Executive budget sustainability plan published
Yesterday (3 October), Finance Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA published the Budget Sustainability Plan following agreement by the Executive.The Plan sets out the need to deliver a balanced budget in 2024-25 and future years, including looking at options to deliver efficiencies, generate income and to examine fiscal devolution. The Plan also sets out how the Executive intends to meet the condition in the financial package to raise at least £113 million in additional revenue, suggesting that the Executive should be able to meet this target “without resorting to significant and disproportionate increases to Regional Rate”. The Plan further states that “departments will be engaging with Department of Finance on potential revenue raising decisions as part of the 2025-26 Budget process” adding that “this engagement, along with an assessment of the wider financial pressures will allow the Finance Minister to make an informed decision on the level of the Regional Rate”. Minister Archibald said the Plan sets out the Executive’s “longer-term ambition to begin integrating important sustainability discussions into the heart of our processes and decision making while allowing the development of longer-term plans and improvements to the budgeting process”. The plan includes five key commitments agreed by the Executive:
- The implementation of multi-year budgets where possible.
- The routine publication of supplementary financial tables for in-year monitoring to promote transparency and accountability.
- The regular, strategic consideration of income generation measures.
- Engagement with Treasury on flexible use of existing tools and longer-term solutions including those that will form part of any Fiscal Framework.
- Agreement to a future workplan to help secure and maintain sustainable finances.
What Next: The Minister added however that the work must be “underpinned by a new approach from the British Government which sees proper investment in public services and infrastructure, the budget at the end of October is the opportunity to signal this intention”.
Economy minsiter outlines plan to address regional imbalances
Economy Minister Conor Murphy MLA launched an economic plan this week to address regional economic imbalances in Northern Ireland. The Sub-Regional Economic Plan contains £45 million in funding for councils to distribute through new “Local Economic Partnerships” over the next three years. Key tenets of the plan include restructuring of Invest NI, increasing staff levels in its regional offices by 40% and creating a new regional balance unit in the Department for the Economy. Speaking in the Assembly, the Minister said Invest NI will now direct 65% of its investments outside of the Greater Belfast area. The report also highlights the discrepancies in economic performance across NI, with areas like the Causeway Coast & Glens and Derry City & Strabane falling behind in labour productivity.
What Next: Funding to the new local economic partnerships will be determined by need and this formula will be co-designed with councils by December 2024. Invest NI will be implementing its new approach from October, and the new structure is due to be in place by April 2025.
Executive confirms upgrade to A5 road will begin next year
This week Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd MLA announced his intention to proceed with construction of the first stretch of the long awaited A5 upgrade in early 2025. Work will start on the Strabane to Ballygawley section, with the first phase of the construction work covering 34 of the total 53 miles. Echoing the comments of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Minister O’Dowd paid tribute to campaigners and many families of those who have lost loved ones along the stretch of road. He added that in addition to improving road safety, this Executive flagship project will provide for “critically important infrastructure improvements. It will address regional imbalance, create jobs, benefit the economy and improve journey times for the thousands of daily users of this route”, he said.
What Next: The emerging budget estimate for the whole scheme is in the region of £2.1bn and for the part of the scheme being authorised, it is around £1.2bn.
Matthew O’Toole MLA (SDLP, South Belfast): [On news from Translink that trains are expected to start running at Belfast’s new Grand Central Station in 10 days’ time.This is terrific news and is a starting step in the decades-long revival of our rail network foreseen in the All-Island rail review.”
deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly MLA (DUP, Lagan Valley): ” I met with DUP colleague Deborah Erskine MLA on the campaign to get the Government to unpause the Mid South West City Deal and pushing for action to ensure Executive commitments continue including on the A4 Enniskillen southern bypass. We be doing all we can on this issue.”
John Blair MLA (Alliance, South Antrim): “Yesterday, [1 October] I asked the @daera_ni Minister @AndrewMuirNI what his Department is doing to improve recycling rates. Good to hear plans to exceed 70% target-Alliance’s policy on waste has always seen recycling as an integral part of a circular economy and a way to lower our emissions”
Diana Armstrong MLA (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone): [On being co-opted as new MLA] “That’s a wrap on my first official day as MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. I want to build on the strong foundations laid by Lord Elliott in his more than two decades of Public Service.Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement! The work begins now…@uuponline”
Michelle O’Neill addresses first Sinn Féin ard fheis as first minister
Addressing Sinn Féin’s annual ard fheis on Friday evening in Athlone last week, the party’s Vice President Michelle O’Neil MLA called for a further devolution of powers to Stormont. She said the four parties in the Stormont Executive are “working together with a unity of purpose” and are, she added, “determined to deliver good public services, good governance, economic growth and strong communities that we all depend on”. And while the new Government at Westminster presented “an opportunity to improve Irish-British relations … their initial actions demonstrate more of the same – failed austerity and broken promises”.”Ms O’Neill also called for the UK Government’s commitment to repeal the Troubles Legacy Act to be “delivered in full” and reaffirmed her party’s commitment to the Casement Park GAA stadium project in west Belfast.
