11 January 2026
The SDLP Opposition has formally proposed new powers for Stormont’s fiscal watchdog to monitor whether Executive Budgets are delivering on the Programme for Government amid widespread criticism of the lacklustre draft multi-year Budget proposed last week.
The amendment to the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council Bill would require the watchdog to report on whether Budgets were delivering against published Executive Programmes for Government.
The proposal comes as the Assembly returns for the final full year before the end of the mandate, with Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole warning that the Executive was running of time to deliver any meaningful change – and the public was running out of patience and confidence.
As well as the underwhelming launch of the multi-year Budget, the Executive is struggling to pass even its modest legislative promises, with important measures like the Economy’s Minister’s Good Jobs Bill and the Justice Minister’s hate crime provisions (part of the promised Sentencing Bill) still unpublished.
The Opposition’s new proposed amendment is part of longstanding efforts to improve accountability and delivery in local politics, and combat the crisis in confidence in devolved politics.
South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole said:
“Executive parties and their Ministers accepted office and promised delivery, but have delivered precious little for the public in the north. We have just over a year left of the current mandate and with the Assembly returning tomorrow we have not one single piece of legislation on the order paper for the next fortnight.
“Vital legislation like the Good Jobs Bill and actions to tackle hate crime as part of the Sentencing Bill remain in limbo. Ministers are quick to crow about the impact these measures will have, we see them promoting it on their social media and in local communities, they should be getting on with delivering it.
“Last week we saw the Sinn Féin Finance Minister bring forward a draft multi-year Budget after much anticipation. Within hours it was rejected by every other Executive party and its future is uncertain. Even if it was to succeed this unambitious ghost Budget bears little resemblance to the Executive’s PFG commitments and fails to get to grips with the substantive issues facing Northern Ireland.
“But it doesn’t have to be like this. The SDLP Opposition has submitted amendments to the upcoming NI Fiscal Council Bill to establish how Executive spending is aligned with PFG commitments and to leave Ministers with nowhere to hide when it comes to their failure to deliver.”