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 important legislation, and, again, its delivery showed unity of purpose across the Chamber, which is welcome. The SL1 for the baby loss certificate scheme regulations was forwarded to the Finance Committee on 27 March and will be provided to the Assembly when the Committee has considered it. Should the regulations proceed through the Committee's scrutiny and approval process without delay, we hope that they can be debated by the Assembly in May 2026. If the regulations are agreed, the scheme will become operational in June 2026.”
“That Bill will increase the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership from 16 to 18, which will help to better safeguard our children. Following comprehensive scrutiny by the Finance Committee, the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill was debated in the Chamber and has advanced to Further Consideration Stage. Finally, I intend to move the Consideration Stage of the Fiscal Council Bill next week.”
“There has been a degree of envy in the Chamber since our ard-fheis in Belfast at the weekend. Those who hold their party conferences in a telephone box now realise that there are parties with representation across the island of Ireland that have a mandate and a strategy for the way forward. <BR /> <BR />As Members of the Legislative Assembly, our role is to shape legislation that makes a real difference in people's lives. As I intended, I have brought a number of important pieces of legislation through the Assembly in this mandate. Members will be aware that the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Bill, which contains provisions to establish a new baby loss certificate scheme, passed its Final Stage in December. Last week, the Assembly progressed the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill to Committee Stage.”
“You talk about squabbling, but the SDLP is the only party, and I mean the only party, that stands up for the British Government on this point. The DUP, the Alliance Party, the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Féin are united on the position that the Executive are being underfunded by the British Government and that, for us to be allowed to achieve our objective of transforming public services, delivering modern public services and supporting our economy, we need a fair and proper funding formula from the British Government. I have listened to you misquoting me on the airwaves on a range of matters, but you are a solo runner on this issue. Rather than running round being a spokesperson for the NIO, come and join the rest of us who have a common cause to ensure that this place is properly funded.”
“If they were to fund us to a similar level of need as they do Wales, we would be getting £1 billion extra. If they were to fund us to the level of need that they do Scotland, we would be getting £3 billion extra. If the British Government had given us that money, Matthew, I assure you that there would be a Budget in place.”
“, MEPs, MPs, MLAs, councillors and activists all came together to discuss a range of international issues and all-Ireland politics. I encourage the Member to follow a similar path. <BR /> <BR />Matthew continues his solo run in defending the British Government and the NIO over their underfunding of the Executive, public services and the economy here. He stands alone in constantly trying to make the point that it is all the fault of the Executive and the Assembly and that the British Government have done their bit. Let me tell you, Matthew, that the facts and figures do not stack up in favour of your argument. The British Government fund Wales to 8% above its level of need, Scotland to 20% above its level of need and this place to its level of need.”
“I was in the room, along with around 1,000 other delegates at an all-Ireland party conference. I encourage the Member to follow that pathway and get more involved in all-Ireland politics and end his party's partitionist stance on a lot of matters. It was really refreshing and thrilling to listen to debate and discussions at which TDs, seanadóirí”
“Yes. The well-being of the child has to be paramount in all those decisions, and I assure the Member that my Department and I will play our part in the ongoing discussions and, where we believe they are required, work our way through policy and legislative changes.”
“The report places significant emphasis on issues of court practice, culture and system design and refers to the family court pilot task and finish working group that the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime is establishing to explore more trauma-informed approaches. To support that cross-departmental work, I have nominated a Department of Finance official to participate in the working group, and my Department will engage constructively with colleagues in the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and other Departments.”
“I welcome the 'Totally Invisible' report and have considered its key findings, which highlight a number of concerns about the experiences of the victims, survivors and children who have been involved in private family law cases. I recently met Connie Egan MLA, alongside representatives from Women's Aid and the NSPCC, to discuss the report and to hear their views directly, and those discussions have helped to inform my understanding of the issues that have been raised.”
“Without the Back in Business scheme, that business would not have been able to do that. <BR /> <BR />We have to allow businesses to decide what they believe will work in a town centre under the scheme, and to create the momentum. There are many success stories across the board of how the scheme has brought not only a business back to life but supported the businesses around it.”
“My understanding is that the high street task force was under the auspices of TEO, so that question is probably best directed at TEO. I am not sure that I accept that there is a lack of strategy. The scheme is market driven, so the businesses that we want to encourage back into town centres and villages are driven by what they believe the market will deliver or how they can change the market. <BR /> <BR />Having said that, I visited an interesting business in Ballinascreen recently that created a fitness and well-being spa and sports facility right in the town centre in what used to be a bank. You might imagine that that business does not fit there but it does, and other local businesses have been impressed by the footfall that it has brought into the town.”
“That may mean the difference between a business deciding to expand or deciding not to expand.”
