John O'Dowd
Upper Bann · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“As I set out in response to the previous question, we have in place the vacant property rate relief scheme and the small business rate relief scheme, which are very successful. I set aside £10 million in the draft Budget for small business rate relief to be invested.”
“I am particularly keen to hear from those impacted by vacant commercial units and especially about how any phased increase can be implemented in a sustainable way that is fair, proportionate and sustainable within the tax system.”
“I outlined my intent to take that approach in my statement on 18 November, alongside the fact that reform of rating policy should support growth, make better use of property and ensure that the system is fair, proportionate and aligned with wider economic objectives.”
“The accelerator will operate alongside our highly successful Back in Business scheme, which has helped to bring over 100 vacant high street properties back into use since May 2024. Those issues have been the subject of considerable interest and comment in the Assembly, and it is right that we grasp the nettle now.”
“There are no circumstances in which a hard border would be good for the people of Ireland; it would not be good for anyone. Those who suggest that are being naive at best and dangerous at worst, in the sense of not understanding this society. <BR /> <BR />Rural communities along the border are one and the same.”
“This announcement represents the next step in that. That said, I also put on record my intention to strengthen support for small businesses. In that vein, £10 million has been set aside in the draft Budget to broaden the impact of the small business rate relief scheme in order to increase the number of businesses that can benefit from it.…”
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“It is not my intention to charge for the baby loss certificate, or place unnecessary barriers in the way of anyone who seeks a certificate.”
“I intend to launch a public consultation before the summer to ensure that everyone here can provide their views to help us shape the scheme so that it meets the needs and expectations of those who have experienced the loss of a baby. Once that process is complete, my officials will draft the required secondary legislation and operationalise the scheme. If those matters progress smoothly, I anticipate that the scheme will be operational by the end of the year.”
“I am keen to see the baby loss certificate scheme progress urgently to give bereaved families formal recognition of their loss. I want all parents and families who have suffered the devastating loss of a baby to feel that their grief is recognised. The Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, which will provide a power to make regulations to form a scheme, is at Committee Stage. While I acknowledge the importance of due process for scrutiny, I hope that that stage will progress as quickly as possible. <BR /> <BR />My officials and colleagues from the Department of Health are working closely together to progress arrangements to consult with stakeholders on the detail of the scheme. I have already met Sands about that, and I have engagements with other key stakeholders in my calendar.”
“There has been no direct comment from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, though I am aware that Rachel Reeves has commented on that over a period of time. It will be interesting to see whether the comprehensive spending review will be used to see how we classify debt. Will it help alleviate some of the pressures on Departments when repaying — obviously, any borrowing has to be repaid — and will it open up opportunities for investment in infrastructure in the future? I await to see what the comprehensive spending review says on the matter.”
“As I said, some of those matters may be addressed in the comprehensive spending review. How satisfactorily they are addressed remains to be seen, but I suspect that I will have to continue to engage with the Treasury on other models.”
“There is an ever-growing list of issues that we are raising with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and I hope that the spending review will resolve some of them. I expect that it will not resolve others, so those discussions will have to continue. However, as I have noted, those issues include our funding at need and the potential cliff edge; agriculture support funds; access to Treasury reserves; Housing Executive borrowing; local growth and renewal funds, the UK Internal Market Act, specifically in relation to financial assistance powers; the redevelopment of Casement Park; the cost of doing business; tax-free childcare; inheritance tax; fraud and error benefit; employers' National Insurance contributions; the mother-and-baby homes redress scheme; and transformation.”
“I assure the Member that I have continued to press the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State on the need for this place to be fairly and properly funded to allow us to deliver education, policing or whatever it might be and ensure that the services that we deliver are in modern, fit for purpose buildings, such new schools.”
“The Member will be aware that my predecessor commissioned Professor Gerry Holtham to carry out work to identify the true need of spend in this region. That work has been completed, and I can confirm to the House that I have issued that report to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and copied in the Secretary of State. That report looks at our devolved institutions and our spend in great detail. It looks at education and other areas to see the difference in the spend that is required here compared with elsewhere.”
“Together with my counterparts in Wales and Scotland, I met the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 April to discuss the issue that was raised in our joint letter. Following that, a joint letter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury was issued on 9 May, which pressed for a further Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee meeting and bilateral meetings in advance of the spending review.”
