Debate contribution: Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on 20 April 2026.

MLA

Mr John O'Dowd

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

20 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5493917

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move amendment No 1:

First, I thank my Executive colleagues for their contributions to the Bill and their agreement that I bring forward my proposed amendments. I also thank the Finance Committee and, indeed, the other Committees that have undertaken detailed scrutiny of the Bill. I believe that it is worth taking a moment to recognise that, as it has been no small undertaking. The previous Financial Provisions Bill was in 2014 — some 12 years ago. The Bill is well overdue, which is reflected in the number of diverse clauses that have been sought by Departments. Indeed, there are some 20 clauses in all, which is significantly more than the seven included in the 2014 Bill. I appreciate that that has brought with it a degree of complexity to the workload of Committees — a challenge that they have risen to meet. I now turn to the first amendment that I have tabled. Minister Givan wrote to me in October 2025 detailing a new policy initiative — the initial teacher education bursary scheme — that is to be implemented by the Department of Education. The new bursary scheme aims to increase applications and enrolment in subjects that are experiencing the most acute post-primary teacher shortages in key subjects such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, ICT, and technology and design and in Irish-medium education. The Department of Education has the necessary legal cover to establish bursary programmes through article 66(2)(a) of the Education and Libraries Order 1986, which gives the power to pay grants for the training of teachers. The clause will provide a bespoke power, with express provision for bursaries covering tuition fees and living costs, and will therefore further strengthen DE's position. Minister Givan therefore requested that this amendment be accommodated in the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill. I and my Executive colleagues were content to agree the request, and, as such, I bring forward the amendment. I understand that Mr Givan intends to begin a pilot of the initial teacher education bursary scheme in September. It is an important scheme, and I trust that Members will lend their support to the amendment. On amendment Nos 2 and 3, clause 17 proposes to provide the Department for Infrastructure with the power to introduce a fee for SmartPass applications, renewals and replacements, with the details of the fee scheme to be set out in regulations. The fee will help to recover the costs incurred by DFI in administering the scheme. As currently drafted, the Bill provides that those regulations will be made by the negative resolution procedure. Both the Finance Committee and the Infrastructure Committee indicated a strong preference for the regulations to be instead subject to affirmative resolution. In light of those views, Minister Kimmins wrote to me on 4 March confirming that she is content that the affirmative resolution procedure should apply and asking that I table the necessary amendments to give effect to that change. I and my Executive colleagues are content to support the Infrastructure Minister with her request. I trust that the Members here today will also lend their support to those amendments. I draw Members' attention to clause 20, which I now intend to oppose. Clause 20 concerns the appointment of the external auditor for the Audit Office. My Department originally proposed the clause following previous Audit Committee recommendations that the responsibility for the appointment of the external auditor for the Audit Office should transfer from the Department of Finance to the Assembly's Audit Committee. Following the introduction of the Bill, the current Audit Committee wrote stating that it does not have the capacity or the resources to take on that responsibility. The Audit Committee recommended that my Department retain responsibility for approving the external auditor for the Audit Office. I have considered that advice and am content to proceed according to its wishes. I will now oppose the Question that clause 20 stand part of the Bill. I trust that Members will support the advice of the Audit Committee on the matter and will likewise oppose clause 20. I have no further comments at this stage.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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