Northern Ireland Protocol Update: 04.06.2021

• This morning RTE’s Tony Connelly has reported that the EU is growing pessimistic about the prospects of a breakthrough on how the NI Protocol will be implemented. Figures have told him that the meeting of the EU-UK Joint Committee will be a showdown over the UK’s continued sniping against the Protocol. Full article: HERE

• Senior British government sources have told RTE that technical discussions around the Protocol have resulted in definite progress on just two of the 30 areas of disagreement. Full story: HERE

• EU Commission Vice President Maros Defcovic rejected an accusation that the EU is using NI to punish the UK over Brexit. This comment came after DUP leader Edwin Poots said that NI was being used as a “plaything” on Andrew Marr on Sunday.

• Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots announced his decided to stop travel checks on pets required by NI Protocol. Full statement: HERE

• Department for the Economy is carrying out work on the “potential attractiveness” of the NI Protocol to inward investors. The details are contained in an outline trade and investment strategy produced by the department.

• Lord Frost met several business and community representatives throughout the week in Northern Ireland. After these meetings he called on the EU to show common sense.

• SDLP delegation led by Colum Eastwood MP met with Lord Forst. Speaking after the meeting Claire Hanna MP called for Lord Frost to look to the opportunities of dual market access.

• Brandon Lewis MP and Lord Frost wrote an Editorial piece in the Belfast Telegraph on the Protocol on Thursday. In the article there was a slight softening as both admitted they have seen the “possibilities and problems in recent weeks”. Full article: HERE

• The DUP did not nominate a minister to attend a NSMC Language meeting on Wednesday. Minister Hargey announced on Wednesday night that she will be seeking legal advice on the matter.

• DUP leader Edwin Poots alongside Paul Givan MLA met the Taoiseach on Thursday. The protocol and a possible veterinary agreement between the UK and EU were discussed.

• Campaign to fund NI Protocol Judicial Review has raised just over a third of its £150,000 target. The fundraiser was launched at the end of last month with the aim of £150,00 in 30 days. That deadline was extended by another 30 days on Friday after donations reached £61,325.

• Former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony Gardner said that President Biden must clarify to the UK the importance the US places on the Good Friday Agreement and the Protocol before the G7 Summit.

Washington Ireland Program launches largest ever 2021 Class featuring over 100 diverse young leaders

(L-R) Jonathan Forbes, Student at Belfast Metropolitan College; Louise Ward Hunter, CEO at Belfast Metropolitan College; Glen McMahon, International Manager at Belfast Metropolitan College; Kelly Welsh, Student at Belfast Metropolitan College; Hannah Rooney, WIP Program Associate; Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, U.S. Consul General; Jack William Bresland, Student at Belfast Metropolitan College

Washington Ireland Program launches largest ever 2021 Class featuring over 100 diverse young leaders

Over 100 young leaders from across Northern Ireland and Ireland have been selected for the Washington Ireland Program’s largest ever Class, which launches today.

The prestigious Ireland-US leadership development programme usually involves 30 third-level education students per year. Making the best of current circumstances, the Program has expanded to 108 and, for the first time, also includes students with caring responsibilities who would not usually travel to the United States and those studying part-time courses.

Since 1995, the Washington Ireland Program (WIP) has enabled over 750 young leaders across the island of Ireland to work in the likes of the US Congress and Senate while staying with an American host family in Washington D.C. and New York City.

Previous students have interned in the offices of then Senators Barack Obama, John McCain and Hillary Clinton. Prior to arrival at the White House, the Program has been applauded by President Joe Biden in 2016 as an example of the “special” relationship between Ireland and America and praised by the House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019.

The Program seeks students who demonstrate leadership potential, have a strong track record of service, and are committed to build a bright future for the island of Ireland. Notable Program alums include the Tánaiste and former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD and prominent Stormont representatives including Claire Sugden MLA, Matthew O’Toole MLA, and Chris Lyttle MLA.

A range of business leaders, including Molly Muldoon, Senior Director at the global marketing agency Wunderman Thompson, Co-Founder and CEO of Wayflyer, Aidan Corbett, and Kieran O’Connor, Vice President of Operations at Options Technology, have also taken part in the Program.

