The Department of Finance today confirmed the final reallocations to key public services in 2017-18 of £23.3 million of Resource DEL and £10.1 million of Capital DEL.
Ongoing engagement with departments has identified a number of reduced requirements and some adjustments to centrally held items which can now be reallocated.
On Resource DEL, the Department of Education will receive an additional £14 million, £6 million to support Special Educational Needs and £8 million to facilitate access to school surpluses accumulated in prior years. The Department for Infrastructure will receive an increase of £9.3 million that will contribute to addressing Translink’s in-year deficit.
On Capital DEL, the Department for Infrastructure will receive £8.1 million to support Roads Structural Maintenance and the procurement of new buses by Translink. The Department for Communities will receive £1.6 million to support maintenance of the social housing stock, whilst The Executive Office will receive £0.4 million to support infrastructure works as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Ebrington project.
In November it was announced that £20 million of the £50 million Resource funding available to support immediate pressures in health and education in the annex to the Confidence and Supply Agreement would be accessed in this year, with access to any further such funding in 2017-18 remaining under review. The Department can now confirm that the remaining £30 million will not be accessed in 2017/18. Whilst Treasury have confirmed that the £30 million can be reprofiled into 2018/19 on top of existing Budget Exchange arrangements, access to this funding requires the approval of both Parliament and the Assembly.
These final reallocations of resources in 2017-18 will facilitate preparations for a further Budget Bill and Spring Supplementary Estimate to provide departments with the legal authority to spend in line with the revised allocations proposed.
Notes to editors:
- The Northern Ireland Budget Act 2017 was passed in Westminster on 16 November providing the details of departmental spending allocations in 2017-18.
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