Brown O’Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead Week Commencing 27 June 2022

Forward Look                                

  • Conservative Party Chairman Oliver Dowden MP has resigned following the party’s by-election losses in Tiverton and Honiton and in Wakefield.

  • The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will have its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Monday.

  • The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will have its Committee Stage on Wednesday.

  • Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, will meet with Executive party leaders fortnightly to discuss a future Programme for Government.

  • Sinn Féin has accused Government parties in the Republic of Ireland of blocking moves to allow Northern Irish MPs and MLAs roles on special Oireachtas Committees.

  • Department of Finance Permanent Secretary, Neil Gibson, will have the power to approve spending decisions across every Executive department from 31 July.

  • The interim Ad-Hoc Health Committee will have its next meeting on 6 July.

  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP, announced the UK Government is preparing a programme to support integrated education in Northern Ireland.

  • Health Minister Robin Swann MLA announced a design plan for the future of hospital services will be published in autumn for consultation.

  • The Supreme Court will hear a case on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones)(Northern Ireland) Bill on 19 July.

  • UK inflation reached 9.1% in May. The Bank of England has warned it will rise to 11% this year.

  • Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said if the NI Protocol Bill becomes law, Ireland may face checks on its goods entering the EU single market.

  • Docs Ireland will take place from Wednesday 29 June – Sunday 3 July. View the programme here: LINK.

  • The Department for Infrastructure Consultation on the Planning IT System will close on Monday: LINK.

Other Stories this week

  • Jon Williams will step down from his role as Managing Director of News and Current Affairs at RTÉ in July.

  • Belfast Harbour reported a 17% increase in turnover and record levels of trade for 2021.

  • Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA published a Mobile Action Plan for Northern Ireland. It can be viewed here: LINK

  • The latest DVLA statistics have shown that Northern Ireland is the worst performing UK region for green energy.

  • Business consultant David Quinn was appointed Executive Director of Queen’s University’s Global Innovation Institution.

  • Justice David Barniville was nominated as Ireland’s High Court President.

Upcoming key political and business events

  • 30 June, Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards, Titanic Belfast

  • 21 July, House of Commons rises for Summer Recess

  • 29 – 30 September, Centre for Cross Border Studies’ Annual Conference

  • 21 October, Belfast Chamber Business Awards, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast

  • 4 – 5 November, Sinn Féin Ard Fheis

Consultations