4 May 2026
The Northern Ireland Fiscal Council would be given substantial new powers to assess how well the Executive is delivering its Programme for Government if the Assembly passes SDLP amendments to the Fiscal Council Bill tabled for debate on Tuesday.
The Opposition has tabled a series of amendments to the Bill which establishes the spending watchdog in law. As well as amendments which would require the Fiscal Council to assess delivery against Programme for Government targets, Opposition amendments would also allow the Fiscal Council to assess the economic impacts of Executive decisions, such as impacts on employment, growth or productivity.
Additionally, the SDLP has tabled an amendment which would require the Fiscal Council to examine the cost of duplication of public services in Northern Ireland - the so-called 'cost of division'.
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA said:
"These amendments are the SDLP Opposition delivering what we meant when we talked about constructive Opposition. These amendements, if successful, could 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. 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."