The Ulster Unionist Party has raised concerns over Finance Minister John O'Dowd's draft multi-year budget, arguing that the proposed £63 billion spend lacks the vision required to transform Northern Ireland's struggling public services.

Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA, the UUP's Finance Spokesperson, warned that despite the significant scale of the funding, the allocations for core areas such as Health, Education, and Policing remain inadequate. He accused the Finance Minister of focusing on "Brit bashing" and blaming Westminster rather than addressing internal management failures.

While acknowledging the funding uplift to 24% above the UK baseline—a move the UUP says it successfully championed with the Treasury—Dr Aiken highlighted several instances of what he described as gross fiscal negligence.

Dr Steve Aiken commented: "The Finance Minister has put forward his proposed budget for the forthcoming years. At around £63 billion, it is considerable by any standards. However, when we look at our priority public services, such as Health, Education, and Policing, it is clear that the allocations are insufficient to achieve the necessary transformation. The Minister, in line with his party colleagues, has effectively disclaimed (much like the Economy Ministry's accounts) the funding from Whitehall. "While we recognise the pressures, having successfully argued with the Treasury for an uplift to 24% above baseline UK funding, we must ensure that we are using the money we have efficiently. Wasting £150 million on a road without a single square metre of tarmac laid is just one of far too many examples of public procurement gone badly wrong. We also have far too many layers of bureaucracy and a 'quangocracy' that is more reminiscent of East Germany than a modern government."

Dr Aiken pointed to recent reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General as evidence of widespread systemic waste. He argued that the Executive must demonstrate it is achieving value for money before asking the public for more through new revenue-raising powers.

Addressing the specifics of the draft budget, Dr Aiken noted that while Financial Transaction Capital is available for social housing, the ongoing crisis in water and sewage infrastructure threatens to stall any potential for economic growth.

He further challenged the Finance Minister's call for critics to provide their own solutions, noting that Sinn Féin-led departments already oversee sectors where significant revenue could be generated through political decision-making.

Dr Aiken concluded: "This budget proposal is the first official step towards a long-term settlement. There will be many conversations, both private and public with plenty of heated debate before an agreement is reached. But the starting point should have been realism: a commitment to tackle the gross inefficiencies in our public services. Only then should we discuss additional revenue raising, especially as Sinn Féin has chosen to ignore the existing fiscal advice."