Sinn Fein – DUP Budget railroaded through Executive
04 March 2011
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:-
“With attendant bad temper, fitting of its dyfunctionalism, the DUP/Sinn Fein budget has been railroaded through the Executive. It is no surprise that there is no significant change from its initial incarnation. As a DUP/Sinn Fein deal it was always going to be immune from the farcical consultation exercise.
“Far from tackling waste it protects the greatest waste of all, the £400m we pour down the drain on the useless North/South bodies, preferring to protect these sacred cows rather than putting vital funds into the health service. Another sacred cow lavished with cash is the Provo Project at the Maze. OFMDFM prioritises it for capital spend of tens of millions while DETI’s capital budget is slashed by 64%, meaning no new factories or capital facilitation of inward investment.
“Vital road projects like the A26 dualling and the A2 are abandoned so that the Dublin to Donegal motorway can be prioritised.
“As for the bloated bureaucracy of Stormont itself, it’s the safest cut-free zone of all. Let the Health Service, water infrastructure, roads maintenance and things that really matter suffer, so long as Sinn Fein’s harmonisation agenda is protected – sadly that is the message of this woeful budget.”
