After a protracted meeting of the power-sharing executive at Stormont, Finance minister Caoimhe Archibald declared her proposed budget of £14.5 billion (€16.9 billion) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, deeming it a challenging financial strategy for Northern Ireland. The budget did not fully satisfy any government department needs, necessitating stringent decisions concerning the distribution across the nine regional government sections.
Allocations to capital projects received an additional boost of £2.1 billion. Despite the Department of Health securing over half of the total outlay, accounting for £7.76 billion, it wasn’t enough to warrant support from Ulster Unionist Party’s (UUP) Health Minister Robin Swann. Swann criticised the allocated sum as insufficient and voted against the budget, suggesting implications on pay settlements, GP services, household care packages and burgeoning waiting lists.
UUP leader Doug Beattie condemned the agreed budget as not conducive for delivery by Swann and other parties who vowed to prioritise health following Stormont’s reinstatement two months prior. Beattie characterised the budget as objectionable and affirmed his commitment to challenge it.
The department of Education received the second-highest allotment at £2.87 billion, incorporating £25 million for childcare strategy implementation. Northern Ireland, in contrast to England’s provision of 15 free weekly childcare hours during term time for parents of two-year-olds, lacks free childcare offerings. A fully-funded early learning and childcare strategy, as per previous statements by Education minister Paul Givan at the Assembly, could amass a yearly cost of up to £400 million.
The Department of Justice secured £1.26 billion, and key Executive capital developments including the A6, the Casement Park redevelopment, and the establishment of a new mother and children’s hospital on the Royal Hospital Belfast site will receive £180 million.
Ms Archibald acutely noted that the funding sought by ministerial departments greatly exceeded the available resources, calling on the UK government to review Northern Ireland’s public spending settlement.
“I acknowledge that the funds assigned may not cover all the needs of our departments, a fact that is unfortunate for all cabinet members,” she stated. “Ever since power was returned, we knew this budget would pose a challenge. None of the departments have been granted the budget they requested. As a cabinet, we’ve had to make hard decisions and focus on the budget we have.”
First Minister Michelle O’Neill robustly maintained that healthcare has been given priority. Meanwhile, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly affirmed that determining a budget was a “necessary action”.
Little-Pengelly pointed out that if Mr Swann had gotten his funding request, “it would have exhausted all the extra resources allotted for the budget.”
“There are other critical areas such as special educational needs inclusive of general education and justice. We have competing priorities,” she voiced.
SDLP MLA and opposition leader, Matthew O’Toole, criticised the executive’s decision arguing they must “perform better than this”, calling for a “detailed strategy” for improving the health service and giving precedence to essential areas like childcare.
After the executive’s approval, a bill for the budget must be presented to the Northern Ireland Assembly determining the permitted limit for department spending.