Coronavirus: Executive agrees reallocation of Covid-19 funding
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The Stormont executive has agreed how to reallocate 拢123m from Covid-19 funding.
It is not new money but out of an existing pot of more than 拢700m from the Treasury for the rest of the year.
Almost 拢50m is going towards safely reopening schools and further education colleges, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and free school meals.
Some 拢20m is going to Translink and 拢27m to NI Water - both of which have been crying out for further investment.
Finance Minister Conor Murphy said the schools money would "allow children and young people to return to education in a safe environment while at the same time enabling parents to return to work".
Apprenticeships have been allocated 拢17m, which Mr Murphy said would "ensure young people are provided with the opportunity to gain skills and employment".
A further 拢2.5m will go towards helping social enterprises reopen safely.
Some 拢1.4m is going towards part of the taxi and bus licence fees that has not been waived.
The latest round of allocations in full are:
拢35m - schools reopening
拢27m - NI Water to offset loss of income from commercial users
拢20m - Translink
拢17.2m - apprenticeships
拢7m - social enterprises
拢6.4m - schools PPE
拢5.5m - Further Education to provide a safe learning environment
拢2.5m - safely reopen the voluntary and social enterprise sectors
拢1.4m - cover statutory license fees for the bus and taxi industry
拢1m - free school meals
"These allocations will help to maintain key public services, support economic recovery and protect the vulnerable," said Mr Murphy.
- Published24 July 2020
