The Northern Ireland public sector budget laid out by the Secretary of State will cause significant challenges for the economy.
That is the view of business organisations across the province which called for an end to the current standoff at Stormont and a restoration of the Executive to make the most efficient use of the reduced funding.
The comments come after Chris Heaton-Harris announced a tightened budget of £14.2 billion in resource and £2.2 billion in capital for the 2023-2024 financial year, a total reduction of 0.4% which has left government departments struggling to cover costs. Of some succour is the fact Westminster has decided not to repay the £297 million overspend from last year but will absorb any extra funding for UK-wide initiatives which may be announced during the year.
