Finance Minister Dr has today presented the
Executive's Draft Budget launching a 12-week consultation
giving the public the opportunity to have their say.
Announcing the Draft 2025-2026 Budget, Minister Archibald
said: “The financial outlook for
public services remains incredibly difficult.
“The bids for both Resource and Capital
from all Departments far outweighed the funding
available.
“Despite the challenges facing us this Draft Budget
demonstrates the Executive's commitment to ‘Doing What Matters
Most'.
“It delivers and prioritises additional investment in our
public services, allocating resources to where they are most
needed to improve the lives of workers, families and
communities.”
Minister Archibald added: “It provides £8.4bn for health
and social care.
“It funds actions to make our communities safer,
including a particular focus on ending violence against women and
girls.
“It invests in our children and young people with £3.2bn
for education and enable delivery of more affordable childcare
doubling the investment in funding for the Childcare Strategy
helping parents stay in or return to work.
“It supports our farming community and agricultural
industry.
“It focuses efforts on our economy by investing in skills
and also sees investment in our waste water infrastructure,
helping to increase housing supply and provision of more social,
affordable and sustainable housing. As well as capital
investment in our hospitals, school estate,
roads and transport network.”
The Draft 2025-2026 Budget sets out proposed Resource DEL and
Capital (including Financial Transactions Capital) allocations as
follows:
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs –
£596.1m Resource DEL and £119.5m Capital
Department for Communities – £929.7m Resource DEL and £318.1m
Capital
Department for the Economy – £799m Resource DEL and £206.6m
Capital
Department of Education – £3,219m Resource DEL and £380.7m
Capital
Department of Finance – £238.6m Resource DEL and £32.5m Capital
Department of Health - £8,402.3m Resource DEL and £391m Capital
Department for Infrastructure – £633.3m Resource DEL and £932.7m
Capital
Department of Justice – £1,406.4m Resource DEL and £100m Capital
The Executive Office – £239m Resource DEL and £14m Capital
Highlighting the importance of budget sustainability, Minister
Archibald added: “We would like to
be able to meet all bids in full, but the reality of our funding
envelope means that is simply not possible. Continued
work on Budget Sustainability and a Budget Improvement
Plan will focus on developing long term plans for Departments and
putting in place the building blocks for fiscal sustainability.
We must keep a firm and sustained focus on transforming our
public services if the Executive is to put its finances on a
sustainable footing.”
Encouraging people to respond to the Draft Budget consultation,
which is now open and will run until 13 March 2025, the Minister
concluded: “We must work together to do what matters most
and that is why I am encouraging people to get involved in
the draft Budget consultation and have their say
on how to prioritise the finite funding available to
us.”
Notes to editors:
1. You can view the Minister's Written Ministerial
Statement and Draft Budget documentation at https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/consultations/draft-budget-2025-26-consultation
