First Meeting of New Decade New Approach Joint Board

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP CBE, First Minister, the Rt Hon Arlene Foster MLA and deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill MLA, attended.

The purpose of the Joint Board is to review use of funding provided under the NDNA agreement.

It will:

• Support the Northern Ireland Executive in ensuring sound and stable governance that delivers for the people of Northern Ireland;

• Review funding provided by the UK Government to meet commitments set out in the NDNA agreement;

• Support transformation in health, education and justice through the NDNA funding package; and,

• Consider the effectiveness of infrastructure delivery, drawing on expertise from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority as appropriate.

The Secretary of State, First Minister and deputy First Minister will lead the board, other Ministers will join the board as required.

In its first meeting, all participants reaffirmed their commitment to the NDNA agreement and to ensure that commitments set out in the agreement were delivered as a priority.

Terms of reference for the Joint Board were also agreed, consistent with the New Decade, New Approach commitment that the Board will have oversight for transformation in health, education and justice, where these draw on funding provided under the Agreement.

They agreed that a second meeting of the Joint Board should take place in September and that it should meet on a quarterly basis going forward.