Minister apologises after official report said Stormont had 'trillions, rather than billions' to spend

The error was pointed out by the TUV MLA Timothy Gaston on Monday, prompting a clarification by Stormont’s finance minister on Tuesday.

John O’Dowd corrected the Assembly record and apologised, saying he had asked officials to determine how it had come about.

Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole said Timothy Gaston was “right to point out a typographical error” in the ​spring supplementary estimates document which was debated on Monday.

The SDLP MLA said it is the job of MLAs to “take seriously the scrutiny of these documents” – adding “they aren’t that hideously complicated”.

A table in a briefing document given to assembly members listed figures in millions, rather than hundreds of thousands. It appears most MLAs did not notice the mistake, as they scrutinised the finance department document.

Mr Gaston told MLAs on Tuesday that a sum of over thirty one billion being discussed by the Assembly was “not quite the £57 trillion we were promised in yesterday’s estimates but even so, it is quite the eye watering sum”.

He said the money available for public services in Northern Ireland was only available because of the province’s place in the United Kingdom.

“Unlike our friends in the Irish Republic, that thirty one billion means that in 2025 the people of Northern Ireland will continue to enjoy an NHS free at the point of need.

“Yes, the NHS is far from perfect but citizens on this side of the border aren’t required to pay €80 a day for inpatient services at hospital.

“Nor do they need to cough up €100 when they attend accident and emergency or even €65 to see a GP. A fire brigade which won’t send you a bill after they call out to put out a fire.

“It’s good to be British”, the North Antrim MLA said.

The spring supplementary estimates are part of the budget bill, authorising Stormont spending for 2024-25 and 2025-26.