“I outlined in November that I wanted to have a public consultation on that policy proposal. My officials have been developing a consultation paper and have started preliminary engagement with key stakeholders. My intention is for the consultation to commence prior to the summer recess. <BR /> <BR />When a business decides to expand, that would usually increase the rates liability immediately once the work is completed. That additional rates liability creates more revenue for public services. I recognise, however, that the initial outlay, coupled with the increased rates liability associated with an expansion, can be off-putting for some businesses that are waiting to take those steps. To that end, I want to progress rating policy so that the additional rates liability incurred is staggered.”
“Applications remain open until 31 March 2027, and I encourage any eligible business that is considering occupying a long-term vacant retail unit to apply for the support available through the scheme.”
“The Back in Business scheme has been extended to 2026-27, and will continue to offer a 50% rate discount for up to two years where a business occupies a long-term vacant property that was previously used for retail from1 April 2024 onwards. The scheme is designed to incentivise the occupation of empty retail units, reduce long-term vacancy and support regeneration of town centres and high streets by encouraging new and expanding businesses to establish themselves in those locations. <BR /> <BR />Since the scheme was launched in May 2024, 113 businesses have benefited, receiving over £600,000 in rate support, helping to reduce operating costs during the early stages of trading. They include nine businesses from the West Belfast constituency.”
“There has been a change to how the Treasury manages the use of financial transactions capital. We will have the net return of that, which allows us to reinvest into the public sector, businesses, wherever it may be, so there will be a churning of that investment throughout the system. We have to continue to engage with our Departments and the business sector to ensure that we are maximising that fund, and, in turn, boosting our economy and public services as much as we can.”
“Yes. In February, I visited a new aparthotel and hospitality complex in Derry city centre that was supported by the fund. The scheme represents an investment of £5 million in the local economy, which will support around 30 jobs. That was precisely the type of scheme that the fund was set up to support, one that contributes to tourism, jobs and regional balance in economic activity. The fund has also supported Ebrington Hotel in Derry, which has played a key role in the wider generation of the city.”
“The investment fund has provided £178·5 million in support, which has generated a further £179 million in additional investment. That has helped to support around 5,200 jobs and the development of close to 100,000 square metres of employment space. The fund recently provided an £8·1 million loan to support the development of a wind farm near Castlederg. That illustrates the role that the fund can play in the transition towards more renewable energy generation. The fund therefore continues to meet its goals of contributing to economic and social regeneration and supporting the low-carbon economy.”
“I am on the record as saying that one of the first tasks that Ministers need to do when we agree the multi-year Budget is that we settle public-sector pay awards. We cannot wait until the end of the year or until a crisis moment to support our public-sector workers. One of the awards that needs to be settled is for care workers and others, who remain on the lower pay brackets. We need to ensure that everyone is paid a fair wage, and, as I said, I encourage employers who do not have living wage accreditation to pay the living wage and to sign up to the accreditation scheme.”
“I will continue to voice my support for the real living wage, and I encourage the bodies that are paying it to sign up to the accreditation scheme as well.”
“One of the best strategies to tackle poverty is to have good jobs with good pay, and offering the living wage shows a commitment from the public sector that we are determined to tackle low pay. I encourage others to do so. On my responsibility for public-sector pay guidance, my Department has strongly encouraged other public-sector employees outside the Civil Service to pay the real living wage, and we will continue to do so. I know that a sizable number of staff groups in arm's-length bodies follow Civil Service pay awards. Consequently, those bodies will be paying those staff at least the real living wage, but that may not necessarily have been brought through accreditation and accreditation may not have been sought.”
“Over and above paying valued staff a fair wage, there are many benefits to being an accredited living wage employer, including better staff recruitment and retention outcomes and increased productivity, with living wage employers often reporting more positive manager-employee relationships. Furthermore, securing accreditation shows a strong public commitment to fair pay by an employer, going beyond the statutory minimums and enhancing their reputation and brand with customers, staff and, in our case, the public. I strongly encourage other employers, in the public and private sectors, to join the accreditation scheme.”
“I am pleased that the Civil Service here has maintained its living wage employer accreditation since achieving it in 2021. This year's living wage increase was implemented from the start of this month, benefiting between 600 and 700 civil servants. I continue to encourage other public-sector employers to consider paying the real living wage through my public-sector pay guidance to address low pay. <BR /> <BR />In addition, last month, I met Living Wage NI, which provides accreditation for employers here, to discuss how I can support its movement to promote the payment of the real living wage further in the sector.”
“I make no apologies for having been an optimist in December or for being an optimist in the last few days of April. My job as Finance Minister is to bring a draft Budget to the Executive. I have done that. I believe that the draft Budget that I brought forward was the best possible attempt at delivering change with the quantum of funding that we have. I note, however, that, since 6 January — the public consultation closed on 3 March — the SDLP — the official Opposition — has not produced an alternative Budget.”