The Class of 2021 will not travel state-side but will engage in a hybrid programme of work placements with prestigious international companies, learn from WIP’s renowned leadership development curriculum, and meet with senior global leaders in Dublin and Belfast before graduating in September. The diversity of the 2021 Class reflects the Program’s continued commitment to support and develop students from all backgrounds across Northern Ireland and Ireland.

This follows the success of the Program’s first ever virtual programme held last year, where 30 students graduated without setting foot in the United States. Using Zoom, students were given the exclusive opportunity to engage with leading figures in American politics including Jen O’Malley Dillon, President Joe Biden’s 2020 Campaign Manager, who is now Deputy Chief of Staff in the White House. They also spoke with Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle, whose father is from Donegal, a member of the House Committee for Foreign Affairs and Adrian Jones, a leading figure on Wall Street and Chairman of the Goldman Sachs’ global equity business.

Recent appointments to the Board of the Washington Ireland Program, which oversees its work in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and America, include the immediate Past President of the DC Bar, Susan Hoffman, as Chair, and leading women in American politics and former CEOs of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Amy Dacey and Jess O’Connell as Directors. Belfast-based Women’s Sector Lobbyist, Rachel Powell, has also joined the Program’s Board.

The 2021 Class includes students from Further Education Colleges such as the Belfast Metropolitan College and Universities across the UK and Ireland. Among this year’s Class is a Nigerian-born solicitor studying in Dublin City University, a City Councillor studying in Lancaster University, and a victim’s support campaigner studying at Queen’s University Belfast.

Bryan Patten, Executive Director of the Washington Ireland Program, said:

“We are thrilled to launch the WIP Class of 2021 today, the largest and most diverse in the Program’s history. The last year has posed unprecedented challenges for our young people especially, and the disruption posed to their lives has been significant. Each of the 100-strong Class of 2021 are committed, inspirational students determined to make a positive change in their communities, and I commend them on their fantastic applications.”

“The 2021 programme will see students connect with global leaders in business, diplomacy and politics both virtually and in Dublin and Belfast. Despite being unable to travel to the United States, this year’s Class can still work for leading global companies on a remote basis, gaining invaluable experience for their future careers. The diverse group will also work on developing policy proposals tackling pressing issues facing Northern Ireland and Ireland. We will have some of our brightest young minds thinking about how we address division and build social cohesion, how we create employment for young people after the pandemic and how we become a global leader in climate issues.”

“This year’s Class features those from all social, economic, and cultural backgrounds and reflects the next generation of leaders on the island of Ireland. I am privileged to welcome these incredible students to the WIP community, and I look forward to see them grow over the course of a busy summer.”

Class of 2021 member, Kelly Welsh, a business student at Belfast Metropolitan College, has said:

“I am delighted to have been chosen for the Washington Ireland Program’s Class of 2021 and feel privileged to be joining the accomplished and diverse WIP community. What drew me to apply for WIP was the opportunity to have my voice heard on major issues both here and in the United States. I look forward to meeting and learning from my fellow classmates, and together I believe we can truly invoke change throughout our communities for the better.”

Glen McMahon, International Manager at Belfast Metropolitan College, added:

“We are absolutely delighted to be the first Further Education College in Northern Ireland to be a part of the Washington Ireland Program and we are very excited to see what the future holds for our students and this outstanding partnership.”

Lord Frost welcomed to Foyle Port during visit to North West

Reacting to the engagement with Lord Frost today at Foyle Port, Chair, Bonnie Anley said:

“This was a welcome opportunity to convey the importance of streamlined trading arrangements and to show the development potential of Foyle Port to Lord Frost and his team.” 

Lord Frost with Foyle Port Harbour Master Bill McCann

“We need political stability to both keep existing trade and attract new investment into this cross-border region. Our discussions focussed on ensuring the refinement of the NI Protocol and the post Brexit potential of a Northern Ireland Freeport. Freeport designation for Foyle Port, as part of the Government’s national levelling up policy across the UK, will allow us to maximise our strategic location.”

CEO of Foyle Port, Brian McGrath and Chair of Foyle Port, Bonnie Anley with Lord Frost

“The location of Foyle Port gives us a unique opportunity to be a business gateway to the UK, Europe and the rest of the trading world and is a prime location for an innovative trading zone. This will supplement the recent positive announcements on the likes of the North West City Deal.”

'Let's harness digital technology in response to the pandemic' writes Rebecca Walsh ahead of BelTech 2021

Rebecca Walsh, Design Director at Big Motive

Writing in the Belfast News Letter ahead of BelTech 2021, Design Director at Big Motive Rebecca Walsh discusses how we must harness digital technology in response to the pandemic.

