Debate contribution: Executive Budget: Public Services
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Executive Budget: Public Services
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5742078
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I absolutely agree with the Member. That is the point that we are making and the negotiation that we are engaged in. Those are the conversations that we are having with the British Government, because we want a fair and sustainable, baselined funding settlement. That is the position of all four Executive parties, because the current situation cannot stand. We cannot keep limping from one cliff edge to another, with Westminster throwing some money on the table, walking away and leaving us with the same problem soon after. My focus is on ensuring that our Executive have the money necessary to invest in our public services, because we want to protect and stabilise our front-line services, deliver on public-sector pay and have people's backs in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. It will be a difficult and challenging winter ahead. We want to build more homes, invest in waste water and critical infrastructure, tackle health inequalities and reduce waiting lists. To put it simply, we need the right financial envelope to do that. Some commentary has suggested that we should have simply agreed a Budget by now and moved on: that is not the case. We should not accept less for our people. We should fight the good fight for our people. We should fight for more money for our public services. Our endeavours are to land at a point where we secure a much fairer funding settlement for our public services that protects jobs and supports workers, families, communities and small local businesses in getting through these times. That is what we are engaged in and will continue to be engaged in.
273 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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