Weekly Bulletin. What you need to know this week.

NI politicians criticise welfare reforms
NI politicians have strongly criticised the UK Government’s plans to reform the welfare system. Both First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA and DUP leader Gavin Robinson MP accused the Government of targeting the “sick and the vulnerable” through the changes. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the reforms will save £5bn a year by the end of 2030. These include narrowing the eligibility criteria for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a benefit for people who need help with daily activities due to a long-term illness or disability. The most recent figures from November 2024 suggest just under 218,000 people in NI were receiving PIP. While the benefit system is devolved, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA warned that the Executive does not have the resources to provides mitigations, which would have to paid for out of the Executive’s budget. Minister Lyons said “If these are savings of around £5bn for the UK as a whole, on population basis alone we’re talking over £150m for Northern Ireland. Those aren’t resources that we have at our disposal”.
What Next: Minister Lyons said his Department would first need to work out the exact implications of the changes for Northern Ireland, but said he would engage with the UK Government. The First Minister told the Assembly the Executive “will take every opportunity to raise these issues with the relevant people in London”. The Assembly’s Communities Committee will also write to the NI Secretary of State to highlight Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances, as the number of people in the region who are inactive due to sickness has increased by a third since 2019.

Infrastructure Minister announces public consultation on developer contributions
On Friday (21 March) Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins MLA launched a consultation on developer contributions to help fund “necessary improvements” to wastewater water infrastructure. The consultation proposes two options, Voluntary Developer Contributions and Compulsory Developer Wastewater Contribution Levy. Voluntary Developer Contributions for Wastewater Infrastructure involves developers voluntarily paying to offset the costs of upgrading or replacing the wastewater infrastructure preventing new connections in the specific areas where they are unable to build. The Compulsory Developer Wastewater Contribution Levy involves the introduction of a compulsory wastewater levy, requiring a financial contribution from developers which would be used on prioritised needs basis across the whole of Northern Ireland, not just the areas where they directly benefit. In a statement, Minister Kimmins said the introducing developer contributions “would not alone present the funding needed” to address the issues with NI’s wastewater system, but described it as a “step forward.” SDLP infrastructure spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA criticised the plans, saying developer contributions are not “cost-neutral” and that “the cost will ultimately fall to those buying the homes and will push up prices across the board”.
What Next: The consultation closes on 27 June 2025. It can be accessed here.

SSE Airtricity closes its energy services in Northern Ireland
On Wednesday (19 March), SSE Airtricity announced that 55 jobs are at risk as it plans to close its energy services side of the business following “challenging trading”. The business has stated that the decision to “consult with staff” has followed several years of “financial losses” and a “lack of progress” in development of government policy supports for home retrofit. The director of SSE Airtricity Energy Services, Stuart Hobbs, said that SSE Airtricity Energy services NI is not sustainable in “current market conditions”. Mr Hobbs also confirmed the company’s commitment to “serving domestic and business customers in Northern Ireland”. BBC NI reports that its decision is partially motivated by the absence of a regional retrofit scheme in Northern Ireland.
What Next: The service closure only impacts the energy services part of the business. The other 275 jobs at SSE Airtricity’s NI business remain unaffected by this change.

Department of Finance: “Finance Minister @JohnODowdSF held an introductory meeting today with @NIFiscalCouncil members and Chair, Sir Robert Chote to hear more about their work, including their recently published assessment report of the Draft 2025-26 Budget. They also discussed ongoing work to legislate to place the Fiscal Council on a statutory footing in recognition of the important role they play in bringing greater transparency and independent scrutiny to public finances.”

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly: ”It is wonderful to have Their Majesties’ in Northern Ireland for a Royal Visit and to have the opportunity for a conversation with His Majesty, The King and to meet with Her Majesty, The Queen. I wish them all the very best for the rest of the trip!”

