NI Civil Service will 'do what we can', says Jayne Brady

Decisions in Northern Ireland should be made by elected representatives, not civil servants, the head of the civil service has said.

Jayne Brady told BBC News NI that they were in a "very difficult position" with "real challenges" ahead.

"We will do what we can with the powers we have," she added.

"We will follow the rule of law, the legal indications from executive bills and the budget bills and we will move them forward."

It's the first in-depth interview Ms Brady has given since taking over the role 14 months ago.

She said Northern Ireland was faced with "complex and challenging... inescapable pressures" that have been exacerbated by the lack of a functioning executive.

Northern Ireland has been without a government since February as the DUP has refused to return to power-sharing due to ongoing concerns over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Following the departure of caretaker ministers on 28 October, the nine government departments in Northern Ireland are now controlled by senior officials known as permanent secretaries.

Jayne Brady is having to make the best of a bad situation.

But if she is frustrated at the scale of what she and senior civil servants are dealing with, for now, she is putting on a brave face and giving little away.

Among the many things that remain unanswered is how far advanced any discussions around cuts are, and nor were there any guarantees of the pay rise for health workers.

That, Dr Brady said, will all be subject to negotiation and it's clear some things will have to give.

As for whether we can expect to hear from her and permanent secretaries more often that was a topic she seemed uncomfortable addressing.

Civil servants do not enjoy the limelight but many people will now look to her for leadership in the absence of politicians, especially when it's her team that are making the big calls.

New legislation to extend the time period for parties to return to power-sharing government has been introduced at Westminster.

The bill also gives permanent secretaries greater decision-making powers, though Ms Brady said it should be politicians, not civil servants, who are in charge.

"The right position for Northern Ireland is to have those that are democratically elected and accountable."

Ms Brady warned they are "in the middle of a crisis" and dealing with a "very difficult financial position at the moment".

She said future financial decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, adding "none of them will be easy".

"I want to be really clear, the remit of our budget is significantly constrained," she said.

Discussing former ministers' overspend, she said it was not her position to appoint any responsibility or blame.

"I don't think it's going to help anyone at home if I'm sitting being frustrated, what I have to be is hopeful and energetic," she added.