Officials from the Department for Communities face a briefing before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, 12 March. The session follows a letter from committee chair Daniel McCrossan MLA to Emer Morelli, the department's interim permanent secretary.

McCrossan sent the letter in February after the committee reviewed the department's response to its November 2024 report on child poverty in Northern Ireland. He requested detailed oral evidence on the handling of the Child Poverty Strategy.

The committee's report listed 11 recommendations. The department accepted most of them. Two recommendations are complete. Nine remain ongoing.

McCrossan stated the department's actions on the ongoing items lack specifics and timelines. He noted the department cites the lack of an agreed Executive strategy for the limited advances.

The committee wants officials to outline current steps to support families. McCrossan said child poverty impacts thousands of children and households in Northern Ireland daily.

In its autumn 2024 report, the committee assessed the department's management of the strategy as containing multiple shortcomings.