6 January 2026
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has described the Finance Minister’s draft multi-year Budget - published without Executive agreement - as an unambitious ghost Budget, bereft of vision
He was speaking after John O’Dowd published a draft budget for public consultation, despite not having Executive sign-off.
Mr O'Toole said the draft Budget, published as a written statement with a few basic tables, was a shabby attempt to cover for the failure of Ministers to agree and deliver a proper multi-year Budget alongside a Programme for Govenment.
South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole said:
“Before Christmas, the Finance Minister gave the impression that an ambitious multi-year Budget to deal with the multitude of challenges facing our public services was on the way. Indeed, a multi-year Budget has been promised as key to unlocking real change for our people.
"Today's document isn't just a let-down, it's an unambitious ghost Budget bereft of vision. Rather than setting out a plan to transform services and improve people's lives, it has a few pages of text blaming others and then tables setting out essentially more status quo.
“Nowhere in this multi-year Budget do I see the funding or vision needed to transform our health service, repair our wastewater infrastructure or build the housing we need. This is typical of a Minister and Executive that have no intention of taking the decisions necessary to put this place on the right path, preferring to skate along as our public services crumble around them while blaming the UK Government at every turn.
“The Minister has published his plan today without Executive agreement amid much speculation that no agreement will be forthcoming. This is the latest attempt by this do nothing Executive to hoodwink the public into believing that they are doing something, while all they are delivering is more of the same.
“This draft multi-year Budget represents the continued failure of Sinn Féin Minsters to deliver for people in Northern Ireland, while their DUP counterparts run rings around them at the Executive table.
“The SDLP Opposition has long called for a multi-year Budget to provide certainty for departments to take the steps necessary to enact the change so desperately needed. What has been published today has been rushed out to cover blushes. I would say it isn't worth the paper it's written on, but since the statement itself is merely a word document with no clear vision and minimal detail, that hardly needs said.
"The people of the North deserve much better than this."