Politics

£90m funding boost for health and education 'a drop in the ocean'

EXTRA FUNDING: Secretary of State James Brokenshire has allocated £131 million to Stormont departments
EXTRA FUNDING: Secretary of State James Brokenshire has allocated £131 million to Stormont departments EXTRA FUNDING: Secretary of State James Brokenshire has allocated £131 million to Stormont departments

AN extra £90 million for health and education in the north is only "a drop in the ocean of what is needed", it was warned last night.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was speaking after Secretary of State James Brokenshire announced fresh allocations of funding to Stormont departments.

The collapse of power-sharing has forced Mr Brokenshire to step in.

A total of £131m is being disbributed, including £60m for health and £30m for education.

The extra money will see the budget for health increase by 4.6 per cent, while the Department for Communities and Executive Office will benefit from increases of 8.9 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively.

The money includes £42m from the Chancellor's spring budget, funds carried forward from last year's budget and an increase in rates income plus a reduction in welfare reform costs.

The allocations do not include an extra £1 billion pledged to Northern Ireland as part of the Conservatives' deal to ensure DUP support at Westminster.

Mr Brokenshire said although an executive cannot be formed before the autumn, "during that time pressures will continue to build, particularly in health and education services".

"And so, as I set out in my written statement on July 11, I consider it necessary to provide further clarity to support Northern Ireland permanent secretaries in addressing those pressures, maintaining public services and continuing to uphold the commitments arising from the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements."

Mr Eastwood said it "beggars belief" that the British government has had to step in and blamed the DUP and Sinn Féin for the continued impasse at Stormont.

“The British government’s sticking plaster cannot be worn for long," he said.

"The clock is still ticking. While there may be some relief to existing pressures from today’s announcement, the fact remains if parties want devolution to work here they can’t hide out all summer."

Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy blamed the DUP for the lack of an executive and said Mr Brokenshire's Tory government was "continuing to cut the block grant and pursue unrelenting austerity".

"The Tories want credit for helping ease cuts they were responsible for in the first place," he said.

"Recent disgraceful decisions such as the cut to school uniform grants should now be reversed and the special educational needs budget protected. Significant investment should also be put into the transformative work required in the health department."

Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry said real damage to the economy and public services had already occurred.

"Major investments and reforms have been delayed in the absence of any devolved executive," he said.

Meanwhile, the Scottish and Welsh governments have started a formal dispute process over the Tory government's deal with the DUP.

They argue that Barnett formula rules, which are used to allocate money to UK regions, mean they should also be entitled to extra funding.

The two devolved administrations have now asked the Treasury to invoke the formal dispute resolution process through the Joint Ministerial Committee.

A government spokesman said the £1bn for the north is "exceptional funding" which will be made outside of the Barnett funding system.

"Like previous Northern Ireland support packages, and the funding of over £1bn for city deals in Scotland and Wales, this funding is a targeted intervention to address a specific set of unique challenges," he said.