‘More flexibility and funding needed from London’ to secure Stormont budget

First Minister Michelle O’Neill has pressed for more flexibility and more funding from London to secure the first multi-year budget at Stormont in more than a decade.

She described the current stalemate over the proposed budget as one of the most pressing issues facing the Stormont Executive.

The larger Stormont parties met with Secretary of State Hilary Benn in a series of meetings in Belfast and London this week.

Finance Minister John O’Dowd published his draft spending plan for a multi-year budget last week and has sent the proposals out for public consultation.

However, they have not been agreed by the powersharing Executive and have faced criticism from other parties, particularly the DUP.

Accompanied by Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald to meet Mr Benn in Belfast on Wednesday afternoon, Ms O’Neill said there is not enough money in the pot.

She also said she would tell Mr Benn of their “serious concerns” around the trajectory of the development of the Legacy Bill, adding she will not support anything that gives preferential treatment to military veterans.

“We as an Executive have work to do, there is no doubt about that, we need to focus on transformation, we need to focus on getting to a point where we have a three-year budget,” she said.

“But for me, this is very much twin track.

“There are policy decisions in London that need to be changed, and I want to make that message very clear to Hilary Benn today, what we need to see is a change of tact, we need to see the flexibilities that the Finance Minister has asked for.”

She added: “We are determined to fight the good fight for the people here, we’re not asking for preferential treatment, we’re asking for what’s right.

“We’re dealing with over a decade of austerity, public services decimated.

“We have work to do, and I accept that, but the budget that has been allocated here is not enough, there is not enough pie to go around all Executive departments to invest in public services.

“There are flexibilities that could be inbuilt to the budget itself, that’s what I’m going upstairs to speak to Hilary Benn about. We need flexibility and additional funding.”

DUP leader Gavin Robinson, alongside party MPs Carla Lockhart and Gregory Campbell met with Mr Benn in London on Tuesday.

He said Northern Ireland must be funded according to need, and also emphasised a responsibility to cut any wasteful spending.

“We are in regular dialogue with the Secretary of State about the challenges and pressures that are unique to Northern Ireland,” he said.

“It is vital that these issues continue to be addressed directly and honestly.

“Northern Ireland must be funded according to need. However, alongside that, there is a responsibility to ensure that wasteful spending is identified and cut out.

“Public services must be funded and structured in a way that is both effective and efficient, delivering real value for taxpayers and ensuring better outcomes for people right across Northern Ireland.”

Alliance Party deputy leader Eoin Tennyson and Stormont Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir met Mr Benn later on Wednesday.

Mr Tennyson said the Executive is “clearly in a very challenging situation” and have just 16 months left in this mandate to deliver.

“There are real challenges, not just our finances, but the attitude of some of the parties round the Executive table,” he said.

“For our part, our focus is not on division, culture war and delay, it’s for delivery for the people of Northern Ireland in the time that we have left.”

He added: “It’s a question for other parties round the Executive table as to whether they are prepared to take the tough decisions which are now necessary, but also for the Secretary of State who, I have to say, has had a fairly ‘hands off’ approach in terms of the operation of the institutions and the challenges that we have been facing since the Executive returned.”