AQO 3844/22-27

Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down

Tabled Date: 18/06/2026
Answered On Date: 16/09/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice for her assessment of her Department's resource budget situation.

Answer:

I recognise that the Executive as a whole will not receive sufficient levels of additional funding during the multi-year budget period. I am also very conscious of the significant pressures facing all departments and the difficult decisions that need to be taken by the Executive.

However, it is extremely disappointing that the proposed Draft Budget allocations will leave my Department facing day-to-day Stabilisation pressures of £103 million in 2026-27, £155 million in 2027-28, and £242 million in 2028-29. This is before Exceptional pressures for Holiday pay, McCloud and Legacy are taken into account.

The £242 million pressure in 2028-29 equates to the total budget for NI Prison Service, Courts and Tribunals Service and Probation Board.

The impact of such shortfalls in funding is catastrophic for the justice system in Northern Ireland. Considering the magnitude of the pressures remaining there is no prospect of my Department living within the proposed Draft Budget allocations.

The limited funding provided to my Department means that it is now considered inevitable that it will overspend its Resource Budget in each of the next three years.

I will continue to engage with Ministerial colleagues to advocate for additional funding to ensure we have a Justice sector that is funded appropriately now and in future years, which is currently not the case.