Post by earl on Jan 23, 2008 11:48:25 GMT
Social housing and health were the main winners in today's Stormont budget delivered by Finance Minister Peter Robinson.
The minister has also put £90 million into an innovation fund aimed at promoting economic growth, the Dublin government providing £42 million of the cash.
Southern Finance Minister Brian Cowen has pledged £42 million of the £90 million funds over the next three years allocated to all government departments, the Finance Minister told MLAs during a statement on the final draft of the Executive`s Budget.[/color]
Mr Robinson (DUP, East Belfast) also confirmed Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey is to receive an extra £57 million over three years, giving him £30 million for mental health services and £14 million for the modernisation of the fire service.
Mr McGimspey had originally clashed with the Assembly Health Committee and the Finance Minister after he claimed the original budget allocation to his Department in October was not enough.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie also saw her budget for social and affordable housing swell by £205 million over three years to build 5,250 new houses after claiming the original budget did not give her enough funds.
The Irish Government had originally offered £36 million to the power sharing Executive for innovation - the remainder is made £25 million from the Executive and also from the £1 billion package secured from the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to devolution.[/color]
Sir Reg Empey`s Employment and Learning department will receive the biggest share of the innovation fund, £40 million which will be spent on more places for PhD students, cross-border research projects and additional support for the further and higher education sectors.
Mr Robinson again confirmed that domestic regional rates would be frozen in cash terms over the next three years, non-domestic regional rates frozen in real terms over the next three years and industrial rates would be capped at 30 per cent.
This, the Finance Minister argued, demonstrated the benefits of devolution returning.
In a reference to the rows between parties after his initial draft budget in October, the east Belfast MP acknowledged: "During the past ten weeks we have had a vigorous, often robust debate among politicians and the general public about our public spending priorities.
"This is important in a democracy. It has been a useful, if sometimes difficult process, but I believe that the final budget is better for it."
On top of the additional £57 million investment in health and public safety over three years, Michael McGimpsey will also be able to avail of up to £20 million a year from extra funds sourced during in-year monitoring by the Finance Department.
The Health minister has also been given a degree of flexibility in handling his budget.
His will give him the power to reinvest money saved through efficiencies or underspends within his department. Traditionally this money would have gone back to the Finance Department for reallocation within the Executive.
In exchange for this the Health minister has agreed not to bid for any other additional funding during the year.
The innovation package also allocates:
:: Economy Minister Nigel Dodds £14 million for promoting innovation in local firms.
:: Health Minister Michael McGimpsey £13 million to establish linkages between hospitals across Northern Ireland.
:: Education Minister Caitriona Ruane £11 million to spend on science, technology and maths.
:: Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew £7 million for renewable energy research.
:: Culture Minister Edwin Poots £5 million to spend on the creative industries.
:: Environment Minister Arlene Foster has the smallest allocation £103,000 for green fuel research.
_______________________________________________________
Some Unionists used to take great joy in their mis-information about how much EU funding the ROI was getting and how it was used. I'd like to see the look on their faces now! It seems that the British government just can't be arsed giving NI the funding it needs to rebuild, so it's lucky that your neighbours are more than willing to help you out.
this seems to be the shape of things to come. It confirms that the British strategy on NI is to wash it's hands of it as much as possible. When a country won't even give the required amount of funding to a certain section of it's population, it tells you how important that section really is in the list of priorities. There's probably more money being spent on that new MI5/MI6 base than on the people of NI by the British government!
I wonder did wally Wallace say what he did on RTE before or after the (how was it some Unionists called it, ah yes) 'begging bowl' was put away?
The minister has also put £90 million into an innovation fund aimed at promoting economic growth, the Dublin government providing £42 million of the cash.
Southern Finance Minister Brian Cowen has pledged £42 million of the £90 million funds over the next three years allocated to all government departments, the Finance Minister told MLAs during a statement on the final draft of the Executive`s Budget.[/color]
Mr Robinson (DUP, East Belfast) also confirmed Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey is to receive an extra £57 million over three years, giving him £30 million for mental health services and £14 million for the modernisation of the fire service.
Mr McGimspey had originally clashed with the Assembly Health Committee and the Finance Minister after he claimed the original budget allocation to his Department in October was not enough.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie also saw her budget for social and affordable housing swell by £205 million over three years to build 5,250 new houses after claiming the original budget did not give her enough funds.
The Irish Government had originally offered £36 million to the power sharing Executive for innovation - the remainder is made £25 million from the Executive and also from the £1 billion package secured from the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to devolution.[/color]
Sir Reg Empey`s Employment and Learning department will receive the biggest share of the innovation fund, £40 million which will be spent on more places for PhD students, cross-border research projects and additional support for the further and higher education sectors.
Mr Robinson again confirmed that domestic regional rates would be frozen in cash terms over the next three years, non-domestic regional rates frozen in real terms over the next three years and industrial rates would be capped at 30 per cent.
This, the Finance Minister argued, demonstrated the benefits of devolution returning.
In a reference to the rows between parties after his initial draft budget in October, the east Belfast MP acknowledged: "During the past ten weeks we have had a vigorous, often robust debate among politicians and the general public about our public spending priorities.
"This is important in a democracy. It has been a useful, if sometimes difficult process, but I believe that the final budget is better for it."
On top of the additional £57 million investment in health and public safety over three years, Michael McGimpsey will also be able to avail of up to £20 million a year from extra funds sourced during in-year monitoring by the Finance Department.
The Health minister has also been given a degree of flexibility in handling his budget.
His will give him the power to reinvest money saved through efficiencies or underspends within his department. Traditionally this money would have gone back to the Finance Department for reallocation within the Executive.
In exchange for this the Health minister has agreed not to bid for any other additional funding during the year.
The innovation package also allocates:
:: Economy Minister Nigel Dodds £14 million for promoting innovation in local firms.
:: Health Minister Michael McGimpsey £13 million to establish linkages between hospitals across Northern Ireland.
:: Education Minister Caitriona Ruane £11 million to spend on science, technology and maths.
:: Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew £7 million for renewable energy research.
:: Culture Minister Edwin Poots £5 million to spend on the creative industries.
:: Environment Minister Arlene Foster has the smallest allocation £103,000 for green fuel research.
_______________________________________________________
Some Unionists used to take great joy in their mis-information about how much EU funding the ROI was getting and how it was used. I'd like to see the look on their faces now! It seems that the British government just can't be arsed giving NI the funding it needs to rebuild, so it's lucky that your neighbours are more than willing to help you out.
this seems to be the shape of things to come. It confirms that the British strategy on NI is to wash it's hands of it as much as possible. When a country won't even give the required amount of funding to a certain section of it's population, it tells you how important that section really is in the list of priorities. There's probably more money being spent on that new MI5/MI6 base than on the people of NI by the British government!
I wonder did wally Wallace say what he did on RTE before or after the (how was it some Unionists called it, ah yes) 'begging bowl' was put away?
