AQW 21851/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 20/07/2021
Answered On Date: 29/07/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance to detail his Department’s New Decade, New Approach commitments (i) that are yet to be delivered; and (ii) the timescales for delivery.

Answer:

My Department has 3 NDNA commitments that are yet to be delivered as follows:

Review of Arms-Length Bodies

Timescale for delivery. The Review of Arm’s-Length Bodies is still ongoing. The Executive has agreed its Terms of Reference and DoF is engaging with other Departments on their ALBs. Work is being taken forward in parallel on the legislation required to change the status of ALBs. Progress with this legislation will be dependent on progress within Departments on the way forward for their ALBs.

The Executive will establish a dedicated sub-committee which will consider the findings of the RHI inquiry and propose further reforms, in addition to those in this agreement, to deliver the changes necessary to rebuild public confidence. The parties agree to deliver any such reforms rapidly once the inquiry has reported.

Timescale for delivery. The Subcommittee has completed its consideration of the RHI Inquiry Report and has forwarded its proposals for further reforms to the Executive. Delivery of those reforms has continued as appropriate pending the agreement of the Executive, and further work is required to complete the action plan.

Make any necessary statutory provision for births, marriages and deaths to be registerable through Irish.

Timescale for delivery. I have agreed that this NDNA commitment should be accomplished in 3 steps. It is intended that Step 1 will be completed within this mandate and will see the introduction of registration and certificates in Irish and bi-lingual English/Irish, alongside the current English language certificates. This will require minor amendments to various pieces of secondary legislation that can be made by the Department of Finance subject to negative resolution. Step 2 will see the introduction of certificates and forms in English, Irish and Bi-lingual English/Irish by September 2023. Step 3 will be the full registration journey in Irish by December 2024.