New powers sought for NI fiscal watchdog to scrutinise Executive policy

Stormont’s fiscal watchdog would be given new powers to monitor spending in an effort to “force a change in culture” under plans proposed by the opposition.

The Northern Ireland Fiscal Council would be established in law and required to assess delivery of the Executive’s Programme for Government under a series of amendments to the Fiscal Council Bill that will be debated on Tuesday.

These would allow the Fiscal Council to assess the economic impacts of Executive decisions, such as impacts on employment, growth or productivity and require them to examine the cost of duplication of public services in Northern Ireland.

The body has been critical of financial management at Stormont in the past, warning earlier this year that the Executive needs to “address the underlying causes of overspending”.

SDLP MLA and Stormont Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole said too often targets are “left unmet” and budgets are “completely unaligned” to stated goals.

He said if the amendments are successful it would “mark a step change in how we make and scrutinise policy in Northern Ireland”.

“We know that Programmes for Government, on the occasions they are even agreed, are often full of waffle, and when there are targets they are left unmet and crucially, Budgets are often completely unaligned to stated Executive targets,” he said.

“Our amendments would help to force a change in that culture.

“We are also proposing powers to ensure Executive policy is scrutinised for its impact on jobs and the real economy rather than simply its cost, as well as assessing the cost of a divided society which holds us back and wastes money on the duplication of services.

“These are real, substantive legal changes which would give the Fiscal Council powers that could radically improve our policy debate and public scrutiny.

“If Executive parties are serious about delivery, and we have seen little to suggest they are, they must back these amendments tomorrow.”