Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 6 September 2021

Updated Twitter Card 1.jpg

Forward Look

  • The Executive is expected to meet next week for further discussions on Covid-19 measures. Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA has said they must now set a path for the removal of all restrictions.

  • The Northern Ireland Assembly returns from Summer Recess on Monday 6 September. The first Plenary Sitting will take place on Monday 13.

  • MPs will return to Westminster on Monday 6 September.

  • Nominations for the two Sinn Fein Assembly seats in Foyle will close on Sunday 5 September. A selection convention will be held in the city on September 8, with those expected to take their Assembly seats by September 13.

  • Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has held a series of talks with political and business leaders in Belfast and Newry, dominated by post-Brexit arrangements and Covid recovery. DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP urged Mr Varadkar to take a fresh approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

  • PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne is facing calls to resign following the publication of the South Armagh Policing Review which contained 50 recommendations, including the closure of Crossmaglen police station within five years.

  • A public inquiry in relation to the clinical practice of a consultant urologist in the Southern Health Trust will begin on Monday 6 September, led by Christine Smith QC.

  • Mike Nesbitt MLA will brief the Finance Committee on the Defamation Bill on Wednesday, ahead of its Second Reading.

  • The Health Committee will receive briefings from the Department of Health on the Health and Social Care and Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bills on Thursday.

  • The Communities Committee will receive a briefing from NIPSO on a review of Personal Independence Payments. Department officials will also brief MLAs on the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill.

  • The DAERA Committee will receive oral evidence from the Federation of Small Businesses on the Climate Change No.1 Bill.

  • The Irish Cabinet has agreed a plan to end most Covid-19 restrictions by 22 October. A phased return to the workplace will begin on 20 September, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed hopes that all legal requirements to provide proof of vaccination to access indoor hospitality will be removed on 22 October.

  • The Republic of Ireland has assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of September.

Other Stories this week

  • The Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan has been sworn into office as Lady Chief Justice for Northern Ireland. Former Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan retired this week after more than a decade at the helm.

  • Jayne Brady has taken up her position as Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

  • Paul Narain has replaced Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau as the United States Consul General to Northern Ireland.

  • The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme for people severely and permanently injured during the conflict opened for applications this week.

  • Education Minister Michelle McIlveen MLA has announced a £21m investment in special schools. The funds will benefit 17 schools with 61 additional classes, the recruitment of approximately 60 additional teachers and 145 additional classroom assistants.

  • A Pharmacy Collect service to enable individuals to collect rapid Covid-19 tests from 420 selected community pharmacies has launched.

  • The latest LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph has revealed a decline in support for the DUP to 13%. The poll placed Sinn Fein on 25%, the UUP on 16%, the TUV on 14% and the DUP, Alliance and SDLP each on 13%.

  • The Centre for Democracy and Peace Building has welcomed 24 mid-career political and civil leaders to the inaugural Fellowship programme.

  • IFTA-winning film WILDFIRE, brought to the screens by Wildcard Distribution, has launched in cinemas across Northern Ireland.

Upcoming key political and business events

Consultations