The Northern Ireland Executive's Programme for Government (PfG), Doing What Matters Most, which outlines key priorities for the remaining assembly term, focusing on areas like crime, healthcare, housing, education, and the environment, was officially unveiled and presented to the assembly this week.

The PfG has addressed the pressing concerns of the public while ensuring sustainable progress in Northern Ireland over the next few years. According to the programme, regrading crime, the PfG supports increasing police numbers from 6,300 to 7,000 by 2028, although funding for this remains uncertain. It also wants to speed up justice through initiatives like Community Resolution Notices (CRNs) and to continue a 16-million-pound initiative to tackle paramilitary activity, supporting projects aimed at diverting youth from criminal groups.

In healthcare, the PfG promises to treat an additional 70,000 patients by 2027. However, concerns remain about whether the allocated 135 million pounds will be sufficient to address the issue, and whether the government will collaborate with the independent health sector to help accomplishing this.

Regarding housing, the programme targets starting the construction of 5,850 new social homes by 2027, though this falls short of the 2,500 homes per year originally planned. At the moment, nearly 48,000 households are currently on the waiting list, and significant challenges like funding and infrastructure need to be addressed.

Another project which remains unstable is the Casement Park with 62.5 million pounds allocated, but an additional 140 million pounds needed to complete the project. In education, the PfG highlights the need for better support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), without further explaining how it will be implemented.

Moreover, the environmental goals in the PfG include a focus on protecting Lough Neagh and supporting local farmers, but infrastructure constraints, particularly in water management, may limit progress on housing and environmental targets.