Finance minister says onus on Treasury to support NI if further lockdown required

By Rebecca Black and David Young, PA

Stormont does not have enough money to absorb the economic cost of another lockdown in Northern Ireland, the finance minister has said.

Conor Murphy said there was an onus on the Treasury to provide additional financial support to the region if it had to enter a fresh period of widespread restrictions.

Mr Murphy’s comments echoed remarks from economy minister Diane Dodds who said a lockdown would not be viable without Treasury support.

On Wednesday, the finance minister announced a £350,000 executive-funded grant scheme to support hospitality businesses impacted by added localised restrictions currently in force in the Derry and Strabane Council area.

Small businesses would be able to apply for an £800 grant to cover the two-week period of restrictions, with larger businesses eligible for £1,200.

Mr Murphy said more money would be required from the Treasury if the region as a whole was to enter another lockdown period.

“If we are into the scenario where we require a six county-wide lockdown scenario, a circuit breaker as some people have said, then that’s a conversation we need to be having with Treasury because the level of support we could bring to the table in that regard is not sufficient to meet the challenges that the economy would face,” he said.

Mr Murphy said the new scheme for the north west was designed to be flexible.

“This scheme is designed in such a way that it could continue on if there is an extension to that over the two weeks without people having to apply again, and also that it can be replicated in other council areas should similar restrictions be imposed there,” he said.

Mr Murphy said the scheme was more generous than similar support packages offered in Great Britain and the Irish Republic.

But he acknowledged it would not be transformative and was rather an emergency response delivered at pace.

“This doesn’t purport to regenerate the north west, it’s about emergency support to people,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mrs Dodds told BBC Radio Ulster that a decision around entering another lockdown had to balance both public health considerations and the negative economic impact.

Asked if there could only be a circuit break lockdown in Northern Ireland if there was additional financial support from the Government, she said: “I think that’s the only viable way to proceed.”