Budget: Stormont's opposition leader says ministers 'only too keen' to lump blame for Northern Ireland's finances on the UK Government

Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole has taken aim at ministers – particularly in Sinn Fein – for being “only too keen to lump all the blame on the UK Government” while doing little to take on additional financial responsibilities themselves.

The SDLP will vote against the budget, backed by the governing parties in Sinn Fein, DUP, UUP and Alliance. Among the opposition proposals are:

• At least 10% of departmental spending must be ringfenced and matched to Programme for Government priorities

• Securing Executive control over more tax, borrowing and spending powers

• Creating a Northern Ireland Regional Investment Bank modelled on the Scottish National Investment Bank which is empowered to participate in co-financed and cross-border projects.

• Legislate for a Future Generations Act to embed long-term thinking into all government decision-making and spending.

Matthew O’Toole MLA said: “Last February the restored Executive promised much but so far has been marked by the same inaction and lack of ambition the public has become all too used to. The Programme for Government was late and filled with gauzy aspiration but little by way of clear targets, and the Budget which followed has completely failed to match what few targets there are to specific resources.

“But Executive ministers, particularly successive Sinn Féin finance ministers, have been only too keen to lump all the blame on the UK Government while doing next to nothing to take more fiscal power locally to manage our own finances and set out own priorities. A Fiscal Commission report, nearly four years old and full of suggestions for greater local power, has sat on the shelf while Sinn Féin ministers have paid empty lip service to its findings.

“With many public services in crisis, crumbling water infrastructure and environmental degradation, it is vital that we take proper power locally to improve things for our citizens”.