Health Minister launchs reconfigeration framework for hospitals
On Tuesday (1 October), Health Minster Mike Nesbitt MLA launched a public consultatution on a reconfiguration framework for hospitals, setting out the key principles to underpin service organisation. “Too often, our hospitals are viewed as standalone units,” Minister Nesbitt said, adding “We need to see each of our hospitals as part of something bigger and wider – fitting into a network in which each plays a key part.” The proposed framework categorises NI hospitals into four main types: local, general, and area hospitals, as well as specialised regional centres. A key aim is to identify the core services in each of these types of hospitals and address the key challenges to sustainably deliver these. The consultation on “Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes”closes on 22 January 2025.
Sinn Féin press officers resign after providing references for former colleague later convicted of sex offences
On Sunday, the BBC reported that Seán Mag Uidhir and Caolán McGinley had resigned their jobs in the Sinn Féin Belfast press office, after it emeregd they had provided job references to a former colleague Michael McMonagle whose employment with Sinn Féin ended when the party learnt that he was being investigated by police for sexual offences. Mr McMonagle was subsequently employed as a communications officer by the British Heart Foundation, before admitting a series of sex offences last month, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
New Utility Regulator chair and board member
On Tuesday (1 October), the Department of Finance’s announced the appointments of Rosamund Blomfield-Smith as Board Chair, and Isolde Goggin as a Board Member of teh Utility Regulator. They started their seven-year terms on 1 October.
Former Alliance deputy leader Dr Stephen Farry appointed to new Ulster University strategic policy unit
Ulster University has appointed Dr Stephen Farry and Dr Jodie Carson to lead a new Strategic Policy Unit. Stephen Farry lost his North Down Westminster seat at the general election in July, subsequently resigning as Deputy Leader of the Allinace Party last month. He was previously MLA for North Down, serving as Minister for Employment and Learning in the Northern Ireland Executive (2011 to 2016). Dr Jodie Carson was previously Special Advisor to Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Across the Border
Public expenditure minister reaffirms commitment to Shared Ireland Initiative in Budget 2025 statement
Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday (1 October), as part of the Budget 2025 statement, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe TD reaffirmed the Irish Government’s commitment to the Shared Ireland Initiative, promising to contributed to projects including the Narrow Water Bridge and the A5 North West transport corridor. Mr Donohoe added “The Taoiseach and the UK Prime Minister have committed to resetting relations between Ireland and the UK. We will allocate resources to support this important work.” The Budget, widely described as a “giveaway,” has largely been negatively received in the Irish media, with the Irish Times editorial calling it “incoherent and short-termist” and Fionnán Sheahan’s headline in the Irish Independent reading “Morally bankrupt, fiscally amnesiac and nakedly political.”
Sinn Féin calls for immediate withdrawal of €9m phone pouch plan for schools
The Government has been urged to immediately withdraw a proposal to spend €9 million on mobile phone pouches for secondary schools. The ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ proposal included in Budget 2025 would see the money allocated towards storage for post-primary school students’ mobile phones during school hours, RTÉ News reports. However, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has written to Taoiseach Simon Harris calling for the plan to be abandoned immediately. Teacher’s unions ASTI, TUI, and INTO have all said schools are facing much more pressing issues.
Ireland’s ‘get by’ climate actions threaten progress – EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that progress, economic prosperity, and health are all threatened unless Ireland increases the scale, pace, and ambition of environmental action, RTÉ News reports. The State of the Environment report, published by the EPA every four years, stated that although progress has been made, Ireland’s environmental actions are not enough to deliver a healthy environment and is continuously playing catch-up. In the five broad policy areas assessed in the report – climate, air, nature, water, and circular economy and waste assessment – Ireland’s performance was graded moderate, poor, or very poor, and none of the areas are “Largely on track to achieving full compliance.” It also notes that there are serious deficits in Ireland’s implementation of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, Water Framework Directive and Climate Law. The report calls on the government to publish a national policy position and for them to scale up investment in infrastructure. The full report is available here.
What we’re reading
New SDLP Claire Hanna will need more than hard work to pull SDLP back from the brink
Writing in week’s Belfast Telegraph, political editor Suzanne Breen says the SDLP’s popular and determined, but new leader faces an uphill battle to reverse party’s fortunes. Breen notes that it will not be easy for Claire Hanna to replicate the success she has enjoyed in South Belfast for the party in other constituencies. She argues this is partly due to the fact that up until now, Hanna has “not been in Sinn Féin’s line of fire with an almost semi-independent, as opposed to party political, image in her constituency”. Breen continues to note that whilst her predecessor Colum Eastwood focused on high-profile work with the New Ireland Commission, Hanna likewise will have to ensure she “carves out her own prominent role going forward”. Breen concludes that today’s conference is a chance for Hanna to tell delegates what being a centre-left party actually means now and in any new Ireland.
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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