An SDLP MLA has criticised the Executive for failing to table less than half of its promised legislation by the end of the year.
Matthew O’Toole said the Executive had initially set itself a “low bar” to introduce 19 pieces of legislation by the end of December.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill told the Assembly on Monday that seven Executive Bills have begun their passage through the Assembly, but that “some slippage” has led to the delay of other legislation.
Mr O’Toole, leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, accused Ms O’Neill of “not being so keen” to talk about the delivery of the Executive legislation programme.
“To be clear, you refer to it as the programme for 2024/25. You didn’t call it that whenever it was published in a statement to the Assembly, it was the Executive legislation programme for 2024, a year which is about to end,” Mr O’Toole said.
“To confirm, you set yourself a low bar of 18 to 19 Bills. You will fail to reach even half of that number.
“Can you account for why the Executive has failed to reach even 50% of the modest legislative programme that it set itself?”
Ms O’Neill said she cannot get into the “ins and outs” of why other individual ministers have not brought the legislation forward.
She told the Assembly that some pieces of legislation are delayed because of policy development issues.
Ms O’Neill added: “Some is going to take a little bit longer. It may be the other side of Christmas before some things are advanced compared to when they were initially intended.
“But I hope that we can get there, because I still want us to get to that point.
“I think we all want to get into the nitty gritty of the pieces of legislation that are coming forward.
“I can assure you that the executive, the deputy First Minister and I, have actually written to all ministers again to ask for an update on the legislative programme.
“We intend to (make) a statement early in the new year, where we can actually set out exactly where we’re at with every piece of current legislation and what else is coming in the next year as well.”
The Sinn Fein MLA said she expects all the Bills included in the Executive’s legislation programme will be introduced during “this 2024/25” session of the Assembly.
“Further Bills will be introduced in the first quarter of 2025.
“However, it is important for the underlying policy issues to be resolved and finalised so that a Bill can be presented to the assembly in as complete a form as possible.
“We intend to make a statement to the assembly in the new year.
“This will include an update on all those Bills that are already being announced.
“We’re going to continue to work with Executive colleagues to ensure the outstanding Bills are introduced in a timely manner, to meet the commitment set out in the executive legislative programme.”