“, I will answer questions 1 and 12 together. <BR /> <BR />The spending review is an opportunity to invest in public services and support a shared ambition for economic growth. With my devolved Government counterparts, I discussed the upcoming spending review with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (CST) at the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee on 27 February. I then wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 10 April on a range of Executive-specific issues to be considered in advance of the spending review that is due to be announced on 11 June. A joint letter from the devolved Finance Ministers to the CST was issued on the same day and covered a number of common issues.”
“With your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle”
“I continue to make the case to the Treasury for the Executive to be fairly and properly funded, reflecting our relative need. Professor Holtham's recent work has been crucial in my making that case. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that the financial outlook remains incredibly challenging, particularly given the Government's continued policy of austerity. Behind those millions and billions of pounds are people and families who are hoping and striving for better. Now that all Ministers have their funding envelope, it is incumbent on each of us to manage our budgets efficiently and effectively. All decisions must be taken with the intent to make things better and to make every pound count. I will keep working in partnership with my Executive colleagues and will continue to press the case for better funding for our public services.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that the 2025-26 Budget will be our last single-year Budget, as, in the autumn, I intend to bring forward recommendations for a three-year resource Budget and a four-year capital Budget, reflecting the period that is covered by the comprehensive spending review. A multi-year Budget has the potential to be a game changer and to enable Departments to plan on a longer-term, strategic basis. Work has already started on multi-year Budgets, with the Department of Finance's Budget sustainability team supporting Departments with their five-year budget plans. The benefits will be realised only if the Westminster Government use the spending review as an opportunity to invest in public services. I have made that clear in my meetings with the British Government.”
“The 2025-26 Budget, however, prioritises the funding that we have available to make a real difference for the betterment of people's lives across society. The Budget provides record levels of funding for our public services and helps facilitate the delivery of our Programme for Government priorities, but challenges most certainly remain. Many in the Chamber have opinions on where Ministers should spend money, but fewer say which services Ministers should stop in order to make that happen or where they would like to see changes take place. Simply put, additional funding for one area means less funding for another. Articulating problems is very easy. Working together to address them is what we are elected to do. As Finance Minister, I have worked to build consensus among my Executive colleagues and focused on what we can do together.”
“Financial transactions capital (FTC) funding is the catalyst for stimulating private-sector investment in infrastructure and other projects that benefit our region. For the first time, that funding has been oversubscribed, with £58·7 million being made available to support initiatives that include co-ownership and capital grants to businesses. That is a positive development. Members who vote against the Budget will therefore be voting against every single announcement that I have made in the past five minutes and will be doing so in the absence of any alternative proposals. <BR /> <BR />With increased demands on services and rising costs, significant challenges remain as we strive to deliver the public services that people rightly deserve.”
“<BR /> <BR />I turn to capital investment. Some £330·6 million has been provided for Executive flagship projects, with a further £102·8 million for Strule Shared Education Campus and £59·9 million for shared and integrated education. Some £100 million has been provided to deliver social housing. In line with that commitment, we are also investing £105·7 million in waste water infrastructure. Some £99 million has been provided for city and growth deals, inclusive futures and complementary fund projects. In line with our commitment to tackling climate change, £12·3 million has been provided for the just transition programme. <BR /> <BR />Departments have also received £1·6 billion of general capital allocations that will provide investment in our schools, hospitals and road network, supporting the construction industry and our economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Executive Office has been provided with an additional £2 million towards ending violence against women and girls. It also receives £150 million for historical institutional abuse (HIA) victims and truth recovery. <BR /> <BR />The Department for Communities receives £47·3 million to fund existing welfare mitigations and £16·9 million to support benefit delivery. <BR /> <BR />The Budget recognises the need for transformation, with £21·3 million for transformation projects in Health, Justice, Infrastructure and special educational needs, as well as £25·4 million for the Integr8 system, which will support all Departments. <BR /> <BR />Importantly, in terms of today's spending, excluding earmarked allocations and in-year transfer, the Budget provides every Department with an uplift on its 2024-25 final Budget allocation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Budget provides £322·5 million to support our agriculture, agrienvironment, fisheries and rural development, recognising the importance of that sector to our economy and local farming communities. Some £5 million has been earmarked for investment in Lough Neagh, recognising its importance and the desire to protect it. Some £15 million has been earmarked to build the skills base that our economy needs now and in the future. <BR /> <BR />Recognising the importance of safe communities, Justice has received earmarked funding of an additional £5 million for that purpose and £16 million for the Executive's programme on tackling paramilitary activity and organised crime. That is on top of the £37·8 million of security funding provided by the Treasury.”
