The Ulster Unionist Party have offered a guarded welcome to the announcement that the Department of Health will receive an additional £121.9 Million but have emphasised that this does not meet the urgent need to stop catastrophic cuts.

Speaking after the Executive agreed to the allocation of the June Monitoring round funding, Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, commented.

“The agreement today to allocate £121.9 million of additional funding to health is welcomed but is clearly not sufficient to address the catastrophic cuts that the department and the Health Trusts have highlighted.

“I and my party continue to support my health Ministers position that we will not be allowing these catastrophic cuts to take place.

“it is unbelievable that this additional money could have been included in the final budget settlement if the other Executive parties had have listened to us and deferred the budget by a few weeks.

“The Ulster Unionist Party will continue to challenge, both at Stormont and at Westminster, to ensure the Health budget is fully funded.”