Stormont finance minister Caoimhe Archibald says she will press funding need during Treasury meeting

Caoimhe Archibald confirmed to the Assembly that she would be holding a meeting with Laura Trott, chief secretary to the Treasury, on Wednesday when she said she would also raise concerns over the withdrawal of ring-fenced funding for a number of integrated and shared education projects.

Ms Archibald requested the Treasury meeting following the publication of details of a £3.3 billion financial package drawn up by the UK Government to support the return of devolution in Northern Ireland.

The Government has said the powersharing Executive should raise £113 million in additional funds over the next year and produce a plan to deliver sustainable finances as a condition for the Treasury writing off almost £600 million of Stormont debt.

But Stormont leaders have voiced concern about introducing new revenue-raising measures in the region and have ruled out increasing the regional rate in Northern Ireland by 15% to raise the £113 million.

Answering questions in the Assembly, Ms Archibald said: “I have written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury setting out my significant concerns in relation to elements of the financial package, including the stipulations on revenue raising.

“I am meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury tomorrow where I will be pressing for substantive engagement on how we develop and implement a new fiscal framework.

“I view that very much as the start of the engagement with Treasury on these matters.

“The immediate priority is for the British Government to put in place a fair and appropriately baselined needs-based fiscal floor, which recognises our underfunding for the start of the next spending review.

“It is essential that the right level of funding is provided by Treasury to ensure we have a sustainable foundation for our finances going forward.”

SDLP Stormont leader Matthew O’Toole asked the minister if she would be recommending an above- or below-inflation rise in the regional rate when the powersharing executive meets later this week.

Ms Archibald said: “We have quite a tight timeframe within which we need to set the rate to ensure that rates bills go out for the beginning of April.

“I will be hopefully discussing with Executive colleagues this week the rate for the incoming financial year.”

Alliance Party MLA Nuala McAllister raised the issue of 10 building projects for shared and integrated schools in Northern Ireland that have had ringfenced funding withdrawn.

Education Minister Paul Givan has said the £150 million for the 10 projects was reallocated in the Treasury’s £3.3 billion financial package for the restoration of the power-sharing executive.

Ms Archibald said: “I am still awaiting clarity from Treasury as to what funding has been re-profiled.

“That is something I will be raising with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury tomorrow.

“I share the concerns that the education minister has set out, these are important projects.

“No executive parties had anything to do with the re-profiling of the money, but obviously we will have to deal with the outworkings of whatever comes next.”

NI Children’s Hospice

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister has said she is “open for a bid” for funding to secure full services at the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The charity has said it is considering cutting bed places due to pressures on its funding.

It cited a loss of state funding and other challenges presented by the cost-of-living crisis.

The hospice, which is located in Newtownabbey, provides specialist palliative care for more than 350 babies, children and their families every year.

The organisation said its position over reducing some services remained unchanged despite an intervention from Health Minister Robin Swann to reinstate £85,000 of funding.

Speaking during Finance Minister questions at Stormont on Tuesday, Ms Archibald said she was open to a bid from Mr Swann for additional funding for the Children’s Hospice as she prepares the 2024/25 budget.

She told MLAs that she is “committed to working with the Health Minister to consider any proposals from the Department of Health to support the Children’s Hospice”.

DUP MLA Philip Brett, who has collected almost 1,200 signatures on a parliamentary petition for more funding for the facility, said there is huge public concern at the reduction of services.

Ms Archibald responded: “I have recently begun the process of setting the budget for the Executive for the incoming financial year. As part of this, departments have been invited to make bids for the available funding based on their own priorities and needs.

“It will obviously then be a matter for the Executive to decide how the funding is shared out between departments and for individual ministers to decide how to allocate funding within their own departments.

“I have written to the Health Minister to say that if services are not considered affordable within the Department of Health baseline then I would encourage him to make a bid for the additional funding as part of the 2024/25 budget exercise.

“That is a position that I would be keen to discuss with the Health Minister when I am having one-to-ones with each of my Executive colleagues in the 2024/25 budget setting process.”