“It invests in our children's futures while also helping hard-working families by doubling our investment in the early years and childcare strategy to £50 million, with a commitment to provide a further £5 million in June monitoring. We can already see the positive difference that that uplift in funding will make, with Minister Givan announcing last week that it will help to enable the extension of the childcare subsidy scheme to cover school-age children. It is estimated that the number of children who will benefit from the discount will now increase by 60%, from the current 15,000 to approximately 24,000. Education is further supported with £75 million for the Education Authority (EA) pay and grading review and £15 million additional for special educational needs.”
“With Health receiving £8·5 billion, Education receiving £3·3 billion and Justice receiving £1·4 billion, those three Departments alone account for some 80% of the available funding for day-to-day spending, providing vital funding for health services, schools, policing and the wider justice system. <BR /> <BR />The Budget will mean £215 million going towards cutting health waiting lists and supporting investment in elective care. Some £165 million of that is earmarked within the Health budget settlement, with a further £50 million to be provided at June monitoring. In a recent statement to the Assembly, the Health Minister announced a package of initiatives to tackle hospital care backlogs, including a waiting list reimbursement scheme, demonstrating how that funding will make a difference. As the Health Minister said in that statement:”
“Including those indicative June monitoring allocations, the Budget provides Departments with £19·3 billion, which will be spent on running our public services and investing in our infrastructure. Some £16·8 billion of that has been provided for day-to-day services, including £1·2 billion that has been earmarked for specific purposes and £15·6 billion of general allocations that may be spent at the discretion of individual Ministers.”
“As you know, I am a man of few words. I do not intend to make a very long introductory statement but, if provoked, I am prepared to use my time at the end. <BR /> <BR />I previously made a statement to the House on the Budget but I welcome the opportunity to debate it more fully with Members. The agreement of the Budget shows the Executive's determination to work together and do things differently using our limited resources to deliver what matters most. The Budget reflects our Programme for Government (PFG), as we have specifically ring-fenced some £441 million for our shared priorities. While the funding received following the Chancellor's spring statement could not be included in the departmental budget outcomes, the Executive agreed on how the money would be allocated in June monitoring.”
“I await the Committee's report on that, and I await the will of the Committee and the Assembly on the matter, but no one should leave the Chamber believing that there are no consequences from an extension to the Committee Stage of a Bill.”
“I welcome the work of the Committee and the Committee Chair on the matter and acknowledge the concerns that have been previously raised by the Committee about the delays in bringing forward the legislation. Mr Frew has managed to speak against an extension and in favour of an extension in one speech, which, in itself, is a work of verbal art. <BR /> <BR />Without straying and seeking the wrath of the Speaker, I will say something about a lengthy Committee extension. While my officials are working on this, they are not working on something else. When the Committee is working on this, it is not working on something else. There is a consequence to Committee extensions.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“It will also afford space and time to make provisions for a baby loss certificate scheme and provide the time that is required to allow the primary legislation to complete its passage. As was set out in earlier debates on these matters, I understand the concerns of some Members about using the continuing extension. As has been seen in today's statement, however, and through their own reflections, Members will be aware that the Bill is making its way through the Assembly. Its progress will depend on the Committee for Finance and the will of the Assembly. I commend the order to the Assembly.”
“Those losses cause real pain and heartache for parents across the community, and I am determined that we should recognise them in a similar way to schemes in Scotland and Wales. The Bill will provide a legal basis for a new voluntary scheme, which we will consult on later this year. Regulations will set out how it will operate, and the required delivery mechanisms are being developed by my officials and in the Department of Health. The Bill will also rectify the differences in registration processes for some couples. <BR /> <BR />Today's extension order will, consequently, provide the time that is required for the Assembly to consider the Bill and make permanent the powers in the Coronavirus Act.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have used the time that was provided by the earlier extension order to progress the permanent powers. The Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, which passed its Second Stage in the Assembly on 7 April 2025, will provide for the electronic transfer of documents between stakeholders and for the registration of stillbirths by telephone. The Bill will also enable me to progress a baby loss certificate scheme, which recognises the suffering of families who endure the pain of pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. Members will know that losses early in pregnancy are not recognised by existing legislation and that, currently, only losses that take place after 24 weeks are provided for.”
“Most importantly, the provisions ease the burden on grieving members of the public. When someone is coming to terms with the death of a loved one, we should not burden them unnecessarily. While offering them a choice about how to register a death and conducting some of the paperwork electronically might seem like small things, they can make a big difference. <BR /> <BR />In short, though the powers were introduced as the pandemic took hold, they have become the established means by which deaths and stillbirths are registered, and they have helped the registration service to become more empathetic, modern and efficient. Given the positive effect of the provisions, it is right that we should look to make the temporary powers permanent rather than continuing to depend on the Coronavirus Act.”
