Chris Heaton-Harris to extend Stormont Executive formation deadline to Feast of Immaculate Conception

The Secretary of State for the north is to set a preliminary deadline of December 8 to allow progress on negotiations between the British Government and the European Commission over the Irish Protocol of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr. Heaton-Harris confirmed he will introduce legislation to allow the Stormont parties space to form an Executive by the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

If no Executive is formed by that date, there will be the option of extending the deadline for the formation of a power-sharing government again until January 19.

“I will be introducing legislation to provide a short, straightforward extension to the period for Executive formation, extending the current period by six weeks to December 8 with a potential for a further six week extension to January 19 if necessary.

“This aims to create the time and space needed for talks between the UK government and the European Commission to develop and for the NI parties to work together to restore the devolved institutions as soon as possible,” he stated.

He said that in the meantime civil servants will be given the power to make limited decisions to ensure public services continue.

“As I stand here....the NI Executive has no ministers in post. This means no ministers to make choices that deliver the public services people rely on, to react to the budgetary pressures facing schools, hospitals and other key services, to deliver the energy support payments that have been made available by this government to people across the rest of the UK.

“Before leaving his post the NI Finance Minister highlighted a £660m in-year budget black hole but there are no ministers in the Executive to address this.

“As civil servants do not have the legal authority to tackle these issues in the absence of an Executive, I must take limited but necessary steps to protect NI's public finances and the delivery of public services.

“So, as has been done before, the legislation I introduce will also enable NI Departments to support public service delivery, make a small number of vital public appointments, like to the NI Policing Board and address the serious budgetary concerns I have already mentioned,” he stated.

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