former UUP Leader]: [Quoting Chief Constable Jon Boutcher] “We need to ensure we survive this year and get recruits in.” @ChiefConPSNI A stark warning that the police have been failed through the lack of strategic thinking at @Justice_NI”
Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA: [On the dynamic pricing motion which passed unanimously in the Assembly this week in relation to extortionate concert ticket prices] I spoke in this debate and it was a bit of craic on an important subject. But let’s be clear: Sinn Féin put down a meaningless non-binding motion which didn’t even ask the relevant Minister (who happens to be a SF minister) to do anything. Toytown, potemkin politics.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly (DUP, Lagan Valley): “A fantastic North Down DUP Business Breakfast this morning! [19 Sep] The DUP is determined to deliver for Northern Ireland – at the heart of our prosperity agenda is growing our economy. We need a relentless focus on delivery. Working together, we can truly drive our economy forward.”
Justin McNulty MLA (SDLP, Newry and Armagh): “The Good Friday Agreement was the most incredible gift” – An Taoiseach Simon Harris TD at the Launch of the #SharedIsland Youth Forum Outcome Statement”.
On Thursday (19 September), NI Secretary of State Hilary Benn announced that Former First Minister Arlene Foster will chair a new body promoting trade within the UK. Intertrade UK will offer support and guidance to businesses looking to expand their reach within the UK internal market and serve customers across the UK. It will also conduct research and publish insights to advance domestic trade. Mr Benn also appointed Anna Jerzewska, Alastair Hamilton and Aidan Reilly as members of the new Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel.
On Wednesday (18 September), the Committee for Finance were briefed by Ms Joanne McBurney (Budget Director and Head of Public Spending Directorate) and Mr Jeff McGuinness (Head of Central Expenditure Division) of the Department of Finance on the Budget. Committee Chair Philip Brett (DUP, North Belfast) asked if there was a possibility of further revenue raising in this financial year in the Department of Finance (DoF) or any other departments considering a £767m overspend has been identified. Ms McBurney said that there are no plans to do so in the DoF and the capacity for revenue raising in other departments will be significantly limited.
Minister confirms number of people no longer eligible for winter fuel payment in Northern Ireland
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has revealed 249,600 people in Northern Ireland are no longer eligible for the
winter fuel payment following the UK Government’s decision to means-test the benefit reports the Irish News. Mr Lyons added: “To put the number in context, it is over 80% of pensioners in Northern Ireland. The figure was revealed in answer to an Assembly question from Robbie Butler MLA, who described it as “an incredible number.” Mr Lyons said his Department would do what they could to mitigate the impact of the decision. The Executive’s Fuel Poverty Strategy goes out for public consultation in October. Mr Lyons said the strategy “will aim to minimise the impact of the change on pensioners at risk of fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.”
On Wednesday (17 September), the Committee for Infrastructure were briefed by Mr Mark McCall, Mr Darren Henderson, and Mr Mark Anderson of the Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland on the electric vehicle landscape in Northern Ireland. EVANI have conducted over 500 stakeholder meetings and have seen NI increase the number of rapid chargers across the region from 20 to over 150. However, they noted that NI is still behind its neighbours in terms of EV infrastructure, with its rate of chargers per head only one third of the UK average and fifty percent of Ireland’s figure. On the challenge of connecting chargers to the electricity grid, Mr Anderson called for policies which “socialise grid connection costs.”
The Housing Executive has built its first houses in 25 years as part of a scheme which it says sets the standard for social housing of the future. The six semi-detached homes at Sunningdale Gardens in North Belfast use modern methods of construction and ultra-low energy building techniques to ‘PassivHaus’ standard, meaning they are designed to need minimum central heating. The homes were delivered by construction company GEDA. Speaking at a tour of the new development on Thursday (19 September), Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said “This is not just the Housing Executive delivering new homes, it is the Housing Executive leading and innovating for Northern Ireland.”
