Executive to review viability of bringing back Civic Forum

The Civic Forum is set for a comeback — in some form at least. The 54-strong body collapsed in 2002 along with the Assembly and Executive and has been little mentioned, or apparently mourned, since.

Even before it fell a review had been commissioned but was never finished because of the more than five-year freeze on devolution.

But now a new review team set up within the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister has formally revived the question over its future, if any.

And they have issued a consultative paper in which they say the review “offers the people of Northern Ireland a unique opportunity to help shape how government engages with civic society.”

But they say the Stormont Executive and ultimately the Assembly will take the decisions on the structure, membership and role of the new Forum.

The work of the review team is being overseen by an OFMDFM steering group which is agreeing the target dates, methodology and scope of the project and regular updates will be given to the Stormont scrutiny committee chaired by Ulster Unionist Assembly deputy leader Danny Kennedy which monitors the First Ministers.

Accepting there are valuable lessons to be learned from previous experience, the review team said it intended primarily to focus on the way forward and asks:

• what were the strengths and weaknesses of the Forum?
• who should it represent?
• which issues should it tackle?
• how would it be linked to OFMDFM and the Assembly?

The paper also asks for suggestions on the salary and expenses for a Forum chairperson and how it should be staffed and accomodated.

“Given the changes in the social and economic environment since the Forum was first established, (Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness) believe that there is a need to fundamentally review the structure and role of the Civic Forum,” the consultative paper states.

“The review will take account of existing methods of engagement with civic society here as well as looking at structures in place elsewhere.”

The last Forum, part of the Good Friday Agreement, met in full plenary session 12 times between October 2000 and October two years later and had set up working groups and standing committees to carry forward most of its work programme.

By 2006, however, during the discussions of the so-called Transitional Assembly’s Preparation for Government committee, it was clear the main political parties were divided over whether the Forum should be reconstituted or axed and the best way of involving civic society.

The Forum has come under a barrage of criticism from the DUP in particular, former Junior Minister Ian Paisley jnr once describing it as “ a waste of resources, time and energy (which) has proved to be bitterly disappointing."

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds also criticised the Forum when it was revealed the first six months of Direct Rule after suspension saved the public purse more than £15m.

The Belfast Telegraph also revealed, however, the Forum did not spend its first year Budget of £300,000 which was then increased to £500,000 by its second year.

Belfast Telegraph