To ask the Minister of Justice for an update on the budgetary pressures facing her Department.

AQO 3548-22-27

I recognise that the Executive as a whole will not receive sufficient levels of additional funding during the multi-year budget period. I am also very conscious of the significant pressures facing departments and the difficult decisions that need to be taken by the Executive.

However, it is extremely disappointing that the proposed Draft Budget allocations will leave my Department facing stabilisation pressures of £101 million in 2026-27, £141 million in 2027-28, and £215 million in 2028-29. This is before Exceptional pressures for Holiday pay, McCloud and Legacy are taken into account.

The £215 million pressure in 2028-29 represents the entire budget for Prison Service, Probation Board, Youth Justice and Forensic Science.

This is catastrophic for the justice system in Northern Ireland. Considering the magnitude of the pressures remaining it is difficult to see how my Department will manage to live within budget.

The limited funding provided to my Department will mean that it is almost inevitable that it will overspend its Resource Budget in each of the next three years.

I will continue to engage with Ministerial colleagues to advocate for additional funding to ensure we have a Justice sector that is funded appropriately now and in future years, which is currently not the case.

The Capital position for my Department is equally stark, with an average shortfall of £150m over the next 4 years. The limited funding in the proposed Draft Budget will severely restrict my Capital plans to transform and modernise the Justice estate. This will inevitably result in major capital projects being delayed including, potentially, the building of emergency accommodation in the Prison Service estate – such a delay is simply unfathomable given the growing prison population.

Worryingly, however, no final budget has been agreed and so the position is incredibly uncertain for the Department and for our ALBs.