Stormont Assembly Budget agreement

AGREEMENT was reached on the draft Budget for the Assembly for 2015/16 at an Executive meeting on Thursday.

The draft Budget was agreed following protracted negations between Sinn Féin and the DUP in recent days.

It was passed at Thursday’s Executive meeting with support from Sinn Féin and the DUP. The SDLP voted against while the Ulster Unionist Party and Alliance abstained from the vote.

Speaking afterwards, deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness acknowledged the financial pressures facing the Executive as a result of the Tory-led Westminster Government’s year-on-year assault on the block grant.

McGuinness said that, despite the economic challenges, Sinn Féin ensured the protection of frontline services, particularly in health and education.

He called on all Executive parties to unite to demand an end to the raiding of the block grant by a Cabinet of Tory millionaires.

Despite claims to the contrary, agreeing the draft Budget does not signal a deal on so-called welfare reform – Tory-led welfare cuts.

Instead, the issues of the reductions to the block grant, welfare cuts and increased fiscal powers have all been tabled by Sinn Féin for the all-party talks.

The draft Budget makes reference to £70million being allocated for “welfare reform” but this is in fact for a contingency fund which will be set up to assist those who will be most adversely affected by the cuts if they are implemented. It does not presuppose or presume any outcome to the negotiations on the issue.

Martin McGuinness made it clear that Sinn Féin remains totally opposed to the Tory assault on the welfare state and is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

He repeated Sinn Féin’s call for the Welfare Reform Bill to be brought to the floor of the Assembly so that it can be debated and voted on in an open and democratic forum.