“The Member will be aware that Barnett consequentials are unhypothecated, so how they are applied is a matter for the Executive. It is also worth nothing that the funding came as a result of funding pressures in the delivery of SEN services by English and Welsh councils, which cover those services not only in education but in further education and health. All those Departments will have bids in place to ensure that SEN services are delivered and that the increased demand for them is met. The fact is that we do not have the quantum of funding available to meet all the demands of individual Ministers, so the Executive will have to come to a conclusion on those matters.”
“I assure you that, if our Executive had access to such funds, we would have a multi-year Budget in place and that, over the next three years, Ministers would be planning for delivery and transformation of public services to ensure that they were delivered in an effective and efficient manner.”
“I have ongoing engagement with the Treasury and the Secretary of State in relation to the Budget, including as recently as last week. I have made a very strong case to them about their responsibilities to fund this place properly in order to allow the Executive to carry out their functions and support public services and the economy. I have also referred to the disparity in funding between this place and Scotland and Wales. The fact is that Wales is funded 8% above its level of need and Scotland is funded 20% above its level of need, which equates to £1 billion and £3 billion respectively.”
“Without significant and proper investment from the British Government, the consequences for our public services will be severe. We have heard individual Ministers stating their case over the past weeks and months and explaining what will happen to public services if there is no further investment. The consequences are bleak, so there is a responsibility on the Government to step forward. We have set out a very strong case, including referring to the funding above the level of need that Scotland and Wales receive. It is only right and proper that the British Government fairly fund this place in order to allow the Executive to carry out their functions on behalf of the people.”
“Doing so will provide much-needed certainty, support our long-term planning and enable strategic investment that delivers lasting benefits for our economy, our environment and our society.”
“Achieving that ambition will depend on securing adequate funding from Westminster to ensure the sustainability of services and improved outcomes for the people whom we serve. <BR /> <BR />The proposals that I have brought forward have been developed against the backdrop of an exceptionally constrained financial position. I fully acknowledge that they do not provide the level of funding that Departments have indicated that they require, nor the level of investment in public services that I want to see. I continue to make the case to the British Government that additional support is required. However, notwithstanding the significant pressures that we face, the Executive must seize the opportunity presented by a multi-year Budget.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I intend to answer questions 4 and 8 together. <BR /> <BR />On 6 January, I published proposals for a multi-year Budget and formally launched a public consultation. The consultation closed on 3 March. Subsequent to that, the Secretary of State wrote to update the funding available, which I laid out in my written ministerial statement to the Assembly on 25 March 2026. In addition, while not reflected in the control totals outlined in the Secretary of State's letter, provision must also be made for the repayment of the £400 million reserve claim. In light of those changes, I brought revised Budget proposals to Executive colleagues for consideration at the Executive meeting on 16 April. It is clear that there is a determination around the Executive table to progress a multi-year Budget.”
“We recently underwent a review of procurement to see how we should bring forward new governance models. It is an area that requires constant updating and refreshment. I am studying a report from an expert panel on the way forward to see how we can improve on our governance models and ensure that we have the most up-to-date governance in place and do not have the fragmentation that the Member mentioned. I will take a while to study that report, and I will then make recommendations to my Executive colleagues on the way forward.”
“I recently introduced a procurement policy to the Executive that has the highest standards and examples of international human rights compliance. We have gone as far as and much further than has been the case previously in this state or, indeed, some other places. I will always continue to examine how we can play our part and ensure that we do not work alongside companies that support the genocide in Gaza and elsewhere and that we isolate those in the Israeli state who are conducting that genocide or who continue to support and campaign for it.”
“I continue to engage with my officials on how we ensure that the procurement process allows access for small- and medium-sized enterprises. We have been successful to date in ensuring that local organisations and companies get access to it, but I continue to discuss and refine the process to ensure that we improve it.”
“There are some areas where procurement takes place on a wider geographical spread. Road repairs, for example, are split up into a number of geographical locations. That, in turn, can mean that you get more for your money.”
“I thank the Member for his question. We have cut red tape for low-value procurement for public bodies, including our schools. Schools can now buy what they need quickly and locally for anything under £50,000 or £65,000 for utilities. There is no more jumping through hoops; they can simply get quotes by email without having to use the eTendersNI system. That removes a major barrier for schools, whose focus, as we know, should be on teaching, not tackling bureaucracy. It also opens the door for more local businesses to work in the public sector. The message is simple: if a school needs a joiner to fix a door or a painter to freshen up a classroom, nothing in procurement policy stops them obtaining a couple of local quotes and getting on with the job.”
“Since the launch, 1,061 new microbusinesses and 159 new voluntary and community organisations have registered on eTendersNI.”
