Debate contribution: Budget Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Miss Jemma Dolan on 24 February 2026.

MLA

Miss Jemma Dolan

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

24 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Budget Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5404452

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.

Our financial position has not only been well debated in the Chamber in recent days but is at the heart of almost all our discussions as we seek to deliver the public services that our citizens deserve. A combination of factors means that we continue to face immense financial challenges, the primary cause being the legacy of underfunding by the British Government over many years and the austerity measures that they have implemented.

Since the restoration of the Executive just over two years ago, the Finance Minister and his predecessor, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, have pressed the Treasury about our underfunding. That has secured £1·3 billion in additional funding. The recent agreement of the £400 million reserve claim between the Treasury and the Executive is positive from the perspective that it will help alleviate the pressure on the Budget for next year. However, it underlines the difficulties that we face in trying to protect our public services.

Investment in the areas that are central to the Programme for Government (PFG) priorities is evident in the draft Budget proposals, including the almost half a billion pounds to cut health waiting lists; the £195 million to support parents with childcare costs; the £21 million for skills to grow the economy; and the £15 million for ending violence against women and girls. Earmarked funding that will deliver £433 million for water infrastructure and £441 million for social housing will help the construction sector, while increasing capacity for more homes and businesses. We have an opportunity to enable Departments to strategically plan for the longer term by agreeing a multi-year Budget. That will also support our efforts to deliver efficiencies and transformation, which will achieve better outcomes across the public sector. Negative spending decisions made in London continue to impact us detrimentally. We have seen the British Government prioritise investing in, for example, militarisation, which provides no Barnett consequentials for us, meaning that we do not get additional income to invest in our health service, education service and roads. The VAT disparity between the two jurisdictions here means that businesses in my constituency face a disadvantage compared with those just a few miles outside it. That, of course, is one of the financial powers that rest with those not elected by the people here. That is why we need to see what many in the Chamber, including me, and across the North desire: constitutional change. In the interim, I encourage the Finance Minister to continue his work on progressing a full fiscal framework and delivering more fiscal powers locally to allow us to make different choices that better suit the needs of our economy and generate income for public services in a fair way.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:02 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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