Stormont Finance Minister to bring budget ‘in coming weeks’

Stormont’s Finance Minister has said she hopes to put forward a budget “in the coming weeks”.

Caoimhe Archibald was challenged during Assembly questions for her department by TUV leader Jim Allister, who said the Northern Ireland Act 1998 says the Finance Minister should lay a draft budget before the beginning of the financial year.

Ms Archibald responded by referring to the challenges facing the Assembly and Executive – which was restored at the end of January following a year of political instability – in terms of timeframes around the budget.

She said that, in accordance with the Act, she laid a statement to the Assembly after being informed by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris of the funding for the coming financial year.

“Obviously, these are not ideal circumstances – I’ve been very upfront about that – but we have to deal with the circumstances that we are in and we will be working at pace to bring in a budget in the coming weeks,” she added.

Earlier, Ms Archibald said the Executive is facing a “significant challenge” in terms of its budgetary situation.

She said that, while the Assembly and Executive were not functioning, Mr Heaton-Harris had put a number of potential revenue-raising measures out for consultation.

Ms Archibald said she will consider the responses to those consultations received by departments.

“Obviously we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re putting more regressive charges on the backs of workers and families who are already struggling with the cost of living,” she told MLAs.

“We do have a significant challenge in terms of our budgetary situation.

“We will continue to make the case to the British Treasury and to the British Government to be properly funded, to have a properly baselined funding framework on the basis of need. That has been recognised, that we have been underfunded over the last number of years.

“We need to, going forward, be properly funded, to be able to deliver the type of high-quality public services people deserve.”