“Those exchanges can happen electronically, lessening the burden on family members. <BR /> <BR />It will be clear to the Assembly why those provisions were important in the context of the pandemic. The temporary changes to the registration process reduced the need for face-to-face contact for grieving and sometimes vulnerable members of the public and for registration staff. They enabled the registration system to continue to operate, even when the services were, sadly, under significant pressure. In the five years that have passed since the start of the pandemic, however, the arrangements have become the normal means by which the vast majority of the registrations take place. They have helped the registration process to be more empathetic, efficient and productive, and they carry the support of stakeholders.”
“As Members will be aware, the order seeks to expand powers that were introduced in the Coronavirus Act 2020 relating to the registration of deaths and stillbirths for a further six months until 24 September 2025. The specific powers that are included in the order concern the way in which registrations are conducted. First, they enable individuals to choose to register a death or a stillbirth. Although they can opt to come into a registration office in person, the provisions give the next of kin a choice to do that over the telephone in their own environment, recognising that it can be a hugely stressful and distressing time for family members. Secondly, the powers enable participants in the registration process to exchange important documents electronically between a doctor and the registrar and between the registrar and the undertaker.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.”
“One of the new PEACE PLUS approaches compared with previous Peace programmes has been to reduce the bureaucracy to ensure that it is more accessible for community groups. The community groups' experience of getting into the PEACE PLUS programmes will have to be assessed. The new £100,000 fund is a good approach because it is a manageable amount of funding for small community groups, and the reduction in bureaucracy will assist those groups in applying for it.”
“The change maker funding programme is a small grants scheme opened on 23 April 2025 which:”
“A number of programmes have calls for funding, such as investment area 6·1, which opened on 20 March and closes on 15 May. A second call is open for:”
“As the Member will note, a considerable number of projects have fulfilled and closed. While there is always a risk of fraudulent claims in any funding programme, it has to be noted that PEACE PLUS has delivered considerable change for communities across the island.”
“I do not have those figures in front of me, but I will provide them to the Member.”
“I note that, as part of the joint communiqué that was released after the British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting that was held in Liverpool, both Governments said that, in principle, they were agreeable to a new programme after 2027. I assure the Member that I, along with my Executive colleagues, will work with the NIO and with the Irish Government to ensure that that commitment is fulfilled.”
“The Council noted that the SEUPB continues to implement the recommendations of the SEUPB organisational review that the NSMC approved on 15 May 2024. <BR /> <BR />The Council welcomed the presentation that was made on the PEACE PLUS 'PEACE of Mind' project, which works to ensure emotional resilience in children and young people who are aged between nine and 25. The project was awarded PEACE PLUS funding of €7,699,611 under investment area 3.3, which is on youth mental health and well-being. <BR /> <BR />In other matters, a Waterways Ireland paper was tabled. Ministers noted that paper and consented to a property disposal. <BR /> <BR />The Council agreed to hold its next Special EU Programmes meeting in autumn 2025.”
“Further steering committee meetings were subsequently held, and I can report that 97 projects, with a value of €875 million, have now been approved. <BR /> <BR />Ministers noted and approved the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) business plan for 2025, which was drafted in line with guidance issued by the Finance Departments, and they recommended the associated budget provision. Ministers noted that the 2022 and 2023 SEUPB annual report and accounts, having been certified by the Comptrollers and Auditors General (C&AG) in both jurisdictions, had been laid before the Assembly and the Houses of the Oireachtas. Ministers noted that the governance structures of the SEUPB continue to operate effectively.”
“Ministers noted that, to date, all EU expenditure targets have been met and that both programmes are forecast to achieve full expenditure in line with the total programme allocations. Ministers noted that 65 of the 96 Peace IV projects and 25 of the 32 INTERREG Va projects have completed activity and all closure requirements. The remaining 38 projects across both programmes are undergoing the administrative process of closure, which is expected to conclude before the end of June 2025. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted the chief executive officer's progress report for the 2021-27 PEACE PLUS programme. The Council was advised that calls had been opened under 21 of the programme's 22 investment areas and that 81 projects, to the value of €758 million, had so far been approved for PEACE PLUS funding.”
