Insight

Northern Ireland Executive approval required for dozen Stormont decisions

A dozen decisions across a number of departments require approval from an executive before they can progress.

Ministers, when in post, have wide ranging powers to make decisions that directly impact their department.

There are issues that are described as cross cutting, in other words they involve multiple departments.

They require executive approval, along with issues that are deemed controversial.

UTV can reveal there are a series of decisions across government that have been marked as needing executive approval.

Sign language bill, victims payment scheme, an environment strategy and proposals for sub regional soccer stadiums are some waiting on a reformed executive.

That program, worth £36million, has been on the cards for over a decade.

Crusaders Football Club is worried the money won’t stretch as far as planned.

Club Director Mark Langhamer said: “The scheme has been agreed, the principles have been agreed.

“Civil servants know very well the needs of clubs, I would trust them to roll out an honest scheme much more than I would local politicians.”

List of decisions that require Executive approval

Communities

  • Resource and capital funding allowances

  • Sub Regional Stadia Programme for Soccer – updated proposals

  • NDNA commitment for Sign Language Bill. Its Sign Language Frameworkcarries legislative proposals that are cross-cutting, therefore requireMinisterial approval and referral to Executive for approval

  • Transfer of Functions Order – transfer of The Appeals Service fromDepartment for Communities to Department of Justice (Local GovernmentFinance Branch).

Finance

  • DoF Draft Executive Paper – Procurement Policy Notes

  • DoF Draft Executive Paper - Victims' payment Scheme

  • 2022-25 Budget

DEARA

  • Executive approval for the Environment Strategy

  • Executive approval for Northern Ireland’s Third Cycle River Basin Management Plan

  • Executive approval for the publication of the final Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy

  • Executive approval for the revised version of Green Growth Strategy

  • Executive approval for the publication of the final Food Strategy Framework for Northern Ireland

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