Kimmins welcomes funding proposed for infrastructure in the Draft Budget 2025/26 as Equality Impact Consultation launches
Date published:
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has welcomed the Department’s Draft 2025-26 Budget outcome which is in an increase in comparison to previous years and reflective of the historic underfunded baseline that the Department has faced for many years.
Minister Kimmins was speaking as the Department’s Draft 2025-26 Budget Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) consultation, launches for a 12-week period.
She said:
“I welcome increased funding in both my resource and capital budgets which reflects the importance of infrastructure for our society and will help support the commitments within the Programme for Government to deliver positive change for workers, families and communities.
This draft budget represents an improved position in comparison to previous years. However, the draft budget outcome does not provide funding for everything that the Department and our Arms-Length Bodies want to do which means we must work together to prioritise our spend and be efficient in the delivery of our services.”
The Department’s draft resource budget outcome is £633.3m,and draft capital 2025-26 budget outcome is £932.7m, of which £390.7m is ringfenced for specific schemes. This allocation will enable the Department to meet its highest priority measures and could allow an increase in the level of service that has been provided in its essential services such as an increase from the limited level of service for essential road maintenance and flood risk management and allow progress to be made on key infrastructure schemes and capital maintenance of vital infrastructure.
Concluding the Minister said:
“I have not taken any final decisions on how the draft budget will be spent therefore I encourage everyone to provide their comments to the EQIA. I want to continue to work to stabilise the Department’s finances to make the absolute most of our resources. Getting infrastructure right can deliver real benefits for our citizens, communities and the economy.”
The consultation period begins today and ends on 5 June 2025. The link to the consultation is here: - https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/consultations/dfi-draft-budget-2025-26-equality-impact-assessment-consultation
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