Finance Minister unveils draft multi-year Budget proposals for 2026–29/30

Stormont Finance Minister John O'Dowd published a draft multi-year Budget proposing allocations for 2026–2029/30, including about £26 billion for health and nearly £10 billion for education.

Stormont's Finance Minister John O'Dowd has set out a draft multi-year Budget covering 2026 to 2029/30. The document proposes day-to-day spending allocations for departments across the period if the plans are agreed. Mr O'Dowd said funding for public services is "extremely constrained" and that increases in one area will require reductions elsewhere. The draft brings specific sums for health, education, infrastructure and other services into public view. Budget proposals include: - A multi-year framework that would allocate departmental resource and capital spending for 2026–2029/30 if approved. - Health: about £26 billion proposed to support the health service, including £495 million earmarked to cut waiting lists; the Department of Health is listed at £25.9bn resource and £1.8bn capital. - Education: almost £10 billion proposed overall, with the Department of Education listed at £9.9bn resource and £1.2bn capital. - Infrastructure and housing: over £4 billion proposed for major projects including the A5, A6 and Belfast Transport Hub; £441.7m proposed for new social homes and £433.7m for water infrastructure; the Department for Infrastructure is shown at £2bn resource and £4bn capital. - Other items and departmental totals: £133.3m proposed to boost PSNI officer and staff numbers and to increase funding aimed at ending violence against women and girls; £24m for children and young people with special educational needs; departmental proposals also list allocations for Agriculture, Communities, the Economy, Finance, Justice and The Executive Office. Summary: The draft budget sets out how public money would be distributed across services over the next three years while noting limits on overall funding. Mr O'Dowd described rising demand and costs and said not all departmental requests can be met. The plan will require agreement to take effect. Undetermined at this time.