“In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the twenty-third meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Special EU Programmes sectoral format, which was held in the North/South Ministerial Council building, Armagh, on Wednesday 2 April 2025. <BR /> <BR />As Minister of Finance, I represented the Executive and was accompanied by Minister Givan from the Department of Education. The Irish Government were represented by Minister Jack Chambers TD from the Department for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. This statement has been agreed with Minister Givan, and I am making it on behalf of us both. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC received a report on the implementation of the 2014-2020 Peace IV and INTERREG Va programmes.”
“As I said in a debate yesterday, the work of the Committees in this place is not properly recognised or valued, and Committees are not given the credit that they deserve. As we continue with a very challenging budgetary outlook, the work of the Committees will be vital in ensuring that we deliver the public services that our public expect from us.”
“It will be for all Ministers to consider the appropriate income generation measures for their Department, and, obviously, Committees will play a vital role in that as well. Work on the strategic income review will commence shortly. That will allow Ministers the time and opportunity to consider their spending envelope and income generation measures for the 2025-26 financial year before contributing to the review. It will also allow time to consider new income generation measures and alternative funding sources and assess how other funding sources can be maximised, with the review ideally to be completed in advance of the multi-year Budget's being set later this year. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the contributions from the Committees today.”
“The road map covers short-term actions and key actions over the medium term that will facilitate Departments in progressing the development of five-year financial sustainability plans, the intent being that those will be in place in this calendar year. Now that a 2025-26 Budget has been finalised, I intend to formally commission those plans in the coming weeks. <BR /> <BR />The Executive's focus must be on wider Budget sustainability, and we must also look at how we can do things better, improve efficiency and focus on desired outcomes. While income generation will be part of the decision, it must be based on the economic and social context and the need to deliver the public services that our citizens expect. The Budget sustainability plan committed the Executive to the completion of a strategic review of income generation measures.”
“My predecessor, Minister Archibald, approved and published a high-level road map for the Budget improvement plan and put in place a series of measures to improve the overall Budget process. That road map sets out short-term actions and areas to be developed over the longer term. The focus of the short-term actions has enabled some positive progress in relation to the 2025-26 Budget, including improved equality information and more user-friendly supporting documents, but I would welcome input on ways in which the process can be improved further or feedback on what has been completed to date. My Department has also published a high-level road map that sets out key elements in the development of longer-term five-year departmental plans.”
“In my view, the uplift for domestic and non-domestic properties that was agreed for 2025-26 achieved that balance. The Executive are committed to looking at options to deliver efficiencies, generate revenue, enhance borrowing powers and explore the potential for more fiscal powers. It will be for Ministers to make plans to live within their final 2025-26 allocations and make savings through efficiencies in order to fund higher priorities. In addition, the outworking of the Executive's Budget sustainability plan will help to drive efficiencies in the Budget process as well as in Departments. <BR /> <BR />The Budget improvement plan is a significant pillar of our future work plan.”
“That report also highlighted the continuing difficult financial circumstances and challenging decisions for this year and into future years to maintain sustainable public finances and provide stable, high-quality public services. The Fiscal Council suggested a number of interventions that could, in principle, mitigate budgetary pressures. All those things have to be considered. Some have already been ruled out, by me and other Ministers, but others are more feasible. <BR /> <BR />In setting the regional rate, the Executive had to be conscious of the impact on households and businesses. We had to carefully strike the right balance between raising income and limiting increases as much as possible, and we had to recognise the ongoing challenges for households and businesses.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, delivering our priorities is not just about additional allocations; it is about how existing departmental budgets are spent. It is vital that existing funding is directed towards the agreed priorities. To help measure that work, work is under way to align departmental spending areas to PFG priorities, and that information will be published as soon as possible, following the receipt of all departmental information. We will use the final Budget spending area financial data in that analysis. However, this is the first time that we have linked baseline expenditure with the PFG. The information will be published and will be subject to appropriate caveats. <BR /> <BR />I will turn to the Fiscal Council report on the draft Budget for 2025-26, which was helpful in informing consideration of the Budget.”
“The second phase of the spending review will be announced in June and will set out the Executive's resource funding envelopes for 2026-27 to 2028-29 and capital envelopes for a further year to 2029-2030. I intend to bring recommendations to the Executive for a multi-year Budget in line with the period of the spending review. Multi-year Budgets will be a game changer and will enable Departments to plan on a longer-term basis, bringing greater efficiency and effectiveness, but they will not solve all our financial problems. The five-year departmental sustainability plans will be a step forward, putting Executive finances on a more stable footing. The Budget that I presented to the House yesterday was the first step, earmarking funding specifically for Programme for Government priorities.”