Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Northern Ireland's public services remain in crisis across health, education, and justice.
Conclusion
Northern Ireland’s public services remain in crisis. Its health service is under immense pressure, with long waiting lists, a struggling primary care sector and an acute mental health situation, in part due to Northern Ireland’s recent history. There are severe demands on the education sector, too, with SEN pupils suffering and schools operating with large deficits. Policing and justice continue to operate under budgetary constraints, while dealing, among other things, directly with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s recent past. Other sectors are not immune to funding and service delivery problems, and all this continues to stifle Northern Ireland’s ability to invest in skills, infrastructure and grow its economy. The problems are clear. In the rest of this report, we consider some potential solutions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 21) The needs-based assessment
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the assessment on the state of public services in Northern Ireland and recognizes that improving them will not be quick or easy.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We welcome your assessment on the state of public services, one year on from the previous Committee’s initial report, and recognise that improving public services will not be quick or easy. There are very real pressures facing public services in Northern Ireland, and in many areas those services are falling behind the rest of the UK. Your follow-up report rightly highlights the challenges on health and special educational needs services.