O’Dowd criticises ‘megaphone negotiations’ over budget

Ministers seeking additional funding need to have proposals for revenue raising, the Finance Minister has said.

John O’Dowd published his draft budget earlier this week amid an ongoing disagreement within the powersharing administration about how funds would be allocated to individual departments.

He said on Sunday he had “no doubt” that ministerial colleagues were facing “difficult positions” but that the Executive was dealing with a restrained budgetary envelope due to “austerity imposed on us by the British Government”.

“It’s not the amount of funding I would like to introduce into a budget, or I’d like to introduce to our economy or our public services, but we have to deal with what’s in front of us.”

The Sinn Fein minister urged fellow members of the Executive to engage with his proposals in a “constructive manner” on setting a multi-year budget – something Stormont has been unable to do for more than 10 years.

On BBC Northern Ireland’s Sunday Politics, Mr O’Dowd said: “If we keep our eye on the prize of a three-year, multi-year budget, then I think we will achieve agreement on this.

“Because the alternative is to further hamper the delivery of our public services, hamper our economy, hamper businesses.”

Asked about DUP Education Minister Paul Givan saying the budget had not allocated enough money to his department, the Finance Minister said he was in “listening mode” but criticised ministers for engaging in “megaphone negotiations”.

Mr O’Dowd said: “Each minister is going to have to examine their budget and come forward to me with proposals.

“If they come forward to me with proposals for additional funding, then they also – in my opinion – have to come forward with proposals of where that funding can come from.

“If we examine, for instance, the Education Minister’s comment that he needs an extra £800 million next year – that’s the entire budget for the Department for the Economy.”

Leader of Stormont’s opposition, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole has branded the plan an “unambitious ghost budget, bereft of vision”.

Mr O’Dowd said he did not know what the term “ghost budget” meant.