Finance Minister Conor Murphy is looking at the possibility of bringing the draft budget to the Assembly floor in the absence of an Executive, his Stormont leader has said.
Michelle O’Neill said Mr Murphy was trying to find a “way around the DUP mess” following the resignation of Paul Givan as first minister.
This also removed Ms O’Neill from her role as deputy first minister and collapsed the powersharing Executive, although other ministers remain in place.
However, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson cast doubt that the Assembly would support the budget, and accused Mr Murphy of putting “the cart before the horse”.
A three-year budget for Northern Ireland which envisages a significant reconfiguration of Executive spending priorities to boost investment in the region’s under-pressure health service, is currently out for public consultation.
Conor Murphy as the Finance Minister is trying to find a way around the DUP mess
However, Mr Givan’s resignation as part of the DUP protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol has thrown the proposed multi-year budget into doubt.
Ms O’Neill said: “Conor Murphy as the Finance Minister is trying to find a way around the DUP mess.
“We prioritised health in the three-year budget and he is trying to find a way, seeking legal advice, is there any prospect that we can bring a budget to the floor of the Assembly to be voted on as opposed to having to bring it to an Executive.
“I think it is important that we explore these things.”
She added: “From when the DUP walked out of the Executive, when Paul Givan resigned, we have sought to find ways to deliver on all the really important pieces of legislation that mean things to people.
“The organ donation Bill, we had progress there, the fracking Bill, there have been significant pieces of legislation got over the line this week because of the goodwill of the other parties to deliver for the public while the DUP are engaged in their election stunt.
“Conor is trying to find a way to go around the DUP to see if it is at all possible to bring it to the floor to let the parties decide how we can prioritise health.
“Health is the big issue that needs to be resolved right now, health waiting lists are atrocious and they need to be fixed.
“Conor Murphy allocated a lion’s share of the budget to the Health Minister in order to tackle that problem, the DUP are denying that progress being made.”
Sir Jeffrey responded: “We need to look at what mechanism the Finance Minister intends to use.
“If legislation is required then my understanding is that he can’t introduce new legislation.
“If he is seeking to present a motion to the Assembly then it remains to be seen whether that will have the required level of support.
“Let’s not forget that when the Finance Minister put his budget to the Executive there was little support for it and reluctantly some parties agreed that it would go out to consultation.”
He added: “I don’t think it is a given at all that the Finance Minister will simply be able to present his budget to the Assembly and get approval.
“This budget is deeply flawed and I think it is important that before we set a budget for the next three years we agree a programme for government.
“The Finance Minister is putting the cart before the horse.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said she expects the UK Government to honour its commitment to introduce Irish language legislation.
She commented following reports that a political row over the title of a new commissioner for Ulster Scots is being partly blamed for the delay in legislating for a new cultural Bill at Westminster.
Last year the Government promised to bring legislation for Irish language and Ulster Scots through Westminster.
Mrs McDonald said: “I just want to be clear that we went directly, as you know, to the British Government, at the time that the institutions were put back together again, and we made it very, very clear that the obligation and responsibility is on them to deliver the Irish language legislation.
“We have a commitment from them that they will do just that.
“And so any commentary or any use of excuses for further delays are just that.
We expect them to honour their words to keep a good faith with that commitment
“There is no dialogue. There is no dispute.
“There is no conversation between Sinn Fein and any section of unionism on the Irish language legislation.
“That ship has sailed. And it now falls to the British Government to introduce the legislation.
“We expect them to honour their words to keep a good faith with that commitment.”
