Alliance North Down MLA Andrew Muir has criticised the Executive Office for failing to move forward on a number of significant issues.

Highlighting the concerns of post-RHI reform and the removal of flammable cladding from high-rise buildings, Mr Muir, the Party’s Finance Spokesperson, said there was “no excuse” to continue blocking these decisions

Mr Muir has asked the Finance Minister for an update on the progress of reforms following the RHI Inquiry, and the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings in Northern Ireland following the Grenfell Tower disaster in England. In both instances, the Minister for Finance confirmed that he had brought proposals to the Executive several months ago, but that these had either yet to be included in the Executive’s agenda for discussion, or there had been no formal response to the proposals.

Mr Muir said “These are really serious issues, and yet the Executive Office controlled by the DUP and Sinn Fein is blocking ability to tackle them. While I appreciate that the Executive has been focused on the pandemic, there is no excuse for not addressing other serious issues especially when the work has been done by civil servants to bring forward proposals.

“Since the re-establishment of power-sharing back in January 2020, it’s clear that the new approach required has yet to fully materialise following the collapse of the Assembly in 2017. The two largest parties have the power to set the agenda on the Executive, and the people of Northern Ireland rightly expect their elected leaders to be able to take decisions on the big issues.”