SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA has stated that the Northern Ireland Executive is prioritising the correction of past administrative errors over providing essential support for households facing high energy bills.

The South Belfast MLA made the comments ahead of Assembly business involving legislation to delay free hospital car parking and the final closure of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Mr O'Toole highlighted that nearly £100 million is currently available to support families, yet no local scheme has been delivered.

Matthew O'Toole said: "It is an indictment of the state of Executive delay that Stormont will this week devote more time to fixing incompetence from previous years than delivering a local scheme to help hard pressed families with soaring energy costs – despite there being nearly £100 million available to provide support. "This week MLAs will be asked once again to support a delay in free hospital car parking charges – legislation that was introduced by Sinn Féin prior to the last election, then delayed immediately on the Assembly's return – a truly preposterous situation created by the largest party of Government. The SDLP Opposition is bringing forward an amendment to establish exactly how much has been spent on this delayed legislation and what costs have been incurred to the public."

The Opposition Leader also pointed to the scheduled legislation to end the RHI scheme, noting the irony of a concurrent DUP motion regarding government efficiency.

He added: "We also have legislation that will finally bring to an end the RHI scheme which cost hundreds of millions and collapsed our institutions. In the same week the DUP – whose fingerprints were all over the RHI disaster – are, without irony, bringing forward a motion on 'tackling waste and inefficiency in government'.

"This is a microcosm of the poor government we have seen from Sinn Féin and the DUP over the last two decades where poor and populist decisions leave the public paying the price. It doesn't have to be like this: as well as driving real accountability in Opposition, the SDLP is determined to build a new and better politics, starting with overhauling the dysfunction at Stormont."