Dickson Calls Out DUP for Holding £300 million in Additional Public Funding Hostage

East Antrim Alliance MLA, Stewart Dickson, has voiced his alarm at a budgetary update from the Finance Minister in Stormont on Tuesday morning.

Mr Dickson said: “If the Executive was still in place, there would be an additional £300 million in funds for the Finance Minister to allocate during the course of next year. However, following legal advice to the Minister, he had to announce that it will sit idle until the Executive is re-established. Just like the people and projects that the funding would assist.

“As this money would have been in addition to the published Draft Budget position, it could have been spent to help ease pressures on various departments.

“In particular, the Finance Minister mentioned skills funding, electricity bill discounts, and match-funding for community groups traditionally benefitting from the European Social Fund.

“As many as 17,000 people across Northern Ireland rely on these community groups, but as things currently stand, no funding is in place from the 1st April. Consequently, crucial services for the most vulnerable in society are at risk of collapse”.

Mr Dickson went on to explain his deep-seated concerns around the Economy Minister’s role in this particular issue.

He said: “The Economy Minister has the authority to prioritise these community groups. And it is worth remembering that these groups are only in need of match-funding because of the DUP-backed Brexit that meant they lost out on European Social funding in the first place. However, the Economy Minister has not chosen to prioritise these groups, and has not yet accepted an offer from the Finance Minister for additional funding to be made available”.

For those struggling in Great Britain to keep afloat due to the cost of living crisis, there will be money made available to discount their electricity bills in 2022-2023. However, the £150 million allocated to Northern Ireland for this purpose, makes up part of the overall £300 million figure that cannot now be spent due to the absence of an Executive.

Mr Dickson said: “The choice between heating and eating is one that is all too well known for many people living in Northern Ireland battling fuel poverty. That this £150 million will sit idle while people continue to struggle, is beyond comprehension”.

Mr Dickson concluded by saying: “Today the Finance Minister explained in no uncertain terms that public services in Northern Ireland will operate on an emergency basis, without the benefits of long-term planning or additional resources, until such time as the Executive is re-established.

“The DUP has made this a reality, and I for one have had enough”.