What you need to know
Deputy first minister and NIO ministers in US for St Patrick day events
On Wednesday (18 March), deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met with US President Donald Trump, according to a press release from The Executive Office. The deputy First Minister said: “We spoke about the special relationship between Northern Ireland and the U.S [and] about the importance of that two-way relationship and the mutual benefits it brings to us all.” The meeting followed President Trump’s address to the annual Speakers’ Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Tuesday (17 March) when he commented on how well Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the deputy First Minister got on, he said: “I saw that, you get along very well together, I don’t know if I should be promoting merger, I love mergers.” The deputy First Minister said his comments were “clear” to be a joke. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP led a UK Government delegation to Washington, where he promoted NI as a “fantastic place to invest, work and live” as he met with the Trump administration and others.
What next: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Matthew Patrick MP also travelled separately to Boston on “a number of tech related engagements”, and held meetings with Invest NI and tech businesses such as Rapid7 and aPriori who are based in both NI and Boston.
Wastewater infrastructure voluntary contribution scheme to be introduced
On Thursday (19 March), the Minister for Infrastructure Liz Kimmins announced her department will introduce a voluntary contributions scheme for wastewater infrastructure, following the recent closure of a 14-week consultation on whether and how developer contributions should be introduced. Discussing the decision, Minister Liz Kimmins said the voluntary pathway will unlock more residential and commercial development opportunities, with long-term underinvestment in wastewater infrastructure preventing new homes from being connected to NI Water’s system. The decision is part of Ms Kimmins’ “three-pronged approach”, alongside securing more investment for wastewater infrastructure from the Executive and introducing the Water, Flooding and Sustainable Drainage Bill. SDLP infrastructure spokesperson Justin McNulty MLA described the move as “a piecemeal step dressed up as something significant”, and PBP MLA Gerry Carroll said the voluntary scheme “lets developers off the hook”. Meanwhile, Alliance’s Andrew McMurray accused Sinn Féin of “pursuing water charging through the back door”.
What next: The Department for Infrastructure noted that while the scheme will initially be voluntary, it continues to “consider the potential for a compulsory levy” as part of efforts to solve Northern Ireland’s wastewater crisis.
NI households to receive electricity reduction in July
On Friday (20 March), BBC NI reported that all households in Northern Ireland would receive a £30 reduction in electricity bills in July as part of a UK government scheme. The £81m initiative, first announced in the November 2025 Budget, is a Northern Ireland-specific version of a wider UK measure, reflecting differences in the local electricity market. The Westminster legislation required for the scheme is currently underway, and Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has brought a proposal to the Executive. In a special sitting of the Assembly Economy Committee on Monday (16 March), DUP Committee Chair Philip Brett criticised the Minister’s handling of the funding, saying the department’s “timeframes just seem to slip and slip”. Minister Archibald said DUP members “either do not understand the situation, or are deliberately seeking to mislead the public”, before claiming that the scheme “would not even have applied here if it weren’t for the efforts of my own department and the Department of Finance”.
What next: The necessary legislation is expected to be in place in June, with the £30 credited in July. In the subsequent two years of the scheme, the credit will apply from 1 April.
Stakeholder Watch
First Minister Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin, Mid Ulster): “I have been in contact with Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, and I back his call for an urgent meeting with Keir Starmer on the need for action as energy costs spiral. The proposed £35 payment per household by the British government, while some people’s bills have doubled, is completely tone-deaf to the severity of this crisis. There must be immediate and meaningful action to support all workers and families.”
Sammy Wilson MP (DUP, East Antrim): “Attended an informative briefing with the National Farmers’ Union on the need for a level playing field for UK farmers. British farmers produce food to some of the highest standards in the world, yet unfair trade deals allow imports produced to lower standards to undercut”.
Stewart Dickson (Alliance, East Antrim): As Chair of the All Party Group on Cancer I was delighted to launch at Stormont today, the ASH NI event “Reflections on Tobacco & Vaping: Public-Health Priorities for 2026 and Beyond”.
Jon Burrows (UUP, North Antrim): “Live from Washington DC last night I was debunking the joint Alliance & People Before Profit narratives. Promoting Northern Ireland’s skilled workforce & strategic business advantages is a duty when you have such a window of unparalleled access. I believe in Northern Ireland.”
Leader of the Opposition, Matthew O’Toole (SDLP, South Belfast): “Simply writing letters to the British Government is not what people expect from devolved Government The Executive has resources – even if we all agree they need more – to produce some kind of home energy support scheme but nearly three weeks into this crisis has failed to do so.”
