Northern Ireland has now been without a functioning Executive since January, and that situation looks set to continue until after the summer. That would be eight or more months with no ministers in place to make key strategic decisions for our economy and society.
For this reason, it is very disappointing that a deal to break the current deadlock hasn’t been agreed. This is particularly so given the UK Prime Minister’s recent statement in relation to working with the devolved administrations to ensure a smooth and orderly withdrawal" from the EU.
At RICS, we believe that devolution is right for Northern Ireland and a local Executive would be best placed to ensure the delivery of long-term policies and decision-making that are vital to the development and growth of the economy, including the land, property and construction sectors.
Direct rule from Westminster now looks a possibility and, in this scenario, we would be committed to working with direct rule Ministers in the interests of Northern Ireland. However, we hope that if this does happen, it would be a temporary arrangement, and that devolution can be restored as soon as possible.
For one, we need an Executive to put forward a Northern Ireland-specific case in relation to the UK's exit from the EU, in order to highlight the unique circumstances we face here.
We also need an Executive in place to be taking urgent decisions and actions, including agreeing a budget for Northern Ireland. The delay in dealing with these things is causing considerable challenge to a range of organisations such as councils, voluntary sector bodies, and the health sector, with wider impacts on the economy and society. Northern Ireland's civil servants have been controlling finances for several months. But, to date, they have only had 75 percent of the block grant allocation. A Budget being passed from Westminster now looks a distinct possibility.
And we need an Executive to be putting in place longer-term policies to develop and grow the Northern Ireland economy, across land, property and construction, not least ensuring we have the infrastructure that will enable competitiveness into the future. Infrastructure investment is a central component in putting together an attractive package for potential inward investors.
In relation to Brexit, I have talked a lot about the politicians, and indeed, a local Executive is key from a leadership perspective. But we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to make Brexit work for Northern Ireland, and the support of industry is also crucial.
Free movement of labour is one area of real concern, not least for the construction sector. For instance, Northern Ireland already has a significant number of construction workers operating in Great Britain, and the potential loss of the 176,500 EU nationals currently working in the UK’s construction sector could put further pressure on our skills base. This could impact on our ability to deliver essential infrastructure projects and to build the necessary supply of new homes that our society and economy needs.
It is up to the UK Government to secure the trade agreement, but industry must also work to secure the domestic skills pipeline.
As we move forward towards Brexit, we all need to play our role. But having a functioning Northern Ireland Executive in place is a central part in this and in the development of a vibrant and successful economy. We urge our politicians to agree a deal as soon as possible.
Dr Patrice Cairns is RICS Policy Manager in Northern Ireland. RICS is the principal independent body representing professionals employed in the land, property and construction sectors. In Northern Ireland, the organisation represents 4,000 cross-sectoral members comprising of chartered and associate surveyors, trainees and students.
