Review of the first year of the restored Northern Ireland Executive
Following a two–year collapse, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive were restored in February 2024. They faced numerous challenges: public sector strikes, a cost–of–living crisis, overstretched budgets and deteriorating public services.
One year on, the Executive can point to many important actions, and without doubt there has been progress that would not have happened in the absence of the institutions.
Since the publication of our last tracker report, there have been a number of positive actions, particularly the publication of a draft Programme for Government and a draft Budget for 2025–26, together with specific actions including an Environmental Action Plan, improvements in childcare, and a strategy to end Violence Against Women and Girls. The publication of a draft PfG is a positive step forward, but it has been challenged as being too aspirational, without clear targets or delivery plans.
While these actions are welcome, Pivotal would highlight four connected areas where much more progress is needed.
First, the public services that people experience day–to–day are in a very poor state, and the Executive must bring about improvements in 2025. Delivery of tangible changes is essential, for example on health service waiting times, housing, and childcare.
Second, Northern Ireland’s long–standing structural problems persist, and at present there is not convincing evidence that current plans will result in significant improvements to wastewater infrastructure, poverty, productivity, or the environment. The challenge for the Executive now is to acknowledge these crises and accelerate the development of realistic plans.
Third, transformation and reform of public services are long overdue and must be prioritised, in order for good quality services to be affordable now and in the future.
Fourth, there needs to be a continued focus on getting the best from public sector budgets, including full consideration of efficiencies, reforms and revenue raising.
Publication Details
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Date
Mon 27 Jan 2025
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Report
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