Debate contribution: Executive Budget

Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on 14 September 2026.

MLA

Mr John O'Dowd

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

14 September 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Executive Budget

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5685769

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Member is confusing himself and probably others. The Member is the Chair of the Finance Committee: you have access to every document and paper that is required to produce a Budget. The costings for Budgets that my colleagues in the South require are to do with taxation matters. We do not collect taxation here, other than the regional rate. The Member has the figures; he has the breakdown of the figures; he has every piece of information that he requires. If he is lacking in information, feel free to write to me and ask questions. Your Members pride themselves on the quantity of the questions that they ask. I suggest that, in these circumstances, quality would be more beneficial than quantity. The SDLP, as the official Opposition, not only has not produced an alternative Budget but has not even responded to the consultation on the draft Budget, which is a damning indictment of the SDLP's commentary. I understand that, over the summer, the Member, who is Chair of the Finance Committee, bought himself some expensive fountain pens at public expense. Your colleague who is muttering behind you bought himself a very expensive coffee machine at public expense.

I thought to myself, "Here we go. Matthew is supplying the ink. His friend is supplying the coffee. There'll be some work done now". I am still waiting on something; I am still waiting.

Well, I am waiting for you to write the Opposition's Budget. I have already produced a Budget. I consulted my Executive colleagues; I consulted the public; I consulted stakeholders. I listened. I said at the time that I was going to listen, and I listened. Since February 2024, when Dr Archibald became Finance Minister, until now, we have challenged and collectively secured an additional £1·3 billion for the Executive. We have continued our research and engagement with our officials, and we have identified serious flaws in our funding package. We intend to secure more money for the Executive so that we can invest in public services and the economy. That is the task of a Minister. That is my job. I have to get on and do it. The Members beside me appear in the media and tell us what we should do, what we need to do and what we must do. I hope that, some day, a journalist will ask them, "And what would you do?". That is the normal course of action. I watch political shows elsewhere and see engagement with official Opposition spokespersons, and, after they have finished criticising the Government or the Executive, the next question usually is, "And what would you do?". That question is missing.

444 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:16 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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