When lockdown was first introduced in Northern Ireland at the end of March 2020, it was evident that the world was about to change, but nobody knew how. It was a time of anxiety and panic – people lost their jobs, 200,000 workers in Northern Ireland were furloughed, contracts were cancelled and whole industries have been sidelined since. For many businesses, technology has been one of the only ways forward.

There is no doubt that the pandemic accelerated the pace of our digital transformation - particularly in education, retail and healthcare. Be it homeschooling or zoom catch ups, every one of us embraced our screens and devices.

Moving forward, Northern Ireland has the capability to transform itself with the help of our world-class technological infrastructure. Despite a challenging period for almost all areas of business, the digital and technological sectors here took huge strides forward, spurred by the pandemic, that present opportunities for reform across health and local government.

We hear day in and day out how GP services are drowning against a tidal wave of demand while the wait for a consultant led appointment continues to grow. That is the sad reality of how COVID-19 has exasperated our health crisis, leaving a situation with potentially catastrophic outcomes. But as with the pandemic, there are solutions to be found where you would least expect them.

From bringing one of Europe’s first digital responses to the pandemic to the public’s fingertips in a mere 12 days, to creating the UK’s first functioning contact-tracing app, the technologists at work in our very own capital city spearheaded the digital response to COVID-19.

A strategic design company based in Belfast, our team at Big Motive entered a truly unique partnership with the Department of Health and a cast of expert collaborators in spring 2020. With a citizen-centred approach at the forefront, we set out to create an accessible digital service to provide COVID-19 advice while shielding the capacity of GP services.

At almost 200,000 downloads to date, COVIDCare NI has led to a dramatic reduction in calls and visits to healthcare professionals while freeing up medical staff to help critical patients in need of urgent attention.

Two further intensive design processes led to the development of StopCOVID NI, the world’s first COVID app to operate across national borders, and a uniquely adapted system for use among teenagers.

Using multi-disciplinary teams and focusing on citizen-centred design, these innovations allowed the Department of Health to fight back against a raging virus. Though families have undoubtedly been ravaged by sickness and loss, the pandemic brought countless opportunities for advancement right across the technological landscape.

Our story is of progressing the fight against coronavirus through collaboration and community support. It displays how technology can combat a life-threatening virus.

A sector on the cusp of huge advancements, the local tech community will unite to share innovative stories like this at BelTech 2021.

Returning with its traditional deep dive into Software Engineering, BelTech 2021 will also focus on Digital Product Delivery, an addition which I have been privileged to curate in light of developments throughout the pandemic.

The conference that unites technologists and business leaders from across the country, BelTech 2021 will challenge, celebrate and inspire an explosion of activity when we broadcast virtually on June 10 and 11.

To find out more about BelTech 2021 visit: www.beltech.co

Londonderry Chamber welcomes creation of 100 new Almac jobs in North West

Londonderry Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin

Reacting to the announcement of the creation of up to 100 new jobs in the North West with Almac Group, Londonderry Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin said:

“This is excellent news for the North West’s regional economy, especially at a time of severe economic difficulty. High skilled, quality jobs like these will be crucial as we seek to recover from the pandemic and rebuild our economy. Almac is one of Northern Ireland’s most well-known and successful indigenous companies and is now globally renowned in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, manufacturing, and clinical services.

“The creation of 100 new jobs in these fields at this time is a massive boost for our regional economy as it recovers from the effects of the pandemic. Almac’s decision to establish a new base in the North West also reflects our region’s growing reputation in sectors such as diagnostics, health and life sciences, tech, AI, and robotics, and complements the recent Derry and Strabane City Deal announcement. Inward investment and job creation like this will drive economic growth in the North West and will be vital as we rebuild post-lockdown.”

Further Education Colleges launch new Traineeship and Advanced Technical Awards

(Left to Right): Further Education students Shannon Neilly, Aimee McWilliams, Juvaldino Baretto and Adenike Yisa lawal.

The six regional Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland, with the support of the Department for the Economy, have launched a new system of vocational learning focused on building a skilled workforce.

The Advanced Technical Award and Traineeships will help school leavers acquire new professional and technical skills in a range of vocational sectors.

