Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA, UUP Finance Spokesperson and Chair of the Assembly Finance Committee, has called for a new ‘joined-up’ approach to be taken to local budgets and to end the piecemeal approach that has held us back thus far.  

Steve Aiken said:

“The announcement today that our budget for next 3 years will be in the region of £45 Billion, along with an additional allocation of £3 Bn in ring fenced DEL, demonstrates the significant level of funding and support we receive as part of the United Kingdom.

“It is also a wake-up call for the NI Executive that with funding at these levels, real decisions, putting the people of Northern Ireland first, need to be made.  Health, education and prosperity must be the priorities in any future programme for government; frittering away money on ‘pet projects’, on poorly managed procurement, or on inefficiencies created by our numerous layers of unnecessary bureaucracy, simply has to stop.

“Now is the time for a properly ‘joined-up’ approach, informed by the Independent Fiscal Council, and a strong commitment by all Parties to use this budget wisely – not like the piecemeal approach taken by the DUP/SF duopoly of the last decade.”