Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA has called on the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to provide clarity over the funding of ‘Together: Building a United Community’. Departmental officials appeared before the OFMdFM Committee yesterday (Wednesday) and said that there was no budget line for the initiative.
“I am calling for clarity over how ‘Together: Building a United Community’ is to be funded.
“On one hand we have Junior Minister Bell recently telling a television audience that OFM dFM are going to spend £500 million over the next two years, yet yesterday at the Committee of the Office of the First and deputy First Minister, departmental officials who came to brief on the department`s 2013/2014 budget admitted that there was no budget line for ‘Together Building a United Community’.
“Departmental officials expressed optimism that the money would be found even though they also admitted the budget is already over-allocated and that they are seeking a relatively huge bid in the June Monitoring round for other projects.”
“It sounds like the Prime Minister is going to need very deep pockets.”