Durkan to reallocate £40m in public funds

The North's Finance Minister has announced plans to reallocate £40 million in public funds.

The North's Finance Minister has announced plans to reallocate £40 million in public funds.

Mr Mark Durkan said a range of government departments would receive extra funding for the remainder of this financial year. By far the largest recipients were Health and Regional Development.

The health service will receive £14.5 million, including £3 million for capital expenditure, £3 million for winter pressures and £1.8 million for the provision of additional acute services.

Mr Durkan also allocated £14 million to the Department of Regional Development, including £4 million for roads maintenance.

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The visit of President Clinton in December led to £100,000 being passed to the office of First and Deputy First Minister, he said.

The Finance Minister said the Executive had held back an additional £27.9 million to address the growing problem of deficits run up by the devolved health service trusts which provide healthcare in the North.

"The Executive has concluded that it is not yet ready to decide exactly how to handle this issue in the remainder of the financial year," the SDLP Minister said.

Mr Durkan said the deficits illustrated how the health service was suffering due to the Northern Ireland Executive being allocated insufficient funds from the British exchequer.

Other MLAs also expressed concern about the state of health trust finances. Prof Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition said "North and West Belfast, Altnagelvin Hospital, Sperrin Lakeland, Ulster Hospital and Community, Armagh and Dungannon, Causeway, Home First, United Hospitals, Green Park, Belfast City Hospital, Craigavon Area Hospital and the Royal Group of Hospitals" were all in debt and asked what incentive other trusts had to stay off this list.

The Minister was also urged to reverse his policy of increasing rates by 8 per cent next year.