NORTHERN IRELAND
In a new development in the Northern Ireland Government crisis, business groups are urging the UK’s Secretary of State for the Province, Karen Bradley (pictured) to grant Public Servants more powers in the absence of an Executive.
In an unprecedented call to action, organisations ranging from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry are appealing to Ms Bradley to “restore stable governance”.
They say she should enact special legislative measures to temporarily empower senior PS staff to take crucial day-to-day decisions while there is still no functioning Government in the Province.
The move comes after a judicial review last month overturned a decision by the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Infrastructure last year to grant planning permission to a controversial waste incinerator.
The business groups say they have engaged with Executive Departments for more than a year to request policy direction and help them make decisions.
They say the judicial review’s decision to overturn the incinerator’s planning permission has now called into question the ability of PS staff to make decisions.
Chair of the CBI’s Northern Ireland Infrastructure Forum, Adrian Doran said the business community’s overwhelming priority remained the return of an inclusive, devolved Government.
“But without a political resolution in sight, it is only right that we request that the Secretary of State explore all alternative options,” Mr Doran said.
“Policy paralysis is not acceptable, and we must all look for ways to remove the current handbrake on local economic and social progress.”
Belfast, 30 May 2018
