DUP's Sir Jeffrey Donaldson calls on UK Government to release funds for public sector pay awards

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pressed the UK Government to release funding to make public sector pay awards.

He was speaking after meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris at Hillsborough Castle just days before a major public sector strike on Thursday.

He also spoke with representatives of a teachers’ union who chanted “fair pay for teachers” as the DUP delegation left.

Sir Jeffrey insisted that having Stormont resumed tomorrow “won’t solve problems”.

“We need the funding in place. The Secretary of State and the Treasury have indicated that there is funding available and we’re saying they should now bring that forward and make those public sector pay awards,” he said.

“There’s nothing to stop that from happening – you don’t need to have a functioning Stormont in order for the Secretary of State to use the temporary powers that he has given to himself for that purpose.

"He has the power to set the budget. He has the power to deal with this issue and we’re saying to the Secretary of State that he should get on and do that.”

The DUP Leader said he “made it clear” in his meeting with Mr Chris Heaton-Harris at Hillsborough that he wants the Government to intervene to deliver the money already set aside for public sector pay awards.

“This does require the approval of Treasury and I know that in fairness to the Secretary of State he has been working to try and get that approval to enable the release of the funding so that our public sector workers can receive the pay award they undoubtedly deserve for the current financial year, and we would urge the UK Government to do the right thing,” he said.

Sir Jeffrey also indicated his party has made further progress in talks with the UK Government over unionists’ concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements. The DUP has said it will not participate in devolved government until those concerns are addressed.

“I’m glad to report that in the course of those weeks since before Christmas, and in our discussions with the Government, we have made further progress in addressing the outstanding issues that relate to Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and its internal market,” he said.

“I welcome that progress and I think we’re moving forward now towards the moment when, hopefully, decisions can be made as to how we move forward in relation to all of these matters.”

Sir Jeffrey insisted he is “working every day” on the political impasse.

“I want to see the political institutions restored, I’ve made that absolutely clear but it has to be on a stable and sustainable basis,” he said.

“Power sharing in Northern Ireland works when there is a cross community consensus. We need an outcome that unionists can support as well as nationalists and that’s what I am working to achieve. We have made significant progress and I want to push that on and get to a place where we can make decisions and see our institutions restored.”

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