Robin Swann MP (UUP, South Antrim): “Addressing the EU-UK and internal UK trade barriers facing Northern Ireland as a result of the Windsor Framework requires “ruthless pragmatism” from both the EU and UK governments. Representing Northern Ireland at the EU-UK PPA this morning

Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole (SDLP, South Belfast): “The First Minister created an expectation that householders who suffered Storm Eowyn outages would be compensated. They will get nothing. But when I challenged her today, she didn’t seem to think there was any problem with government by warm words which go nowhere. There is.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla visit Northern Ireland
On Wednesday (19 March), HM King Charles III and HM Queen Camilla made an official visit to Northern Ireland. During their visit, the King and Queen met with First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly MLA at Hillsborough Castle. The King greeted the First Minister in Irish. Ms O’Neill said they spoke about “our shared respect for language, culture and identity” and “the importance of positive Irish and British relations”. The King and Queen visited Commercial Court and Sea Holly Gallery in Belfast, as well as attending a PSNI event. The King also met with Chairperson of east Belfast GAA Kimberley Robertson and representatives from the arts, tourism and hospitality. Also during her visit, the Queen visited a community centre in Lisburn which supports adult training learning

Communities Minister announces £153 million in FTC funding for Co-Ownership housing scheme
On Thursday (20 March), Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA announced that £153 million of Financial Transactions Capital (FTC) funding is to be provided to Co-Ownership (the regional provider of Shared Ownership in Northern Ireland). This addition funding is estimated to help 4,000 households buy their home, of which 1,200 will be new build, over the next four years. The increase in value limit has gone from £195,000 to £210,000 from 1 April 2025, with ambition of “increasing supply across all tenures”. The Minister stated that this extension of funding will “create opportunities in the new build market” and added that this announcement should “provide further confidence to the construction sector”. The Minister also added that this announcement contributes towards objectives in the Housing Supply Strategy Chief Executive of Co-Ownership Mark Graham added that the addition funding and increase of value limit positions shared ownership as a “solution to help people access affordable, sustainable and quality housing”.

Education Minister announced new Key Stage assessments
On Wednesday (19 March) Education Minister Paul Givan MLA announced new Key Stage assessments for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland. The assessments which will be taken by a sample of pupils, which will be used to identify national trends, will evaluate literacy and numeracy. The assessments will be introduced and delivered by the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments (CCEA). The Department noted that system-level sample assessments, such as these, are used in “many high-performing education systems”, such as Canada, USA, Finland, Japan and Singapore. Minister Givan commented that these assessments have been designed to “provide a clear, evidence-based understanding” of essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. The new assessments will begin in 2025-26 academic year for a three-year period and its findings will “support curriculum development and teacher professional learning”.

Fifth meeting of the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly takes place in Brussels
The UK delegation to the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) this week met with their EU counterparts, at the European Parliament in Brussels. On Monday, the PPA was addressed by Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, UK Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations who gave an update from the Partnership Council. On Tuesday, Robin Swann MP (UUP, South Antrim) spoke on EU-UK and internal UK trade barriers facing Northern Ireland, which he said need to be addressed with a “ruthless pragmatism”.

Junior Ministers welcome guests to Brussels
On Thursday (20 March) Junior Ministers Aisling Reilly MLA (SF, West Belfast) and Pam Cameron MLA (DUP, South Antrim) welcomed over 200 guests to the ‘Ulster Fry for St Patrick’s Day’ breakfast networking event at the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels. The event promotes Northern Ireland and is attended by representatives from the European Institutions, EU Member States, non-EU representatives based in Brussels and other stakeholders. Junior Minister Aisling Reilly MLA commented that the event was important in helping to “build contacts and networks” to navigate legislative developments impacting Northern Ireland. Junior Minister Pam Cameron MLA noted that the event showed that Northern Ireland is “open for investment and growth”.

Recent developments in Dáil speaking rights disputes
On Thursday (20 March), the Irish Times reported that recent plans to update changes to Dáil standing orders, which would create a new category of TDs known as ‘Other Members’, has been criticised as “brazen and outrageous” by opposition leaders. The changes would allow “backbenchers from Government parties”, as well as TDs from groups with at least five TDs to partake in new 8-minute long sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This would allow one TD to put questions to the Tánaiste or Taoiseach. Criticism has come from Opposition Leaders as, according to Acting Social Democrats Leader Cian O’Callaghan TD, the Government “refuse to facilitate a Dáil debate before a vote”. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD also criticised the Government, stating that the changes inhibit the Government from being held to account. In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Government Chief Whip said that the changes are “in recognition of the evolving nature” of the Dáil.

