Ministers 'are playing politics over cutbacks'
HEALTH services in Northern Ireland will be adversely affected by ministers playing "party politics" over budget cuts, according to health minister Michael McGimpsey.
Speaking ahead of yesterday's Executive "away day," where the ministers hoped to formulate a plan to cope with the Westminster-imposed cuts, Mr McGimpsey said the decision not to ring-fence the health budget was "motivated by party political considerations".
The Assembly has already had to deal with the 128 million worth of cuts directed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, but a further reduction in public spending is expected to follow.
Mr McGimpsey was expected to use the trip to convince his fellow ministers that his department should be given special priority.
The minister said: "I think it's political. The DUP, before the Assembly elections, said the health budget should rise 20 per cent. Immediately they get elected and I'm the minister, they're arguing there should be no rises."
Mr McGimpsey said people here "deserve a wee bit of honesty" and called the decision "gross hypocrisy".
He added: "We have members, for example also in Sinn Fein, who vote for those cuts and then go and protest against the cuts when the cuts come along."
His proposals are likely to face a stiff challenge from finance minister Sammy Wilson, who has repeatedly reminded all government departments of the need to "play their part" in meeting the new financial targets.
Speaking in May this year, Mr McGimpsey said the government proposals "made it clear that England will ensure that its health service is protected — this must also happen in Northern Ireland".
"If further cuts are imposed the consequences will be truly dire — patients will be left in unnecessary pain and distress, the most vulnerable will suffer. This cannot be allowed to happen," he said.
Dr Stephen Farry, of the Alliance Party, said he did not believe health should be completely ring-fenced due to its percentage share of the overall budget.
The North Down MLA said: "With health taking up almost 50 per cent of the total budget, if you agree to ring-fence it you are doubling the size of the cuts everywhere else.
"We believe there are still inefficiencies in the health service and if you ring-fence the budget there is less incentive for change."
The Department of Finance and Personnel issued a statement pointing out that the issue of ring-fencing is "one that the Executive will explore over the coming weeks as part of the wider budget setting process".
The statement added: "The health budget in Northern Ireland is not comparable with the health budget in the rest of the United Kingdom as it contains the issue of public safety, fire service and social services which are not planned to be ring-fenced and protected in the rest of the United Kingdom."
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Monday 28 May 2012
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