HomeReview of Public Administration (RPA)
The Review of Public Administration was set up by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2002 to help modernise and reform the public sector.As part of the review, the number of councils in Northern Ireland will be reduced and they will be given extra responsibilities and powers.
These changes should help councils to engage more with local communities and meet their needs at a local level. Councils will also be able to provide high quality services that are more efficient and effective.
What is the current position with the RPA process?
In June 2010, the Northern Ireland Executive took a decision that the Review of Public Administration would not proceed to the planned May 2011 timetable and instead elections to the existing 26 councils would take place in May 2011.What does this mean for Belfast City Council?
At the moment, in terms of structures and functions, the decision by the NI Executive to delay the RPA reform process means that Belfast City Council will remain unchanged.There will of course be new elected members of council as a result of the proposed elections in May 2011, but that election will be for the current elected membership of the council, which is 51 councillors, as opposed to the 60 councillors proposed under the RPA.
The preparations that Belfast City Council has made for the RPA, such as putting in place the necessary organisation infrastructure, finding efficiencies and improving services to deliver quality of life across the city, still remain important and have provided the council with a firm platform to meet the financial challenges ahead.
Next Steps
At this stage, it remains unclear as to the future intentions of the NI Executive in regards to taking forward the RPA local government reform process. It is understood that the Environment Minister, who has responsibility for implementing RPA, will present proposals on the way forward for RPA to the NI Executive in the autumn.For more information, visit www.rpani.gov.uk
