Official Report: Minutes of Evidence
Committee for Finance, meeting on Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Matthew O'Toole (Chairperson)
Ms Diane Forsythe (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Steve Aiken OBE
Mr Gerry Carroll
Miss Jemma Dolan
Miss Deirdre Hargey
Mr Harry Harvey
Mr Brian Kingston
Mr Eóin Tennyson
Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill: Committee Report
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Members, the draft Committee report on the Fiscal Council Bill has been amended since last week's meeting to include comments made during the deliberations. If it is needed, the Committee Clerk can provide us with further information as we go along.
The Committee Clerk: Absolutely, Chair. It was just a case of putting in the draft report some of the further discussion from last week on suggested amendments that the Committee decided not to pursue, as well as a couple of small details. Not a lot has changed, however.
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Members, you have been provided with a copy of the draft report. As always, any typographical or spelling errors or whatever will be dealt with at the final proofing stage before the report is published.
Do members wish to suggest any changes to the draft report? I have one small change to make to it. Does anybody else? Steve Aiken?
Dr Aiken: No, Chair. I just want to apologise for being late.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): No problem. Thank you for that.
I have one small suggested amendment to paragraph14 of the executive summary, where it could be made clearer that, where it states "Expanding its remit", that is the Department's view. The paragraph starts with "The Department", so it would be helpful to make clear:
"Expanding its remit may be reconsidered"
is the Department's view.
Does anyone else have an amendment that they wish to see made to the draft report?
Ms Forsythe: Sorry, will you say that again, Chair? Where exactly in paragraph 14 are you suggesting that that change be made?
The Committee Clerk: It is halfway down.
The Committee Clerk: Yes, from the word "Expanding" onwards.
"The Department confirmed that the primary powers".
That is the Committee recounting what the Department said about its core role. The second sentence states:
"Expanding its remit may be reconsidered if the Executive gains further tax powers, but for now, forecasting is handled by other bodies, making such an expansion unnecessary."
At the start of the second sentence, we could add, "The Department said that" to make clear that we are recounting the Department's view there.
Ms Forsythe: OK. I just wanted to be clear about it. Thanks.
"forecasting is handled by other bodies",
but there is forecasting done by other bodies, so I am happy enough.
The Committee Clerk: It did.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): OK. That is fine. I have no other suggested amendments at this stage. I think that the report is good.
No one else has anything that they wish to add. Do we reflect that, Clerk?
The Committee Clerk: Yes, we do, Chair, and we do so again at the end. There are a number of references.
The Committee Clerk: Yes. They are specifically laid out in minutes and departmental correspondence, so we have reproduced them in the main body of the draft report.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): It is important that the report make clear — we can do this in my remarks — the additionality that the Committee's scrutiny has provided and our understanding of what the bits about our being kept informed that are to be added to the explanatory and financial memorandum will mean for our scrutiny. Are members content with that?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): OK. Members have not asked for any other additions to be made or further clarification provided.
I will now go through the report paragraph by paragraph. Are members content that the title page, contents page, the section on Committee powers and membership and the list of abbreviations and acronyms stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
Members indicated assent.
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Are members content that the section titled "Committee Approach", which is paragraphs 20 to 32, stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Are members content that the section titled "Consideration of the Bill", which is paragraphs 33 to 48, stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Are members content that the section titled "Clause by Clause Consideration of the Bill", which is paragraphs 49 to 188, stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Are members content that the section titled "Clause by Clause Scrutiny of the Bill", which is paragraphs 189 to 205, stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): The appendices will be updated to include today's Minutes of Proceedings and other Minutes of Evidence, which will include our discussions of the meaningful and substantive changes that were made to the explanatory and financial memorandum following the Committee's scrutiny, so that we can be clear about what our scrutiny has added and what additional understandings and meanings there are. Are members content that the appendices stand part of the report?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): Subject to the small amendments that we have discussed today, do members agree that 'Report on the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill' be the tenth report of the Committee for Finance.
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr O'Toole): If members agree, the report, subject those small changes, will be laid in the Business Office, formatted, published on the Committee website and copied to the Minister of Finance ahead of Consideration Stage. Do members agree?
Members indicated assent.