25 January 2008
Extra money for health, housing and higher education was announced by the Northern Ireland finance minister, the Democratic Unionists' Peter Robinson, as he finalises his Budget for 2008/09.
Health has been allocated an extra £10m a year after its minister, the Ulster Unionists' Michael McGimpsey, lobbied hard for more funding, saying that his initial allocation of £3.9bn increased the health spending gap compared with Britain.
McGimpsey has also won approval to keep £20m of any underspends and to retain departmental efficiency savings above 3%. McGimpsey's department – Health, Social Services and Public Safety – will be allocated a further £14m over three years to improve fire stations and fire service equipment.
Housing gains £205m more in capital spending over the next three years, allowing the Department for Social Development to meet its affordable homes targets of an additional 1,500 units in 2008/09, 1,750 in 2009/10 and 2,000 in 2010/11.
However, the DSD minister, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Margaret Ritchie, claimed her budget was insufficient.
An additional £90m spending on an Innovation Fund – half of which is to come from the Irish government – was also announced by Robinson.
This is to be used to finance more postgraduate students, overseen by the Department for Education and Learning – whose minister, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Sir Reg Empey, said his previous allocation was 'disappointing'.
An additional £40m is to be spent on road building next year.
PFjan2008
