MINISTERS FACE CHOICES ON SPENDING ALLOCATIONS

THE Minister of Finance and Personnel Mark Durkan revealed that by frugal saving the NI Executive had netted some £104 million to reallocate to government departments.

However, in a statement to the Assembly, he warned that £40 million of the money, found from savings and careful budget monitoring, might have to be held over until next year: “Such is the pressure on our spending next year that the Executive has decided not to reallocate all the money in order to keep some additional uncommitted spending power for next year,” Mr Durkan explained.

“All Executive Ministers have some very hard choices to make in terms of our spending plans both this year and next year so we must be careful and prudent now. I would urge all Ministers to scrutinise their Departments’ bids for funding and realise that the question is not what the Minister can do for his or her Department, but what they can do for our society.”

Outlining the agreed reallocations totalling some £63 million, Mr Durkan revealed that £11.4 million was going to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to help with costs associated with foot and mouth disease and research associated with BSE.

The Department of Education will receive £14 million, which will include £7.8 million for teachers’ performance pay and £2m for work to extend access for the disabled.

Some £6.3 million will go to the Department of Higher and Further Education Training and Employment, which includes an allocation of £3 million for adaptation of facilities for disabled people in both further and higher education.

The Department of Health will receive some £18 million to address pay settlements, which are at higher levels than expected and further transitional costs in relation to South Tyrone.

In addition, the Department for Social Development will receive £3.6 million, the Department of Finance and Personnel some £2.4 million and the Office of First and Deputy First Minister £1.4 million

(AMcE)