Northern Ireland
The State of the State 2026
The restoration of Northern Ireland’s Executive in 2024 was welcomed across the public sector. It marked a return of accountability and decision-making rooted in democratic legitimacy that are the hallmarks of devolution. But just two years later, the spotlight has returned to the challenges facing Northern Ireland’s public services. This year’s State of the State explores those challenges amid cross-party desire to reform local services.
Our interviews put a spotlight on the big issues facing Northern Ireland’s public sector – from the need for leadership to the pace of reform.
The State of the State in the words of the people who run it.
For more than a decade, our State of the State reports have provided a view of the public sector from the people who run it. This year, we interviewed more than 100 public sector leaders including politicians, senior civil servants, police chief constables, council chief executives and NHS officials. From our conversations we’ve created a number of key insights from public sector leaders. Our interviews with public sector leaders described a system that is too often weighted against its own talent – and many shared views of how it could better serve the public.
The public's view of the public sector.
There is a real danger that public trust in government could continue to decline if the gap between rhetoric and reality is not closed.
The impact of digital and potential of Artificial Intelligence in public services
Getting it done matters more to the public than doing it online
Authors
Marie Doyle
Marie is a Partner based in the Northern Ireland Public Sector Practice and is an Economist by background. Marie specialises in large scale technology enabled public sector transformation. Marie has led the development and implementation of transformed operating models for public sector organisations in policing, health, education and social security. Marie is also an expert in the development of Green Book business cases for public sector clients. Marie is a member of the CBI Northern Ireland Regional Council and Chairs the CBI NI Economics Forum representing the views of business across Northern Ireland. She is also on the Board of Directors of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce.
Ed Roddis
Before joining Deloitte, he worked in communications, public affairs and research roles in various parts of the third and public sectors spanning local government, education and public financial management.
Keen to learn more about what this means for your sector? Get in touch with our team UKDeloitteStateof@deloitte.co.uk
