Debate contribution: Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill: Final Stage

Debate contribution by Miss Jemma Dolan on 15 June 2026.

MLA: Miss Jemma Dolan
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 15 June 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill: Final Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5614378

Text

Today, we have reached the Final Stage of what is, as the Chair said, quite a wide-ranging Bill. It involves several Departments, and, while the Finance Committee has led the scrutiny process, there has also been important input from other Committees. There has been an extensive debate on the Bill throughout its various stages over the past year, so I will not go through all aspects of the legislation again. One of the most rational changes that the Bill makes is to provide the Department of Finance with the power to make loans for the purposes of an investment fund, transferring it from the Executive Office and ensuring that it sits with the Department in which it most naturally fits. I would like to highlight the positive changes made to the Bill through consultation and debate with Members, including the removal of clause 20, which had proposed that the Audit Committee take over responsibility for appointing the external auditor for the Audit Office. However, after listening to feedback, the Finance Minister ensured that the clause would not form part of the legislation. The amendment to clause 17 provides the Department for Infrastructure with the power to introduce regulations to charge for SmartPass applications, renewals and replacements. I welcome the Infrastructure Minister's support for making any such regulations subject to affirmative resolution rather than the negative resolution procedure. I also welcome her confirmation that any income generated will be only to cover administrative costs to ensure the long-term sustainability and protection of concessionary travel. The amendment that enables the Department of Education to implement a new bursary scheme to attract more teachers to subjects that are experiencing shortages is a welcome addition that will, hopefully, provide more opportunities for young people to study subjects such as ICT and maths as well as through the medium of Irish. Events in recent weeks have again shown the importance of providing resources to tackle violence against women and girls and to support asylum seekers and refugees.
Clause 9 provides the Executive Office with the statutory authority to implement the strategic framework for ending violence against women and girls in the coming years. As a society, we need to continue to be proactive in that area and do all that we can to bring an end to the scourge of misogyny and to protect women and girls. The Bill will also enable TEO to coordinate integration and support for asylum seekers and refugees locally, thus permitting TEO to utilise funds that have been provided to it by Whitehall for those purposes rather than having to rely on the sole authority of the Budget Act.
Among measures being delivered for the Department for the Economy will be updated powers to provide financial assistance to support the local economy, which the Audit Office highlighted as something that was missing during the pandemic. The initial purpose of the Bill was to close legislative gaps in several areas, and I feel that it has been enhanced through engagement with various Committees and during the legislative process. It will improve the ability and effectiveness of a range of Departments.

519 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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