Jim Allister (TUV, North Antrim):“Pre conference Westminster update #TUV #JimAllister”
Green Party NI: “‘Like drinking from a fetid-pond.’ A new report from Watershed Investigations (link in comments) detects superbug-creating genes at Lough Neagh. Commenting on The Nolan show, Green Party Leader Mal O’Hara raised his concerns that things at Lough Neagh are getting worse rather than better.”
Northern Ireland Office: “This week, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @hilarybennmp attended the annual St Patrick’s Day events in Washington D.C. Here’s what he got up to and reflections on his visit.” Watch the clip here.
Other Stories
Updated plan to improve resilience to climate change approved by the NI Executive
On Friday (20 March), an updated five-year plan to boost Northern Ireland’s resilience to climate change, the NI Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NICCAP3), was approved by the Executive. The programme, which covers 2024-2029, is designed to take action to adjust to the effects of climate change already being felt, such as severe storms and flooding. It contains over 280 actions across a range of stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, including Translink, NI Water, local councils, academia, the community and voluntary sector and businesses. It includes measures such as a new Peatlands Strategy, city drainage plans and a Sustainable Agriculture Programme. According to BBC News, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir said the plan was created through “positive collaboration” across government departments.
Mobile security firm announces NI expansion with £78k average salary, after US ministerial visit
On Monday (16 March), following a week of engagements in the US, the Economy Minister announced that mobile security company, iVerify, would be expanding its operations and support team in Belfast, doubling its number of employees in NI. Making the announcement while visiting the company’s headquarters in New York, Minister Archibald argued that the investment represented “a vote of confidence” in the “many advantages of doing business in the north, from our skilled workforce to our commitment to innovation and sustainability”. The company went on to reveal plans to collaborate with local universities to develop placement and graduate roles, in addition to their new recruitment drive. Roles on offer with average salaries of £78,000 include full stack development engineers, support engineers and data analysts.
British Airways to launch direct flights to Melbourne, in boost to NI businesses
On Tuesday (17 March), British Airways announced plans to introduce direct flights to Melbourne as part of an expansion of its long-haul links, which is likely to benefit a number of Northern Ireland businesses operating in Australia. The airline said it will operate a daily return flight from London Heathrow, with the flights serving as an extension of BA’s existing service to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Northern Ireland has established significant and growing business links with Australia, particularly strengthened by the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which has eliminated tariffs on key exports. Australia is a major market for Northern Irish goods (valued at around £250 million), with a range of companies currently engaged in the Australian market, including Ballymena-based Wrightbus which secured major deals to supply zero-emission hydrogen buses to the country.
Youth clubs only guaranteed to get funding until June
During Wednesday’s (18 March) Education Committee, a Department of Education official told Committee members that youth clubs and centres across Northern Ireland have only been assured of funding until June, reports BBC NI. It is also understood recruitment of youth workers has been frozen in a number of areas in Northern Ireland, including in Antrim and Newtownabbey, Belfast, Derry City and Strabane. Youth clubs are funded and managed by the Education Authority’s youth service. However, due to budgetary pressures, the £37m which assigned annually for youth services will no longer be ring-fenced and could be used meet other needs in education. Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker said the way youth services were being funded was “absolutely reckless” and the uncertainty amounted to “punishment of our young people”. Members of the Committee were told that funding was only guaranteed for the first financial quarter of 2026-27. Departmental officials also told the Committee that the draft budget, which has not yet received Executive support, brought “risk across all education services.”
Electricity Network Operators sign MOU to strengthen co-operation and accelerate decarbonisation
On Friday (13 March), the electricity network operators of Northern Ireland (SONI), Ireland (EirGrid) and Great Britain (NESO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation and knowledge-sharing on managing grids integrating high levels of renewables on the road to clean power. The agreement also seeks to foster understanding about the growth of large energy users like ports and data centres, as industry moves towards greater electrification, as well as future modelling and scenario planning to help strengthen system resilience between the network operators. The news follows the announcement of two energy interconnectors projects, with one connecting Wales and Ireland, providing enough power for 570,000 homes, and representing at least £740 million of private investment, while a separate energy connector between Northern Ireland and Ireland will help to lower electricity costs for both sides of the border.
Advance UK will stand candidates in next Assembly and council elections
On Friday (20 March), the Belfast Telegraph reported that Ben Habib’s new party, Advance UK, will stand candidates in the Assembly and local council elections in 2027. Lorna Smyth, who stood for TUV in Lagan Valley in the last Westminster and Assembly elections, has resigned from the TUV and has been appointed as the Northern Ireland director of Advance UK. Ms Smyth said the party already has 800 members in NI, has branches in North Down and Newtownabbey. She added: “Advance has a practical and forward-looking approach. It offers possibilities that no other unionist party here is offering.” Advance UK is led by millionaire businessman Ben Habib, who addressed numerous anti-protocol rallies and gave the TUV £50,000 for the 2024 Westminster election.
