Gareth Gordon and Raymona Crozier reported for BBC News NI that the meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss a long-awaited program for government has been postponed. Originally scheduled for Wednesday morning, it was revealed late on Tuesday night that additional work is needed before the meeting can proceed. The draft document, titled “Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most,” was agreed upon in September 2024 and had been sent out for public consultation.
Sources indicated that while the delay does not imply the program will not be approved, it simply requires more time before it can be finalized. This postponement has raised concerns about the coalition government’s ability to govern effectively. Expectations were high for the program to be agreed upon prior to the anniversary of Stormont’s reinstatement earlier in the month, but this did not come to fruition.
Justice Minister Naomi Long expressed her frustrations that the document had been stagnant for a significant period, mentioning that progress can be slow in a four-party executive. She emphasized the importance of focusing on what can be achieved in the remaining two years of the mandate. The SDLP leader, Matthew O’Toole, critiqued the lack of specific targets in the document, particularly in addressing waiting list reduction, urging ministers to provide more clarity in this area
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