Funds Row Clouds MLA's Summer Break

There's storm clouds gathering over Stormont today as it looks increasingly likely the Assembly's Executive will recall MLAs next week - despite being on their summer adjournment.

Sinn Féin claim they are being forced to bring MLAs back to Stormont, (pictured here by Ada Cruz Tienda) in order to discuss the quarterly funding re-allocation.

Sinn Féin Chief Whip in the Assembly, Carál Ní Chuilín MLA said that the recall of the Assembly is essential in order to question the new Finance Minister Sammy Wilson on the current budget allocations.

Ms Ní Chuilin said: "The previous minister, Nigel Dodds has failed to bring forward the June Monitoring Round outcomes for consideration by the Executive in time to be debated.

"What each department is allocated as a result of this financial monitoring round is essential not just for ministerial members to know what their spend may be but also for each and every MLA in order to have the opportunity to ratify any re-allocation of funds to priority projects," she said.

"This information is crucial to the work that we all do in the Assembly and on its committees and not to have the opportunity to debate the outcomes and question the effects of these decisions given the current economic crisis and departmental shortfalls is extremely poor practice," she continued, noting that Sinn Féin saw no "other option but to call for an emergency sitting of the Assembly".

As a result of the recent DUP ministerial reshuffle it is the party's newly nominated Finance Minister Sammy Wilson who is now responsible for the issue.

This week's Executive meeting at Stormont Castle was the first involving the DUP's new ministerial line-up.

The DUP team led by First Minister Peter Robinson included Junior Minister Robin Newton, Culture Minister Nelson McCausland, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, Environment Minister Edwin Poots and Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.

It is expected that the Assembly will indeed be recalled next week to complete this financial business it allegedly failed to finish ahead of its summer recess.

Last Tuesday was supposed to be the final sitting of the full Assembly until the summer recess ends in September.

(BMcC/JM)