Ireland rugby star Tommy Bowe joins protest at Northern Ireland Office over threat to funding

By The Newsroom
Published 6th Apr 2023, 17:17 BST
Updated 6th Apr 2023, 17:17 BST
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​Rugby star Tommy Bowe was among those protesting outside the Tory government’s offices in Belfast yesterday over the threat spending cuts could pose to voluntary groups.

The 39-year-old former Ulster and Ireland winger joined the small-scale demonstration at Erskine House, the city centre headquarters of the Northern Ireland Office, which involved politicians and members of Ballybeen Women’s Centre and the Active Communities Network.

Jim Donnelly, joint CEO of the latter organisation, said: “It’s more than a kick in the teeth because it’s not me losing it, it’s the young people that have been failed.

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“That’s the most vulnerable, that’s the at-risk young people who are out of employment, but it’s also disability groups.”

Former Ireland rugby International Tommy Bowe, standing in solidarity with those protesting against cuts to community funding programs outside the offices of Chris Heaton-Harris, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) at Erskine House, Belfast.Former Ireland rugby International Tommy Bowe, standing in solidarity with those protesting against cuts to community funding programs outside the offices of Chris Heaton-Harris, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) at Erskine House, Belfast.
Former Ireland rugby International Tommy Bowe, standing in solidarity with those protesting against cuts to community funding programs outside the offices of Chris Heaton-Harris, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) at Erskine House, Belfast.

Meanwhile yesterday, Ulster University economist Esmond Birnie described the budget outlook of Northern Ireland as “dire”.

Dr Birnie, one of the four-member NI Fiscal Council set up in 2021 to monitor public spending in the Province, said “important questions can be asked about how the NI system of financial controls operated – or did not operate – during the interim period after the Executive collapsed (February 2022) but whilst caretaker ministers (alongside their department permanent secretaries) were in control (until October 2022)”.

Here is where NI's spending goes, as of the updated 2022/23 budget, set by the NIO in February: (Taken from the NI Fiscal Council)

• Health: £7.3bn (51.2%)

• Education: £2.7bn (18.5%)

• Justice: £1.2bn (8.3%)

• Communities: £853m (5.9%)

• Economy: £781m (5.4%)

• Agriculture: £584m (3.9%)

• Infrastructure: £522m (3.6%)

• Finance: £179m (1.2%)

• Exec Office: £154m (1.1%)

• "Minor Depts": £112m (0.8%)

Related topics:Northern IrelandBelfastUlster