The awards aim to address the growing skills gap in Northern Ireland and provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills for entering the world of work, as well as opportunities to progress to further study, including Higher Level Education.

The new awards are available in a wide range of disciplines such as IT, Health and Social Care, Applied Science, Construction, Engineering and Business and Finance.

The Level 2 Traineeship will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed by employers and permits movement across to Apprenticeships and progression to Further Education.

The new Advanced Technical Award at Level 3 has been designed to meet the needs of industry and includes a 3 A-level equivalent qualification, industry related project work, skills development and a component of work-based learning. 

The new vocational awards will give learners the chance to gain meaningful experience in the workplace, as well as offering progression pathways to Higher Level Apprenticeships and Higher Level Education in College or University.

Chair of the College Principals’ Group, Ken Webb said:

“We are excited to launch these two new awards at a time of enormous change in both our economy and wider society. Now more than ever, people are assessing their options and looking for careers that work for them and that offer long-term opportunities and the chance to progress. We know that currently, thousands of our young people are studying in Great Britain rather than studying locally. This brain drain impacts our economy significantly because many of those people do not return home, leaving a growing skills gap in Northern Ireland that employers are finding difficult to fill. We want young people locally to understand that there are many more routes to promising careers in areas like accountancy, healthcare, engineering and IT.”

Former student of North West Regional College, Katie Durey said:

“Going to College was the best decision I ever made. When I was planning for my future after school, I was quite unsure as to what path I wanted to take and felt that university was not the right place for me at that stage. Doing my Extended Diploma Level 3 at North West opened my eyes to what was possible through my local College. I studied Health Sciences and now have an offer to study Paramedic Science at university. The skills I gained at North West, as well as the confidence it has given me in choosing the right career path are priceless.”

John Harkin, Founder and CEO of Alchemy Technology Services said: 

“Industry relies on local Further Education Colleges for that steady pipeline of skilled people entering the Northern Ireland workforce. The biggest advantage to the Colleges is that they can respond quickly to shifting demands and our ongoing relationship with them means they understand exactly what we need. The courses are designed with industry in mind. It is hugely reassuring to see that the Colleges are determined to play an integral role in growing a skilled workforce in Northern Ireland and responding to changes in industry after a turbulent 18 months.”

Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 31 May 2021

Forward Look

• The DUP’s Executive has formally ratified Edwin Poots MLA as Party Leader and Paula Bradley MLA as Deputy Leader. According to the News Letter’s Sam McBride, Edwin Poots MLA was ratified by 72 votes to 28. A reshuffle of the DUP ministerial team is expected to be announced on Tuesday with multiple media outlets stating Paul Givan MLA is to become the new First Minister, Deputy Leader Paula Bradley MLA to become Junior Minister, Paul Frew MLA as Economy Minister, and Michelle McIlveen MLA to become Education Minister.

• The Ulster Unionist Party Council has also confirmed Doug Beattie MLA as Party Leader and Robbie Butler MLA as Deputy Leader. A reshuffle of senior party and committee positions took place earlier in the week with Mike Nesbitt MLA moving to the Economy Committee, John Stewart MLA becoming Deputy Chair of the Executive Office Committee, and Andy Allen MLA appointed as Deputy Chief Whip.

• Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA has launched a skills strategy for Northern Ireland with focus on increasing further education qualifications in technical and professional skills and rebalancing higher education towards STEM. A Skills Council will be also established to bring together leaders in business, government and education to support skills development.

• New legislation to reform Northern Ireland’s gambling laws will be brought forward by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA before the Assembly’s summer recess.

• Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA has confirmed that he will bring forward an alternative Climate Change Bill in due course. Clare Bailey’s Private Members’ Bill, supported by all parties except the DUP, has been given an extension to its Committee Stage until 17 December 2021.

• The First Stage of the Financial Reporting (Departments and Public Bodies) Bill (NI) is expected to take place in the Assembly next week. The bill would allow the Department of Finance to issue directions to other departments as to how accounts and budget estimates are supplied.

• The Health Committee has agreed to give consideration to an inquiry into waiting lists in Northern Ireland. A document outlining the potential inquiry’s terms of reference is to be developed over the coming weeks.

• Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD is expected to announce today a further easing of restrictions as the Irish Government unveils its plans for June and July. Phased relaxations in all key sectors, particularly aviation and hospitality will be outlined. The next major review of NI’s restrictions will take place on Thursday 10 June.