Across The Border
Taoiseach defends Starmer in Oval Office meeting with Trump
On Tuesday (17 March), Taoiseach Micheál Martin made the traditional St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House, meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House and later presenting a bowl of shamrock. During the meeting, President Trump criticised European countries and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying that they had allowed “millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there”. Martin interjected to say that Starmer was an “earnest, sound person” and praised him for his work to reset the Irish-British relationship. He also said that “Europe is still a very good place to live”, that Ireland’s population was growing, but “in a very positive way”, as our economy was going well and attracting people to work legally, and that Europe was sometimes “characterised wrongly in terms of it being overrun” and that there are now “stronger mechanisms in place” to facilitate legal migration.
Irish Government finalising response to rising fuel costs
On Thursday (19 March), Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed the Government is finalising an “appropriate intervention” to address rising fuel costs. He said the response will be focused on areas where there is the “most acute pres sure”, according to RTÉ News. He said plans will be finalised at next week’s Cabinet meeting. He also said that Ireland and the EU are too exposed to fossil fuel price shocks and that “the only lasting answer is to reduce that dependence”. Sinn Féin have proposed temporary reductions in excise duty on home heating oil, petrol and diesel. Their finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD said “older people are telling me that they are sitting in cold homes, afraid to turn on the heating”.
New report calls for urgent reform to improve productivity of domestic Irish firms
A new report has said Ireland’s economic model is in need of urgent reform to reduce reliance on multinationals and improve domestic productivity. The report was written by University of Galway Professor Alan Ahearne, former advisor to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and commissioned by billionaire Stripe founders John and Patrick Collison. It notes that “the level of productivity at foreign firms is around six times the level of productivity of domestic firms”. It says that Ireland must “do better at encouraging and supporting high-growth indigenous businesses”, and recommends using tax policy “to attract human capital (talent) from abroad”.
What We’re Reading
Newton Emerson: We need to understand the financial cost of a divided society. It might surprise us
In Thursday’s Irish Times, Newton Emerson writes about Alliance’s amendment to the Fiscal Council Bill that would require the Fiscal Council to publish “the costs of duplicated public service provision”, the cost of division. He says that having this figure “could transform political debates” by keeping conversations “focused on fact and detail”. He writes that “defining the cost of division as the cost of duplicated public services is usefully precise” and gives the Fiscal Council a “credible task”. However, Emerson says Alliance “should be wary of hidden traps”. A 2006 estimate by Deloitte put the cost of division at £1.5 billion per year, equivalent to £2.6 billion today. However, the most recent estimate, produced in 2015 by Ulster University, between £400m and £830m, equivalent to between £550m and £1.2bn today. The Ulster University report challenged some of the conventional wisdom about the cost of division. For example, its estimate of the cost of extra leisure centres was “in a range from £3.7m to £107m, or from nothing to a lot”, and of segregated housing at £2.5m, “because social housing was in such short supply by 2016”. “Schools may be an exemption”, Emerson writes, “with a fifth of desks empty.” However, he says NI’s solution is “to expand the separate integrated sector – triplication in response to duplication”. “Policing and justice remains an exception, requiring half as much spending per head as in England”, but Emerson notes that “even that is on a steadily downward trend”. He concludes that it is likely “the Fiscal Council would produce a total figure significantly lower than the Ulster report”, and that Alliance should “brace itself” for “the prospect that many people in Northern Ireland might consider the cost acceptable”.
Forward Look
Saturday 21 March
TUV Party Conference, Royal Hotel, Cookstown
Monday 23 – Sunday 29 March
Imagine! Festival of Ideas & Politics, Belfast – read more here.
Tuesday 24 March
Consultation on Early Learning and Childcare Strategy closes
Thursday 26 March
RenewableNI- Smart Energy 2026, Europa Hotel Belfast- Read more here.
Saturday 28 March – Monday 13 April
NI Assembly Easter recess
Friday 24 – Saturday 25 April
Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, Waterfront Hall, Belfast
Saturday 16 May 2026
Green Party NI Conference, Clayton Hotel, Belfast
Wednesday 10 June
NICVA Summit 2026- Read more here
Friday 12 June
NI Chamber Energy Forum, ECOS Ballymena- Read more here.
Saturday 4 July
NI Assembly Summer recess begins
Friday 18 – Saturday 19 September
SDLP Party Conference, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast
Thursday 19 – Saturday 20 November
NIFHA Annual Conference, Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle. Co Down
