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<p>In the absence of Northern Ireland Executive ministers, the Northern Ireland (Executive
Formation etc.) Act 2022 provides Northern Ireland civil servants with the clarity
they require to take the limited but necessary decisions to maintain delivery of public
services and operate in the public interest. Specifically, in clause 3, subsections
(1) and (3) remove the need for Ministers or an Executive Committee to be in place
to enable the exercise of departmental functions by senior officers in Northern Ireland
departments if they deem it in the public interest.</p><p>The accompanying guidance
to the Act, published on 19 December 2022, helps NI departments determine whether
exercising a function is in the public interest and lists the principles that they
should take into account when making such a determination. The Government cannot and
should not anticipate the decisions that civil servants will need to take under this
Act. Consequently, the Government does not intend to comment on which decisions NI
departments should be taking forward.</p><p> </p>
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