O'Dowd reiterates need for fair and sustainable budget in meeting with Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Finance Minister John O'Dowd today met with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to advocate for a fair and sustainable budget. 

Minister O'Dowd welcomed the first Finance: Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC) since the appointment of the Welsh and Scottish Finance Ministers.

Following the meeting, Minister O'Dowd commented: Workers, families, businesses, and those delivering our public services, pay their taxes and deserve quality public services.

During my meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury today I reiterated that the proposed funding package on offer from the Westminster Government is insufficient to deliver quality public services here. 

We need to move beyond the cycle of short-term financial interventions that has constrained long-term planning and investment in public service transformation. This requires a stable and recurring funding settlement thatreflects need and enables the delivery of high-quality public services.

Minister O'Dowd concluded: We are committed to undertaking the reforms and transformation required to secure the long-term sustainability of our public finances. The Westminster Government must play its part too by engaging urgently with us on a funding framework that properly reflects need, delivers stability, and enables high-quality public services. This includes providing access to the fiscal levers available elsewhere.

We stand ready to make further progress on these issues urgently.