MUCH work clearly went into the negotiation, creation and agreement of the deal that Northern Ireland’s political parties signed up to last week, and now there is a new Executive with the opportunity to take actions to support the economy and improve society.
The mood music from the business community in response to the deal has been business-like. There hasn’t exactly been fulsome praise for the politicians for agreeing it, and that’s understandable, given that we were left with no Executive and Assembly for well over 1,000 days.
But 'New Decade, New Approach' really does provide an opportunity for some important decisions to be made, and we wish our new ministers well as they set about dealing with some very difficult issues relating to health, education, climate change and the economy.
One of the areas needing urgent attention is infrastructure. There are welcome commitments for some crucial projects in the deal, such as the York Street Interchange, upgrades to the A5 and A6 road, and Northern Ireland’s wastewater network.
The 62-page document says that to boost the economy, the Executive will drive the delivery of essential infrastructure projects like the York Street Interchange in order to build a Northern Ireland that is equipped for a prosperous shared future.
It says that the Executive will make it a priority to realise the economic potential offered by City Deals for the Belfast Region and Derry/Londonderry, including through match capital funding for infrastructure, regeneration and tourism projects, and that the Executive will work with the UK Government to develop and deliver Growth Deals for Mid South West Northern Ireland and Causeway Coast and Glens.
Crucially, New Decade, New Approach says the Executive will invest urgently in waste water infrastructure which is at or nearing capacity in many places across Northern Ireland, including in Belfast, limiting growth.
NI Water said just a few months ago that £1 billion of investment in strategic drainage is essential to enable the growth of Belfast. Having the right infrastructure under the ground enables us to have the right infrastructure such as homes, offices and public buildings above it.
There is still much detail within the deal to be considered and many issues still to be worked through. One of them is the extent of the finance package that will be made available by the governments to support the new Executive to deliver for the economy and society.
We always need to be realistic about what finance is available but an expectation of additional funding has been created by the governments and it is right that they should be expected to deliver on that.
What is clear is that the political deal is not an end in itself. It maybe the culmination of a long and difficult period and the conclusion of the tough negotiation, but it really only represents the beginning of a process to deal with some very significant challenges.
We have been calling for our politicians to get back to work for much of the past three years. Now they must get on with it wholeheartedly to implement the important things contained in the deal and to make decisions to benefit their constituents, local communities, and Northern Ireland as a whole.
:: Susan Mason is head of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Northern Ireland, which represents 3,000 cross-sectoral members comprising of chartered and associate surveyors, trainees and students.
