The Finance Minister, John O’Dowd, has accused the secretary of state of seeking to tax “workers, families and businesses” in Northern Ireland because the government “refuses to fund it fairly”.
No resolution was reached in negotiations between executive parties and Sir Chris Bryant on a budget deal on Thursday.
The Northern Ireland secretary has said that it is not his “job” to set a budget and that it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive, adding there was “no more money”.
He is understood to have presented a set of conditions, including revenue raising, to be attached to any potential deal on a Stormont budget.
However O’Dowd hit out at this: “When you hear Chris Bryant talk about revenue raising, by and large, what he means is how can we place more taxes on workers, families and businesses because the British government refuses to fund this place fairly,” he said.
“Unless the British government changes tact in terms of fairness and sustainability of funding here, we’re always going to run into these challenges in delivering our public services, sustaining them and growing our economy,” said O’Dowd.
Seven months into this financial year, the Northern Ireland Executive has still not agreed a budget.
O’Dowd said departments are currently operating under 95% of their budget adding “those challenges will become more acute” by the end of the calendar year.
“There has to be a recognition within the British government; for decades now they have significantly underfunded this place which has led to the challenges we currently face, ” he told BBC Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster Programme.
O’Dowd said as well additional funding, a sustainable and fair package is needed.
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal and our focus has been on reaching a point on where I can bring forward proposals to the executive which allows us to pay our public sector workers.”
He added that as long as there is engagement and proposals coming forward then there is an opportunity to move forward.
“At the end of this initial process, I believe challenges will remain, and we need to get the British government to a position where we have a fair and sustainable funding package for this place.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