“Used by 147 contracting authorities and more than 35,000 registered suppliers, it provides a single, consistent route for suppliers to access tender opportunities from government Departments, agencies, arm’s-length bodies and the wider public sector. Increasing supplier participation in eTendersNI is a key priority. <BR /> <BR />On 8 July 2025, Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) published a procurement supplier communication strategy in consultation with other centres of procurement expertise, Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and industry and sector representative bodies. The strategy focuses on widening access to procurement, supporting suppliers to tender competitively and encouraging new entrants to the public-sector marketplace.”
“My Department has taken decisive steps to make public procurement more accessible and supportive of business growth. The public procurement policy statement agreed by the Executive in June 2025 requires Departments, either directly or through its centre of procurement expertise (CoPE), to publish an 18-month procurement pipeline. That gives businesses greater visibility of upcoming opportunities and greater confidence to plan and invest. <BR /> <BR />Central to that is the operation of eTendersNI, which is the single online portal for advertising public-sector procurement opportunities above £50,000.”
“Tackling climate change is a common-sense approach. It is common sense to take on the challenges that we face in relation to extreme weather events, whether that be increased rainfall or more frequent storms, not only in this part of the world but in other parts of the world that are facing real and direct challenges as a result of climate change. Investment in warm homes, for example, is the right way forward to ensure that people's homes are properly insulated and built to a standard that ensures that we use less energy than we did previously. The current cost-of-living crisis and the war in Iran, which has driven up oil and fuel prices, are other examples of why we should do that.”
“Unfortunately, I do not have the figures in front of me, but I am more than happy to share them with the Member in due course.”
“Under the draft CAP, my Department is not sector-led. It plays a central enabling role, providing frameworks and guidance to Departments on how they need to consider climate change in decision-making and procurement processes. We are committed to supporting the delivery of the CAP, as is demonstrated by our inclusion of policies that enable such actions. <BR /> <BR />Outside of the CAP, we are also leading by example. The Department's 'Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 2025-2026' — the first — was published in May 2025. It sets out 38 actions to fulfil our climate commitments and improve sustainability. An end-of-year progress report and the plan for 2026-27 will be published shortly.”
“All public expenditure should be measured to ensure that it is an efficient and effective use of public funds and delivers the policy intention of the Department and/or the Executive. Spending to tackle climate change is no different. Such expenditure is already built into some Departments' spends, but it brings broader advantages in other areas. For instance, the affordable warmth scheme and the warm healthy homes scheme are primarily intended to tackle fuel poverty and improve health, but they also deliver emissions savings. Given the pressures that families are under at the moment from heating costs et cetera, that expenditure should be encouraged and supported in order to assist families with the rising cost-of-living crisis, but it has the added benefit of tackling climate change.”
“Any additional funding bids arising from assessments may be submitted for consideration by the Executive as part of their wider prioritisation and financial planning process.”
“Protecting the environment is a priority in the Executive's Programme for Government (PFG). The Executive published their Budget sustainability plan in October 2024. The associated forward work programme is led by my Department and examines improvements in the Budget process, including how to link the Budget to the strategic direction of the PFG, which has associated climate targets. <BR /> <BR />Under the Climate Change Act 2022, all Departments are required to exercise their functions in a manner that is consistent with achieving emissions targets and carbon budgets as far as possible. As climate action is so far-reaching, it is a consideration in all departmental spending and is not limited to actions that can be funded from additional allocations in what is a very constrained financial environment.”
“All that I heard was that he agrees with the Minister.”
“<BR /> <BR />When it comes to the famous "black box", those who remember the debates in the Chamber between Mr Allister and one of my predecessors, Mr Murphy, will understand the significance of those debates. The Bill removes significant black boxes from the budgetary process on the sole authority of the Budget Bill. From that point of view, the accounting and administrative processes are much improved by what we are doing today. <BR /> <BR />I have nothing further to add to my comments, other than to commend the amendments and the amended clauses of the Bill to the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is general agreement on the amendments to the Bill's clauses. Some Members have concerns about the issues in relation to concessionary fares. The DFI Minister has moved to, hopefully, allay most people's concerns about that, by bringing any future decisions back to the Assembly for final decision. It is worth noting that the DFI Minister has protected concessionary fares and has allowed free travel for a wider range of people in this society than exists anywhere else in these islands. I do not think that there is any justification in suggesting that there is an attempt to undermine that. The fact of the matter is that those fares have been greatly protected.”
“I thank the Members who have contributed to the debate. I also put on record my thanks to the Committee for Finance and the other Committees that were involved in the scrutiny of the Bill. It is worth noting that, although we, as legislators in this Chamber, are criticised for not bringing forward enough legislation compared with other legislatures, that comparison does not stack up. Today, we have a piece of legislation that covers 19 areas of public policy and allows interventions in areas that are very important to our society. The Bill's title may be a bit dry and certainly does not reflect the importance of the legislation and the impact that it will have across many areas of public policy and expenditure, as well as on providing services to the general public.”