Debate contribution: Core Grant Scheme

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Robinson on 7 April 2025.

MLA

Mr Alan Robinson

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

7 April 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Committee Business

Heading

Core Grant Scheme

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4891264

Read the official Assembly record

Text

As other Members have done, I express our disappointment that only 25 out of 259 community and voluntary sector organisations were successful in their application for the redesigned core grant scheme. Over 90% of applicants — organisations that provide wonderful support to some of the most vulnerable people in the Province — were left without key funding to cover the fixed costs that they need to continue their work. I stress that it is fixed costs that are impacted on here, but, when fixed costs are impacted on, organisations' viability is impacted on and then so too are the services that they provide. I must say, however, without breaking rank from my fellow Health Committee members, that we had this debate last year in the Chamber. Nothing changed other than a redesigned scheme. As defeatist as it may sound, we will probably have this debate next year too. I think that Members can see how frustrated and fatigued I am, but just imagine how so many in the community and voluntary sector must feel when they are short of a contribution of £5,000 right up to £100,000. I doubt that tea and sympathy will cut it for the families, children, elderly people and those with mental health issues. Last year, we heard how the 50% cut to the core grant fund placed some of the organisations on the brink. It led to staff being laid off, and it forced them to change the way that they operate. Some of the groups back then said that the move was short-sighted, and they predicted that, if the scheme were to cease entirely, 62% of them would be at risk of collapse. This is a sector that, sometimes, is the first point of contact for individuals who may be reluctant to approach formal health services. During the previous debate, I said that the health service cannot fill the void left by the loss of those organisations and that we are only setting ourselves up for even bigger problems. I stand by that. Individuals who use and are dependent on those services will end up in worse situations that could have been prevented with early support. How many times in the Chamber have we been told that prevention is better and more cost-effective than the cure? Surely, long-term thinking will say that it is cheaper to fund those services now than to deal with the long-term consequences. Some of those organisations say that it is penny wise and pound foolish. For every pound invested in those services, multiples are saved in future costs to the health service, to the economy and to society in general. With a Health budget of £8·4 billion, are we so far gone that we cannot fund organisations that, rather than being mere add-ons, are integral to alleviating the huge pressures on statutory services, are dealing with issues at their roots and, ultimately, are improving outcomes? I agree that demand was always going to outstrip supply, and it is good to hear that the standard of applications was very high. That tells me that their needs are clearly proven. With a budget of only £1·8 million, however, there were always going to be many fallers in a high-stakes race. That is deeply regrettable. It is also regrettable that the one-year funding model does not provide security. The Committee looks forward to the day when a three-year funding model can be offered. It is positive that, following a recent inquiry, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is calling on the UK Government to provide three-year funding. We hope that that is a "game changer", as suggested earlier by the Finance Minister. The current level of core grant funding is nowhere near sufficient to sustain, let alone expand, the current community and voluntary services. We know that demand for that type of community-based support is increasing and that, without investment, fewer people will receive the support that they need. The impact of the funding shortfall is being felt across the region by patients, families and the highly pressurised health service. I hope that the Minister of Health continues to engage with stakeholders in the sector and listen to their concerns. I have no doubt that he understands the challenges that they face, and I hope that they and the Executive work together to find a long-term, sustainable funding solution.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:20 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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