Archibald defends rapid passage of Budget Bill to release cash to departments

Stormont departments face the prospect of running out of cash without the fast tracking of budget legislation through the Assembly, the Finance Minister has said.

Caoimhe Archibald insisted a request to suspend a Stormont rule that legislation should take no less than 10 days to pass was exceptional and will not set a precedent.

Ms Archibald said without the rapid passage of the Bill, departments would be unable to release cash required for making public sector pay awards.

Members voted by 74-2 on Monday in favour of suspending the standing order to facilitate to the fast passage of Ms Archibald’s Budget Bill.

However, several MLAs raised concerns about the move during a debate in the chamber.

The Budget Bill releases funds required to cover overspends Stormont departments are projecting this financial year.

Not only is it being taken through the Assembly at quick pace, the Bill is also not accompanied by detailed figures in regard to how the money will be spent – information that would usually be included in the publication of the spring supplementary estimates.

Ms Archibald said officials were currently working on the estimates document.

“I acknowledge that this is a difficult situation and it’s far from ideal, and neither I nor my officials consider it as setting any sort of precedent,” she said.

“Obviously we are dealing with the legacy of the damaging budget set by the Secretary of State (Chris Heaton Harris) which put our public services under immense pressure.”

Ms Archibald added: “The urgency with which this Bill needs to proceed has been outlined, it is driven by the critical need to secure access to cash for departments to continue to deliver vital public services for the remaining weeks of this financial year.

“Not passing it would put that in jeopardy, and also to get pay awards for public sector workers delivered.”

Leader of the Opposition, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, said members were being placed in a “deeply, deeply unacceptable position”.

He said while the SDLP would not vote against the suspension of the standing order, the party wanted to register its concern at the move.

“Authorising money to be spent is the most important thing in many ways that this legislature can do,” he said.

Mr O’Toole added: “This is going much further than we normally do in terms of ramming through a Budget Bill.”

TUV leader Jim Allister claimed the Bill was being “bulldozed” through the Assembly.

“That seems to me to be showing up the upmost disregard to a primary function of this house,” he said.

Mr Allister said the process used to pass the Bill was “diminishing and demeaning of the role of MLAs”.

The Bill passed its second stage reading in the Assembly late on Monday, and is expected to complete its remaining stages on Tuesday.