Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said the latest monitoring round allocation agreed by the Executive will not allow him to ‘maintain pay parity for health service workers’.
Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald announced the October monitoring round on Monday. A total of £631.5 million will be provided across departments, with health receiving £350 million.
Despite receiving 57% of the available funding from the monitoring round, the Health Minister did not support the allocations.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mike Nesbitt, said: “Budgetary decisions by the Executive, including the allocations announced today, mean there is insufficient funding to maintain pay parity for health service workers.
“That is an extremely regrettable position with potentially serious consequences. I could not in all conscience support it today. I could not look health service workers in the eye and say I had put my name to pay funding that will be lower than England and Wales.
“The Finance Minister has said Ministers should prioritise pay while avoiding overspends at all costs. That position does not add up. I cannot do both.
“I will be meeting with health trade unions to discuss options and the best way of moving forward.
“But let’s be clear. The Executive has knowingly, with its eyes wide open, decided to break pay parity for health service workers.”
Nesbitt has said he needs another £100 million to balance the books in his department.
Education gets £171 million
The Department of Education will receive the second-highest amount of funding from the monitoring round.
The Finance Minister said the allocations were to address general pressures, including pay.
Total departmental allocations including both Resource and Capital funding being made are:
- Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – Resource £3.7 million/Capital £2.1million
- Department for Communities Resource £28.6 million/Capital £25 million
- Department for the Economy – Resource £8.6 million/Capital £0.2 million
- Department of Education – Resource £171 million
- Department of Finance – no allocation
- Department of Health – Resource £350 million
- Department for Infrastructure Resource £22.8 million / Capital £39.6 million
- Department of Justice – Resource £39.3 million
- The Executive Office – Resource £7.0 million / Capital £1.4million
