Reform
Progress is promised on reforming education and local government after long delays.
Apart from health and libraries, the last Assembly term was largely a missed opportunity for “Delivering High Quality and Efficient Public Services”. The draft Programme for Government’s reform plans, under that title, will be judged on whether education and local government are streamlined.
Social clauses are due to be the first achievement of reform, introduced in 2012-2013.
The most tangible benefit should be better access to life-enhancing drugs. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis (a skin condition) are prioritised. DHSSPS officials have previously delayed their dispensing, citing financial reasons, resulting in more hardship for Northern Ireland patients.
Executive parties plan to agree the post-2015 structures of government in 2012 (as the UUP suggested) despite a previous commitment to review that by 2011. Major changes will also depend on amending the Northern Ireland Act 1998 at Westminster.
OFMDFM cannot confirm whether the public will be consulted. Members of the public, though, can lobby MLAs on the Assembly and Executive Review Committee at any stage.
Peter Hain’s seven-council model, unveiled in November 2005, was due to take shape in May 2009. Executive ministers compromised on 11 councils and rescheduled elections for May 2011, although plans fell apart over boundaries and costings. Under the new plan, those elections are expected in June 2014, with the new councillors taking office in May 2015.
The 11-council commitment was passed by the DUP, Sinn Féin and Alliance. The SDLP and UUP still aim for 15, claiming that these would be more local, mean less gerrymandering and save money. Eleven councils appear cheaper but would mean more severance payments for senior officials.
The education and skills authority (ESA) was also announced in November 2005, with an April 2008 deadline, and then put back to April 2009 by the new Executive. Its future became embroiled in the education dispute between Sinn Féin and the DUP, and fears that the main Protestant churches (transferors) would lose their influence.
Eight bodies will be merged into the new authority: the four education and library boards, their staff commission, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Youth Council. The futures of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, and the Education and Training Inspectorate are still to be decided. Most other education bodies will see little change.
Its 20-member board will have eight seats for political representatives (allocated by d’Hondt), eight for the main churches and four filled by Education Minister appointees. The Chair will also be appointed by the Minister.
Sectoral support bodies will be set up for the controlled sector (a first) and Catholic maintained sector (replicating CCMS) to protect their ethos. Legislation is due to be completed by July 2012, with aim of setting up the ESA in April 2013.
An increase in online services will build on the NI Direct website and also ensure continuity as public sector jobs are cut. The DUP says that car tax renewal, all public sector job adverts and all benefit applications should be available online, and (along with the UUP) suggests a pilot for broadcasting court cases.
