What is in Stormont’s new Programme for Government?

Stormont’s new Programme for Government has set targets of building more than 5,000 new social homes and treating an additional 70,000 hospital patients by 2027.

The 100-page document also says the Executive will aim to increase renewable electricity capacity by 40% within the current Assembly mandate and progress a plan for speeding up the justice system.

The Programme for Government (PFG), which was agreed by ministers in the powersharing Executive last week, will be published later on Monday.

The document, seen by the PA news agency, is called Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most and pledges to keep the public informed on progress by publishing annual reports.

The PFG sets out three key missions – people, planet and prosperity – with an underpinning cross-cutting commitment to peace.

It also highlights nine policy areas, entitled Doing What Matters Most Today, that the coalition will prioritise in the remainder of the mandate. They are:

– Grow a globally competitive and sustainable economy;

– Deliver more affordable, accessible, high-quality early learning and childcare;

– Cut health waiting times;

– End violence against women and girls;

– Better support children and young people with special educational needs;

– Provide more social, affordable and sustainable housing;

– Make communities safer;

– Protect Lough Neagh and the environment;

– Reform and transform of public services.

In their joint foreword, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly say: “This Programme for Government is all about tackling those big issues.

“Working with our colleagues in the Executive, we have agreed a set of ambitious priorities which will make real improvements across society both today and in the years ahead.

“We know there are challenges. We are working in a reduced mandate and there is not enough funding to meet the needs of people here.

“Our public finances and services are under pressure.”

They add: “We will continue to work together, speaking with one voice when engaging with the UK Government, to ensure a sustainable funding model in the future.”

The PFG then sets out its target for each priority area.

– Grow a globally competitive and sustainable economy. The plan says that by the end of the current Northern Ireland Assembly mandate, the Executive will have supported industry to increase renewable electricity capacity by 40% and considered an Employment Rights Bill for introduction.

– Deliver more affordable, accessible, high-quality early learning and childcare. The PFG says by the end of the mandate there will be a comprehensive Executive agreed Early Learning and Childcare Strategy in place, delivering “improved outcomes for children and parents”.

– Cut health waiting times. The strategy says the Executive will invest up to £135 million a year to reduce waiting lists by treating an additional 70,000 patients and a further £80 million a year to increase elective care capacity through “expansion of elective care centres and mega-clinics”.

– End violence against women and girls. The document says by the end of the mandate a minimum of 100,000 programme participants will have been engaged in the VAWG strategy. It says there will have been three awareness-raising campaigns, and “our society will have significantly increased understanding and awareness of issues and will know how to take action to prevent violence against women and girls”.

– Better support children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). The target for 2027 is to have a “comprehensive Executive-agreed SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan in place, delivering improved outcomes for children with SEN, their families and the education workforce who support them”.

– Provide more social, affordable and sustainable housing. By the end of the mandate, the plan says work will have started on at least 5,850 new-build social homes.

– Make communities safer. The plan sets a target of progressing a “Speeding Up Justice Programme and have an Executive-agreed approach to reducing offending and reoffending, contributing to delivering improved outcomes for those who engage with the justice system”.

– Protect Lough Neagh and the environment. The PFG says the Executive will deliver the actions in the Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan by 2027.

– Reform and transform public services. The plan says the Executive will by 2027 “have successfully delivered a range of service improvements across the Executive’s priority areas and commenced digital transformation”.

The document states the Executive has faced “significant challenges in setting a budget for 2024/25 and the financial position remains very difficult”.

It continues: “Departments are facing tough decisions to manage their budgets and live within their funding allocations.

“Furthermore, while we would like to work to a multi-year budget, the Executive’s overall budget envelope is set by Treasury as part of its Spending Review.

“We know that for 2024/25 and for 2025/26 we must work within single-year funding envelopes.

“This year, we had to agree a 2024/25 budget ahead of the Programme for Government to make sure departments had the certainty needed to run public services.”

The PFG concludes: “The Executive will work together to develop and agree detailed policies as we move to delivery.

“We will keep you updated by publishing annual reports on the progress we are making.

“This will show that meaningful progress is being made to deliver the projects and programmes included in the Programme for Government.”