Government’s two-year housing target estimated to be missed by 6,000-9,000 
The Journal reports that two reports released this week have estimated the Government’s two year target of building 41,000 in 2025 and 43,000 in 2026 will be missed. The Banking & Payments Federation Ireland released its Housing Market Monitor for Q4 of 2024 which projected a shortfall of 9,000 in the Government’s 2025 target. This report suggests that “availability of land” and in turn, number of “planning permissions granted”, and the “availability of capital investment” are impacting housing targets. It also reported that Ireland’s spend on housing, in terms of national income, is the highest in the EU. Similarly, the Central Bank issued its first bulletin of 2025 and projected a shortfall of 6,000 for this year’s target. The bulletin suggests to “unlock such potential” in housing requires more “investable and sustainable construction sector”. Speaking on missed targets of high-rise buildings, Tánaiste Simon Harris MLAs said housing “predictions and projections are not an exact science”.

ESRI report highlights impact of tariffs on the domestic economy
On Friday (21 March), RTÉ News reported that a working paper by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Department of Finance showed that the domestic economy could decrease by 2% within the next 5-7 years if US tariffs are applied to EU goods. It also reported that non-tariff barriers, for example changes in regulatory requirements, could reduce the domestic economy by 1.5%. Regarding the “traded sector”, due to its heavy presence of pharmaceutical and technology companies, it is projected to be “disproportionally impacted” as it is strongly linked to the “global economy”. It is projected that this sector could see a 4% decline in production, compared to a 2% drop in the domestic economy. In response, Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe TD said that this report is an element of the Government’s “plan for all eventualities” and will focus on remaining competitive.

De Souza asks whether it is time to go beyond traditional governmental approaches to policy making
Emma De Souza writes in the Belfast Telegraph about the potential of citizens’ assemblies in Northern Ireland. She reports that 84 citizens were recruited to form a Citizens’ Forum on Housing, which produced 38 recommendation and created a “shared vision” in addressing the housing crisis in the region. Following the success of this initiative, De Souza asks whether “empowering communities” could be “key” in providing progress after “decades of political inertia” in Northern Ireland. She points to the prevalence of “deliberative democracy processes” in the UK and elsewhere in the world, citing examples in Melbourne and Paris where permanent citizens’ assemblies have been established. De Souza argues that the benefits of citizen involvement in are two fold – it can “deliver policy recommendations that have public buy-in and strengthen democracy through increased political participation”. Citizens’ assemblies, she suggests, could “prove particularly beneficial in Northern Ireland”, helping “promote a shared purpose that can help members of society struggling to overcome historical divisions and re-engage disenfranchised communities”. De Souza concludes that there are arguably “no candidates better suited to find solutions than those most affected”.

Monday 24 March 2025
Assembly Opposition Business: Motion: Ambulance Handovers; Funding for Childcare; The Green Energy Transition
Question Time: Infrastructure, Justice

Tuesday 25 March 2025
Question Time: Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Assembly Private Members’ Business: Hydrogen Innovation Strategy; Tackling the Financial and Societal Impacts of Division

Wednesday 26 March 2025
Assembly Committee for Infrastructure: Interim Regional Planning Commission – Oral Evidence; Impact of Regulatory Requirements on Wedding Cars Providers and Funeral Directors – Oral Evidence; NI Water’s Water Resource and Supply Resilience Plan – Written Evidence; Developer Contributions for Wastewater Infrastructure – Consultation – Written Evidence; Implementation Of The Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 – Consideration of Revised SL1’s – Written Evidence
Assembly Committee for the Executive Office: SR: Draft Regulations Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner (Northern Ireland) 2025

Wednesday 26 March 2025
AgendaNI Northern Ireland Housing Conference 2025, Europa Hotel, Belfast
Chancellor of the Exchequer to deliver Spring Statement 

Thursday 27 March 2025
Invest NI Powering Productivity Conference, La Mon Hotel, Belfast

Saturday 29 March 2025
TUV Party Conference, The Royal Hotel, Cookstown

Monday 7 April 2025
Consultation closing: Living with Water in Derry/Londonderry Draft Plan

Thursday 24 April 2025
Consultation closing: Increased socialisation of Connection Costs in Electricity Distribution [Department for the Economy]

Wednesday 14 May- Saturday 17 May 2025
Balmoral Show, Eikon Centre, Lisburn

June 2025
British Irish Council hosted by the NI Executive

Saturday, 20 September 2025
DUP Annual Conference