Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 3 August 2020

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Forward Look

  • The Assembly summer recess began this week, with the first plenary session of the Autumn term expected to take place on Monday 7 September. The Executive plan to meet on the 6 and 20 August.

  • The North South Ministerial Council will meet in Dublin for the first time today since the collapse of the Assembly. Discussions are expected to include the different travel arrangements and the combined health effort against Covid-19.

  • Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon MLA, launched a review into special events legislation. Closing date for submissions is Thursday 24 September. To respond click HERE.

  • The Victim’s Commissioner, Judith Thompson, will not be reappointed by the Executive Office when her term ends at the end of August.

  • Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA, stated his intentions to open a public consultation on Minimum Alcohol Pricing in Northern Ireland within in the next year.

  • The Department of Health will issue the new strategy “Making Life Better – Preventing Harm & Empowering Recovery: A Strategic Framework to Tackle the Harm from Substance Use” for public consultation this autumn with the view to be fully operational in early 2021.

  • Communities Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín MLA, has reopened the Covid-19 Charities Fund from today. The funding programme, which is being administered by The National Lottery Community Fund, will provide financial support to charities which have lost income due to Covid-19. Closing date for submissions is 30 September.

  • The All-Party Groups on Autism and Congenital Heart Disease will both meet on Monday 3 August. The All-Party Group on Early Education and Childcare will meet on Thursday 13 August.

  • Former Deputy Director of the NI Bureau, Richard Cushnie, will lead the Racial Equality Legislation team in the Executive Office from August.

  • Ulster Unionist Councillor, Jim Montgomery has been named Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, with Cllr Noreen McClelland of the SDLP being appointed Deputy Mayor.

  • Jennifer Welsh has been named as the new Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. She had been Interim CEO since 2019.

  • The Centre for Cross Border Studies has announced the 21st Annual Conference will take place on Friday 25 September online. The themes of the conference are ‘Governance, Divergence and Convergence: Implementing the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, UK-wide frameworks and future international relations’, and ‘Healthy co-dependencies: Coordination across borders in response to Covid-19 and beyond Brexit’.

  • TEDxStormont continues its week-long virtual event today with a Main Stage talk from Ulster University Provost, Professor Karise Hutchinson, and former NI Secretary of State, Julian Smith MP ‘In Conversation’ with Sarah Travers. To register and for more information, follow the link.

  • BBC Radio Ulster Business Correspondent Leanna Byrne is set to move to BBC Radio 5Live to work on the Wake up to Money programme.

Other Stories this week

  • The Executive Committee (Functions) Bill passed through the Assembly with 58 votes to 13 and will now move for Royal Assent. 11 DUP MLAs abstained from voting, breaking the party whip. The Bill gives Ministers more direct power within their Departments without scrutiny.

  • The NI Executive announced any person travelling from Spain or Luxembourg into Northern Ireland must quarantine for 14 days following second waves.

  • The Department for Communities and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs announced the ‘Capital Covid-19 Recovery Revitalisation Scheme’, a £11m fund to support the regrowth of towns and cities.

  • The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michal McBride, extended the self-isolation period for those who tested positive for or exhibit Covid-19 symptoms from seven days to ten.

  • The Department of Education has announced the expert panel leading a review into educational underachievement. The panel is chaired by Dr Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis University College.

  • The ‘Stop Covid NI’ contact tracing app has been launched by Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA. To dowload the app click HERE

  • Virtual Féile an Phobail began yesterday and will close on Sunday 9 August. Speakers include Noam Chomsky, David McWilliams and Yanis Varoufakis. To view the programme of events click HERE.

Consultations