Around 52,000 new homes needed per year until 2050 due to pent-up demand, says Central Bank
On Wednesday (18 September), the Central Bank of Ireland published a report that estimated around 52,000 new homes could be needed per year until 2050, reports the Journal. This is a large increase when compared to the 32,695 homes completed last year and the Housing for All estimate that 33,000 new homes would be needed each year until 2030. The report explains that there is a “pent-up demand” that has been building up due to undersupply over the past decade and a growing population in the future. While investment from the government may help, the report also highlighted issues with the planning system, low productivity in the construction sector, and access to development finance which have a “bearing on construction viability and the ability of the market to deliver additional housing supply.”
Michael McGrath named EU commissioner for democracy, justice and the rule of law.
Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath, who stepped down from his role as Minister for Finance in June, has been named EU commissioner for democracy, justice and the rule of law. According to the Irish Times, previous holders of the portfolio have clashed with member states who breach or undermine EU rules, such as Viktor Orban’s Hungary or Robert Fico’s Slovakia. The justice job also covers consumer rights, GDPR legislation, and anti-corruption efforts. The Irish government had initially hoped that nominating McGrath, a senior cabinet official, would help them land a strong economic portfolio. However, the Irish Times writes it soon became clear that Ireland lacked the lobbying capital with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Irish Independent reports that the “lowly” commissioner appointment has led to some tensions within the coalition, with Fine Gael frustrated at Fianna Fáil MEPs for voting against the re- appointment of von der Leyen as President.
Approval rating for Simon Harris surges in new Irish Times poll
A new poll conducted by Irish Times/Ipsos has seen Taoiseach Simon Harris’ approval rating jump by 17 points to 55%. His party Fine Gael have opened up a seven-point lead on Sinn Féin, 27% to 20%, with the two parties having been tied at 23% in the last Irish Times poll. There was more bad news for Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, whose personal rating was just 30%, her lowest rating since the before the 2020 general election. Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil support held mostly steady, while new Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman debuted at 17%, four points lower than the most recent
rating for previous leader Eamon Ryan. Reacting to the poll in Thursday’s Irish Times, Pat Leahy writes that the positive figures for the government parties makes a pre-Christmas election much more likely.
DUP conference is Gavin Robinson’s big opportunity to set out his vision, writes Suzanne Breen
In Thursday’s Belfast Telegraph, Suzanne Breen writes that at this weekend’s DUP conference, party leader Gavin Robinson “finally has a chance to set out his own stall.” Having inherited the leadership “in the most inauspicious circumstances,” Breen notes that Robinson has spent the last 6 months “in defensive mode,” with this weekend marking the start of a rebuild for the 2027 Assembly election. From the conference agenda, there appears to be an attempt to promote newer MLAs, such as Cheryl Brownlee and Deborah Erskine. Another rising star is Jonny Buckley, MLA for Upper Bann, who some party insiders suggest is the front-runner for the DUP’s vacant deputy leader position. Despite “goodwill” towards Robinson, former DUP special adviser David Graham says the Westminster results show the party faces numerous electoral challenges. Graham says “The DUP is literally losing to the left, the right and the centre — and it must take stock.”
Friday 20 September – Saturday 21 September 2024
DUP Party Conference 2024: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast.
Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 September 2024
Labour Party Annual Party Conference: ACC, Liverpool
Friday 27 – Saturday 28 September 2024
Sinn Féin Ard Fheis: Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone
Saturday 28 September 2024
UUP Autumn Conference: Crowne Plaza, Belfast
Sunday 29 September – Wednesday 2 October 2024 Conservative Party Annual Conference: The ICC, Birmingham
Saturday 5 October 2024
SDLP Annual Party Conference: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast
Monday 7 October 2024
UK Parliament returns from Conference Recess
Wednesday 30 October 2024
Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP will deliver the UK Government’s Autumn Budget.
Monday 4 November 2024
NI Executive Draft Programme for Government 2024 – 2027: Public consultation closes.
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