NICVA meets again with First and deputy First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness on Spending Review

Disappointed and angry

Both Ministers are disappointed and angry over the outcome of their engagement with the Chancellor on the Northern Ireland Investment Strategy and believe that the current government are not meeting the UK Government commitment from the St Andrews Agreement.

The Settlement Letter is particularly harsh on capital expenditure and will reduce it in real terms by 40% with resource expenditure cut by 8% in real terms.

Negotiations with Downing Street

Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness are still in negotiations with Downing Street on assistance to rebalance the economy and feel it premature to agree a final budget until they are clear what the UK government is going to do on corporation tax and the idea of an Enterprise Zone for Northern Ireland. 

They are very conscious that time is short in planning terms for delivering public services and the difficulties that will face voluntary and community organisations in the next financial year if budgets and contracts are not clear early on. 

Smart solutions

NICVA made it clear to Ministers that the voluntary and community sector could provide some very innovative smart solutions but that it was not about competing with the public sector on service delivery. 

The paper Investing in Smart Solutions, which gives good examples of innovative work in the voluntary and community sector was given to both Ministers.

Read the report fom the first meeting