Executive block could hit reforms

By Martina Purdy
BBC NI political correspondent

Plans to streamline Northern Ireland's councils could be delayed by the failure of the Executive to meet, the environment minister has said.

Sammy Wilson has announced a new committee system to oversee the reduction from 26 to 11 councils.

However, he warned that the deadline would be missed if legislation was not tabled soon.

The plan is to have the 11 new councils up and running in time for elections in May 2011.

To achieve this, the minister is inviting councillors to take part in 11 new committees to manage the transition.

The minister, however, is concerned that a paper outlining the plans ahead of legislation had not been taken forward by the executive.

The executive has not met since June amid a dispute over the devolution of policing and justice powers.

Mr Wilson blamed Sinn Fein for blocking the meetings and said his request to have the first and deputy first minister deal with the issue using an urgent procedure has so far been declined.

"Some of this legislation should have actually been on the floor of the assembly now and be discussed by the environment committee," he said.

"I have asked for it to go through under special procedures that has not been agreed and therefore I'm still waiting for that legislation to get onto the floor of the assembly.

"The longer that goes on then the greater the risk to this whole project."

Each transition committee, one for each new council area, will consist of no more than 16 councillors, with an initial budget of about £150,000.

HOW THE 26 COUNCILS WILL MERGE INTO 11