Debate contribution: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-25

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 17 February 2025.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

17 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Spring Supplementary Estimates 2024-25

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4803102

Read the official Assembly record

Text

It is concerning that most Committees have not had the time to properly scrutinise the SSEs. As I understand it, only the Finance and Infrastructure Committees have heard evidence from departmental officials on the SSEs, which is pretty telling. For DAERA, it is stated that there is:

"£1.5m for the Environmental Improvement Plan including Lough Neagh".

It is worth mentioning that that is 14 months late and provides no clear pathway for tackling our existing climate, biodiversity and pollution crisis. A total of £1·5 million to take forward work on Lough Neagh is a paltry sum, given the issues there. For DFC, there is £17 million for the pension age fuel support payment. At the same time, there is a reduced requirement of £30 million as a result of the cut to the winter fuel payment. There is an additional £50 million for the social housing development programme (SHDP). That raises a question about how many social homes will be built and how many have been built in the financial year that is coming to an end. There is £6·7 million for homelessness and NIHE internal running costs, while £34·4 million was spent on temporary accommodation in 2023-24. Those tens of millions would be better spent on homelessness prevention than on firefighting and fuelling profiteering landlords and private companies. On DFC capital DEL, the spring Supplementary Estimates note a decrease in spend by the Department for Communities on disabled adaptations:

"a decrease in expenditure across the Department including Disabled Adaptations, Decent Homes and NIHE Urban Renewal. Whilst New Build Social Housing spend has seen a slight reduction, construction industry inflation has meant that fewer SHDP units can be delivered."

Again, how many new build social homes were started last year? How can there be a reduction in spend on adaptations when so many people's homes in my constituency and across the North are in much need of those adaptations? The document goes on to state that DFC has:

"high levels of attrition and delays in recruitment in both substantive and agency staff in 2024-25. Currently the Department has c.1,300 vacant posts".

That is a really pressing issue. I press the Communities Minister to fill those posts. There has been an £8·9 million allocation from the UK's Shared Prosperity Fund to DFE, including Invest NI. It has been raised in recent days that Invest NI has given £20 million to three companies that allegedly produce F-35 war planes, so not only is public money not being spent well but that connection to the war machine in Israel is really concerning. I urge Ministers to address that urgently. There has been an increase in DE's resource DEL for the National Joint Council (NJC) pay award, the EA pay and grading review and the early learning and childcare strategy, but SEN pressures have not been fully tackled and remain, as does the ageing school estate. There has been a DEL increase for the Health Department for the pay award, and a reduced capital DEL requirement for the maternity and children's hospital. Resource AME decreased by £175 million, mainly due to the recent update on a potential legal case that could have had a significant impact on HSC bodies. There has been an increase in requirements for NI Water subsidy, which I broadly welcome. We need to maintain NI Water as a public body. I hope that the Minister, given his previous role, commits to maintaining that in his current role. I note that £2·75 million was allocated to DOJ for "policing summer disorder". What was that spent on? There are serious questions about how the police responded to racial riots in south Belfast and other areas in the summer. There is an allocation of £5·2 million for legal aid. Clearly, that is too little, too late. Criminal barristers who are engaged in legally aided Crown Court cases voted to extend their strike action, so £5·2 million does not seem to address that adequately. There is an allocation of £6·3 million to TEO for the net refugee and asylum support and integration scheme. I note that, last week, Members from various parties met to discuss supporting Palestinians across the city and the North. There should be a Palestinian support scheme to fast-track Palestinians who have family members living in Ireland. There is also £2 million for the ending violence against women and girls strategic framework. On the broader point, how can the Executive make decisions about how to invest money when there is no Programme for Government setting out their strategic priorities? Last year, in a colonial-type diktat, the Tory Government told Stormont that it needed to raise £113 million to invest in public services. However, rather than revenue raising through raising corporation tax and scrapping rates relief for hugely wealthy corporations, the Executive are increasing the regional domestic rate by 5%. That is yet another financial burden that has been placed on working-class communities. It seems that the Executive parties are hell-bent on continuing to punish the public and are unwilling to challenge the UK Government on the terms of the rotten restoration deal. Treasury economics are a disaster for communities across the North. Other indicative Budget allocations are simply too little, too late. An allocation of £50 million for the childcare strategy represents just 12·5% of the £400 million needed to fully fund commitments. An allocation of £20 million to prevent the further deterioration of the school estate pales in comparison with the £450 million that is needed to address the maintenance backlog. An allocation of £100 million for social housing does not even scratch the surface. An allocation of £105 million for investment in NI Water falls far short of what is needed to fix the crumbling waste water infrastructure and to protect our waterways from devastating pollution. Ultimately, the Budget does little to heal the extensive damage done to public services over 15 years of austerity cuts. Ordinary people should not be punished for the political and economic failures of the ruling elites.

1,003 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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