• The Assembly will sit on Tuesday next week. Question Time will take place for The Executive Office and the Communities Minister.

• On Wednesday, the Infrastructure Committee will receive a briefing from Bus & Coach NI, while the Economy Committee will consider the Skills Strategy Consultation. The Executive Office Committee will receive oral briefings on the Urban Villages Strategy and consider a motion on Historical Institutional Abuse.

• On Thursday, the Communities Committee will receive a briefing on the High Street Task Force.

• On Monday, Alliance Councillor Kate Nicholl will take office as Lord Mayor of Belfast and the DUP’s Graham Warke will become Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council.

• Further Education NI, the representative body for all six of NI’s Further Education Colleges, will launch its ‘FE for Me’ Campaign virtually on Wednesday 2 June.

• The launch of the new GB News channel will take place on Sunday 13 June.

Other Stories this week

• The Budget 2021-22 was formally approved by the Assembly this week. According to Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP has said he intends to revert back to multi-year budgets from the next Spending Review.

• The SDLP’s Sinéad Bradley MLA (South Down) has announced she will stand down ahead of the next Assembly Election. Potential replacements include former MLA Karen McKevitt and the party’s 2019 Westminster Election candidate for South Down Michael Savage.

• Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA has told the Assembly she expects the first payments for the Victims’ Permanent Disablement Scheme to be made “within the current financial year”. The scheme is set to open for applications on 30 June.

• Education Minister Peter Weir MLA has announced a £22 million funding package to assist schools with the implementation of the new special education needs (SEN) framework.

• Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon MLA has said she has sought legal advice over the DUP’s boycott of some North-South Ministerial Council meetings.

• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has strongly signalled a July by-election for Dublin Bay South, speaking to the Dáil on Monday. According to the Irish Times, some sources in Fine Gael expect the contest to take place in early July.

Upcoming key political and business events

• 1 June, Belfast City Council Meeting

• 7 June, Call for Evidence- Open Public Consultation Workshop, Department for Communities

• 8 June, The Future of Skills, NI Chamber

• 10-11 June, BelTech 2021

• 1-2 July, EmTech Europe virtual Conference, MIT Technology Review

• 24 September, Annual Conference, Centre for Cross Border Studies

• 22 October, 2021 Business Awards, Belfast Chamber of Commerce

Consultations

• Consultation on proposals to include teachers in fair employment legislation Chris Lyttle MLA, Alliance. Deadline 10 June 2021.

• Consultation on a review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan Department for the Economy. Deadline 25 June 2021.

• Consultation on Legal Aid for Mediation in Non-Family Civil Cases Department of Justice. Deadline 29 June 2021.

• Consultation on policy options for the new Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland Department for the Economy. Deadline 30 June 2021.

• Consultation on proposal to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Deadline 8 July 2021.

• Consultation on pre-school education admissions criteria Department of Education. Deadline 12 July 2021.

• Consultation on the new housing supply strategy call for evidence Department for Communities. Closes 16 July 2021.

• Consultation on improving the experience of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system Department of Justice. Deadline 29 July 2021.

• Consultation on a Statutory Duty of Candour and Being Open Framework Department of Health. Deadline 2 August 2021.

Allstate recognised for world-class cybersecurity strategies

Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Allstate NI Keith Lippert, Director of Identity and Access Management Dr Robert McCausland and Deputy CISO Analytics Team Manager Robert Chapple.

Allstate NI has joined the likes of Adobe, Visa, PayPal and Microsoft as an IDG CSO50 Award honouree, a global accolade that recognises 50 organisations every year for their cybersecurity strategies.

Allstate NI was selected as a CSO50 winner for Privileged Account Risk Reduction (PARR), a project carried out by the company’s large cybersecurity team that operates across Northern Ireland.

The recognition for delivering outstanding business value and thought leadership comes amid Northern Ireland’s emergence as one of the world’s most dynamic cybersecurity centers and hot spots for security service projects.

Piloted between 2019 and 2020, the innovative PARR project mitigated risk by identifying and reducing the number of privileged accounts with access to Allstate’s most critical assets.

As the industry standard on business security and risk leadership, CSO50 celebrates the security teams driving forward innovation and leveraging world-class security strategies.

Judged by a global committee of industry experts and academics, the body recognised the exceptional work of Allstate NI’s security team for ensuring assets are centrally managed and exposed to minimal risk.

