Northern Ireland party leaders hit out at Heaton-Harris revenue-raising bids

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill has accused Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris of “sabre rattling” by asking civil servants to look at options for raising public revenue. Mr Heaton-Harris has written to Stormont permanent secretaries asking for information about revenue-raising measures such as domestic water charges, drug prescription charges and tuition fees, which he says will improve the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s public finances.

The DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said if the secretary of state was trying to put pressure on his party, "it would not work".

Speaking after party leaders met with the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady at Stormont, Ms O’Neill said she did not support the introduction of water charges. She said: “There was discussion around the Secretary of State’s approach which even took the civil service by surprise. “He brought that to the media’s attention before he had even written to the head of the civil service. “It is sabre rattling by the Secretary of State. What the Secretary of State should be prioritising is actually the restoration of the Executive. “What is the plan for getting the Executive up and running? What is he doing to ensure that happens instead of playing fast and loose with the public who are already paying for water through their rates?”

Yesterday, Chris Heaton-Harris denied that his instruction to senior civil servants at Stormont to provide information on revenue-raising measures was an attempt to pressure the DUP to re-enter Stormont.

"It’s about trying to make sure that the budget is sustainable and that we can deliver proper, quality public services as we move forward in Northern Ireland that are sustainable and financially affordable,” he said.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the move was not helpful. He said: “I don’t think the Secretary of State’s contribution yesterday was particularly helpful. “If it was designed to put pressure on the DUP, that is simply not going to work. “We are engaged with the government on the issues related to the Northern Ireland Protocol, those conversations are and will continue. “But we do need to address the issue of public services and that falls squarely at the feet of the Secretary of State, he has responsibility, along with those of us who are in Westminster, to make the case to the Treasury to address the current pressures on our public services. “Instead of looking at the scenarios he is suggesting to examine in more detail, I think our priority now is the funding formula for Northern Ireland. “I think there is a general and broad acceptance that that funding formula simply isn’t working for Northern Ireland. It is not based on the needs of Northern Ireland and our public services and that needs to change.”

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