NI Health Budget To Receive Increase Of 5.4%

The health budget in Northern Ireland is to receive an increase of 5.4% compared to the previous financial year, according to the budget for 2017/18.

NI's budget for 2017/18 is to be passed into law at Westminster later this week.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire said that the civil service will run out of money if a budget is not set by November.

The DUP and Sinn Fein failed to reach an agreement to restore a power-sharing Executive in NI.

The Department of Education has been allocated an extra £27million.

Finance received a boost of £15m, however the Department said it is not fully comparable to the 2016/17 budget due to timing differences.

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts urged Mr Brokenshire to consult the business and wider stakeholders on today's draft Budget.

He said: "While we appreciate that the Secretary of State had little choice but to set a budget, it is disappointing that an elected and accountable local Assembly was unable to do so.

"It is unclear how the business community or wider civic society can have input or any sort of consultation into the budget. This is absolutely vital given the huge challenges facing the economy and our public services.

"It is welcomed that the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee has indicated that it will scrutinise the Budget and we urge them to take evidence from interested groups.

"We cannot continue with this limbo of being halfway between Devolution and Direct Rule. The business community in Northern Ireland deserves better than a 'care and maintenance' administration that is unable to make the major policy decisions that impact on our economy.

"Despite nearly a year of discussions, our political parties need to continue to engage and to restore the Executive. Direct Rule is in no way a viable Plan B."

Meanwhile, SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood said Sinn Fein should be ashamed of themselves.

He said: "The setting of a budget in London that should have been made in Belfast turns back decades of progress to have power on Irish soil.

"While Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Adams can recite slogans around a rights based society, the truth is that Sinn Féin have failed not just for the past ten months, but have failed to deliver over the past ten years. The DUP and Sinn Féin institutionalised inequality by failing to deliver language equality, marriage equality and economic equality. The past eleven months have continued in the same trend. They aren't up to the job.

"And while Sinn Féin and the DUP jointly promised they would not abandon the North to British Direct Rule, the betrayal of this promise by Sinn Féin is unforgivable. At a time when the government here should be working to protect this island from the chaos of a hard Brexit, Sinn Féin has handed Theresa May a free hand.

"If I was in Sinn Féin I would be embarrassed. Instead of delivering equality, Sinn Féin have gifted Arlene Foster more power than she could have dreamed of. They went into two recent elections promising to put manners on Arlene Foster, instead their failed negotiation has handed her and her party complete control."

Alliance Deputy Leader Stephen Farry MLA said instead of declaring the current phase of talks as over, there should be a change to make them more inclusive by bringing in all parties and widening the conversations.

He said: "In addition, a change of the structures, such as reforming the petition of concern mechanism, would allow issues still causing blockages to be debated on the Assembly floor.

"An independent mediator would also give the talks a boost which the process has been missing to date. They will be able to play a constructive role to try and get all parties to understand why devolution collapsed, why the impasse remains and how we can find a way forward.

"Without an inclusive approach, an Executive cannot be restored in any sustainable format, and we will continue to hurdle down the tracks towards full Direct Rule."

Ulster Unionist Finance spokesperson, Steve Aiken OBE MLA said seeing Westminster pass a budget for Northern Ireland is not a sign of a return to direct rule, it is a sign of the failure of the last Executive.

He said: "This is a mess that has been exacerbated firstly by the failure of a Sinn Fein Finance Minister to deliver a budget last year and secondly by the lack of planning in place for the next financial year when we will run into bigger problems.

"Whether it is our own Ministers, or those appointed by the Prime Minister, getting to grips with our budgetary crisis, difficult decisions will need to be made and planning for those should have already started.

"It is disgraceful that we all know that these problems exist and are continuing to grow, yet we are still seemingly no closer to seeing an Executive being established. Sinn Fein's continued cries over Tory austerity ring hollow given it is within their power to re-establish the Assembly and Executive. If they really wanted to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland, they would drop their red lines."

(CD)