Keith Lippert, Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Allstate NI said:

“We are incredibly honoured to be recognised with this CSO50 Award. We strive to provide the best-in-class security solutions and cutting-edge technology to protect Allstate and its customers, and this project is a great example of that work.”

Amy Bennett, Executive Editor of CSO said:

“The disruptive events of 2020 – combined with sophisticated and far-reaching attacks like SolarWinds – brought new challenges and costs to organisations, their security leaders, and business outcomes. Our annual CSO50 Awards recognise security teams that bring innovation and thought leadership to solving the many risks their organisations continue to face.”

Byrne launches new solo film production venture

Brendan Byrne, Creative Director of Cyprus Avenue Films

Brendan Byrne, producer of ‘Gaza’ and director of ‘Bobby Sands: 66 Days’, is to take forward his own production house, Cyprus Avenue Films to produce a new slate of feature documentary and drama projects.

Cyprus Avenue Films previously co-produced ‘Maze’, starring Tom Vaughan Lawlor and has several new co-productions with Fine Point Films which are about to be released. They include ‘My Name is Bulger’ about the family of infamous Irish American gangster James ‘Whitey” Bulger and ‘Ryan McMullan: Debut’, a portrait of the up-and-coming singer songwriter as he charts his path to international recognition.

After a number of successful years working with Fine Point Films, Byrne intends to concentrate on his own Cyprus Avenue Films to pursue more personal projects and rekindle his interests in drama and feature film.

Byrne’s role in the production of ‘Gaza’, a documentary that focused on the day-to-day life in the embattled 25-by-seven mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline, was Ireland’s official selection in the Best International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars, and the first Northern Irish produced documentary to get selected for the Sundance Film Festival.

New projects in the pipeline include ‘Children of Beirut’ from the same team which made ‘Gaza’, ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ based on John McGahern’s novel in co-production with South Wind Blows and a new feature documentary on world renowned Bafta-winning sound artist/recordist ‘Chris Watson: A Journey in Sound’ in co-production with Harvest Films.

Currently, Cyprus Avenue Films are co-producing ‘Murder in the Badlands’ with Fine Point Films for BBC NI, a factual series that will explore unresolved murder cases of women. The company is also developing high-profile projects with key American partners that will be announced in the coming months.

Brendan Byrne, Creative Director of Cyprus Avenue Films said:

“The last year has shown the power of film to educate, inform and help viewers forget their worries and societal problems. Whether it is online or on television, film has been an escape for us all over the previous months.”

“I am keen to create films that intrigue, inspire and draw the attention of local and international audiences. Films produced by Cyprus Avenue Films will continue to pursue my joint interests in documentary and drama with some of the best talent working in Ireland today.”

“No matter what genre or subject a great story is a great story. That will be my guiding light when developing new projects as Creative Director of Cyprus Avenue Films.”

Eversheds Sutherland Partner reacts to plans to change gambling laws in Northern Ireland

Eversheds Sutherland Partner Matthew Howse

Reacting to the news that Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced plans to deliver the first significant changes to gambling laws here in over 35 years, Matthew Howse, Partner at international law firm Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast said:

“This 35-year-old legislation quite clearly is not reflective of today’s modern society and particularly the significant advances in technology. Even across the rest of the UK and Ireland which have substantially more progressive gambling legislation, there are growing calls for additional reforms. Legislation which is fit for purpose is especially long overdue here.”

“One of the standout findings from the recent public consultation was that 60 per cent of respondents supported allowing casinos in Northern Ireland. This undoubtedly marks a general shift in attitudes towards gambling here, as does the support for sports bookmakers and betting shops to open and operate on a Sunday. For years, those with an interest have been freely able to visit ‘online’ casinos despite not being able to visit one in person. This change, if enacted, could however, see the swift opening of the very first casino in Belfast or another location, with various perceived benefits to the wider economy.” 

“The sight of a casino in our towns and cities could come with stipulations, including a requirement for the industry to provide support for those struggling with addiction. 97 per cent of respondents to the public consultation wanted to see contributions towards ‘funding research, education and treatment’ from those companies who would benefit from the law changes. Although, it is worth noting that across the UK, it is commonplace for operators to agree to such caveats in return for a licence.”

“This potential legislative reform provides a real opportunity to maintain a sustainable and successful regulated gambling market in Northern Ireland which minimises gambling related harm.”