FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER TO BRIEF COMMITTEE

The First Minister and deputy First Minister will attend the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on Wednesday 20 June 2007 to brief the Committee on the emerging priorities for the Executive in advance of the Executive’s public consultation on its Programme for Government for 2008-09. The Committee will also hear from the First Minister and deputy First Minister about the priorities for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Chairperson, Mr Danny Kennedy said: “My Committee understands that on devolution the Executive was handed the priorities and budget of the Secretary of State. The Programme for Government for 2008-09 will be the first opportunity for the Executive to really put its own mark on how Northern Ireland will be governed. The Committee therefore looks forward to hearing from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on what the Executive considers to be the emerging priorities for its own Programme for Government, which will come into effect from April 2008. We look forward to that engagement.”

Notes for editors

The Committee for the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister is one of the statutory committees established by the Northern Ireland Assembly on 9 May 2007.

A motion was approved in the Assembly on Tuesday 12 June 2007 proposing that the committee’s name be changed from the Committee of the Centre to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

The role of the Committee as set out in Standing Orders for the Northern Ireland Assembly is “to advise and assist the First Minister and the deputy First Minister in the formulation of policy with respect to matters within their responsibilities as Ministers jointly in charge of the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister.”

Committee Membership: -
Danny Kennedy, Chairperson
Naomi Long, Deputy Chairperson
Martina Anderson
Tom Elliott
Dolores Kelly
Barry McElduff
Francie Molloy
Stephen Moutray
Jim Shannon
Jimmy Spratt
Jim Wells

All enquiries regarding the work of the Committee should be directed to the Committee Clerk: -
Damien Martin
Room 406, Parliament Buildings
Tel: 028 9052 1448

Media enquiries should be addressed to the Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office: -
Room B2, Parliament Buildings
Stormont, Belfast BT4 3XX
Tel: 028 9052 1137