Durkan submits emergency legislation in bid to free up £300million block grant for struggling households

SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has submitted emergency legislation to help families struggling with soaring food, fuel and energy bills.

The Foyle MLA submitted the legislation to Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey on Monday.

It attempts to unlock the £300m currently unspent by allowing resources to be allocated in the absence of the Joint First Ministers.

Mr Durkan said: “After working over the weekend and engaging with the other parties I have submitted legislation to the Assembly Speaker aiming to unlock the £300m currently unspent from our block grant and get it to families who are struggling as a result of the stark increase in food, fuel and energy bills.

“While I realise that time is short we must do everything we can to get this money to those who need it.

“When families across the North are struggling to put food on the table, put petrol in their car and cannot turn on their heating we cannot simply sit here and do nothing, we must use every second left of this mandate to help people in any way we can.

“I’m urging the Speaker and other MLAs to rally round and help get this legislation through the Assembly.

“This is bigger than party politics, it’s about protecting our communities from a global crisis that looks set to get worse before it gets better.

“Too often people in the North lose out as a result of failures in politics, this can be an exception, a time when we pull together to do what’s right and help families through this emergency.

“People right across the North – working families, pensioners and those on welfare – are on their knees. Our communities are crying out for support to deal with the rising cost of everything from food to fuel. Energy bills are going up by the week and petrol prices by the day.

“People are looking to us to step in and help them and we have an obligation to do everything in our power to protect people from the worst aspects of this crisis.

“We are in a very serious situation and we need political leadership to get us through it. We have £300m sitting there doing nothing because there is no Executive. The easiest way to resolve this is for the DUP to nominate a First Minister to restore the Executive but with time ticking down we certainly can’t bank on that. We need to use all routes open to us to help people now.

“In the absence of an Executive the SDLP has drafted an emergency bill to allow for emergency financial support to be provided to people who are currently struggling with rising costs.

“The bill as drafted allows for powers under the Financial Assistance Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 to be exercised by Ministers, in the absence of a First or Deputy First Minister, with Assembly authority for prescribed emergency payments. It does not and cannot substitute the need for a budget and the need for the Executive to be formed to allow for a budget.

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“The bill as drafted is focused, with the context created in the Westminster Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petition of Concern) Act 2022, how in only the context when these provisions are engaged, meaning when we are without a functioning Executive, that emergency payments related directly to devolved powers and responsibilities can be made.

“I am sincerely grateful to parties for engaging quickly and constructively with the SDLP. I welcome their support to explore if this emergency legislation can be introduced and I am continuing to work with parties daily on any drafting or other queries they have.

“I recognise time is short, but that is not a reason to simply sit on our hands, do nothing, and tell our communities sorry, ‘there’s nothing we can do’. This legislation provides a pathway to putting money in the pockets of those who need it.

“This is the moment for us to step up, put politics to one side and put people first. We cannot abandon our communities to deal with this on their own.

“I’m urging every party to come together this week and exhaust every effort and every avenue available to get this money out to help families deal with this crisis.”