A range of new revenue-raising measures are set to be introduced across the eight Stormont departments to deal with the current budget crisis.
As originally reported by BBC News NI, there are a range of possible measures that could be introduced as seen in the briefing paper laid out to the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.
- Increase in school dinner prices and bus fares
- Keeping hospital car park charges
- Increased driving test and MOT charges
- Increased street parking charges
- Increased Housing Executive rents
Other measures were also put forward by the Secretary of State in June.
All of these measures are set to be discussed on Thursday with the Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, with the leaders of the political parties.
DUP say that these measures won’t force them to return to Stormont
Speaking to The News Letter, the MLA for East Antrim, Gordon Lyons said:
“We have witnessed previous attempts to put pressure on the DUP, including with talk of revenue raising. Further attempts will continue to fail, but also ignore the fact that any additional revenue raised would be negated if the funding model is not revised.
“Unless there is a total recalibration of how Northern Ireland is funded, the situation will only get worse. Public services will stall and get to a point where it is irretrievable.
“There has been a growing acceptance of the facts, first raised by the DUP that the Barnett formula isn’t fit for purpose and it is not sustainable. We need to see the proper needs-based funding of public services in Northern Ireland, not sticking plasters.”
