Stormont Ministers agree programme for government


Brendan Hughes and Jayne McCormack

BBC News NI

Liam McBurney/PA First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings in the Stormont estate, BelfastLiam McBurney/PA

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly

The Stormont Executive has agreed a long-awaited programme for government, BBC News NI understands.

A virtual meeting of ministers lasted about 40 minutes on Thursday morning, a day after plans to agree the document were pulled at the last minute.

The first and deputy first ministers are expected to do a press conference later on Thursday.

The document will have to be delivered to the assembly first on Monday before it can be published to the wider public.

It is understood the document contains a number of targets alongside the executive’s nine main priorities.

Taoiseach visit cancelled

Meanwhile a visit by the taoiseach Micheál Martin to Belfast today has been postponed.

He was due to visit Stormont for the first time since being re-elected taoiseach last month.

The Irish government said that the meeting has been pulled due to a schedule change.

When was the last programme for government agreed?

It has been some time since a Stormont executive agreed a finalised programme for government.

The last time an executive managed to get one over the line was during the assembly’s fourth term between 2011 and 2015.

One was also agreed in 2016 and went out to public consultation.

But before it could be passed, the power-sharing institutions collapsed following the resignation of then Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.



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