SF's Proposed Budget Would 'Decimate Vital Services' – DUP

Sinn Féin's proposed Budget would "decimate many vital services", the DUP's Strangford MLA Peter Weir has said.

Stating the Budget was a warning about the direction in which Sinn Fein would take Northern Ireland, he said: "Sinn Fein have a dismal record in relation to finance and budgets in Northern Ireland. The first Sinn Fein Finance Minister never managed to even bring a budget forward and Conor Murphy brought forward one that would decimate many vital services and which could not secure Executive support.

"He has brought forward a budget that would be catastrophic for our schools and which the Chief Executive of the Housing Executive has said represents 'a bleak outlook for housing with negative consequences - especially for those relying on homeless services or those on the waiting list for social housing'.

"It is little wonder other Ministers may have allowed it to go forward for public consultation, but were clear that did not mean they supported its contents.

"Devoid of any substance, we have instead been presented with increasingly desperate spinning from Conor Murphy. His belief that he could simply by-pass Executive approval was testament to Sinn Fein's arrogance and disregard for any proper process.

The budget helps set the direction for many vital services in Northern Ireland. Conor Murphy's budget is a clear warning about the direction in which Sinn Fein would take Northern Ireland."