100,000 households get �150 boost

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds addressed assembly colleagues

Up to 100,000 vulnerable households are to get a one-off �150 fuel credit, as part of the Northern Ireland Executive's �70m hardship package.

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds told the assembly those on income support and pension credit will get the payment.

Business rates had been due to rise in line with inflation but they will now be frozen for next year.

He also announced the �20m Farm Nutrient Management Scheme to encourage the construction of slurry tanks.

Several million pounds will be spent on maintaining roads and schools.

Construction firms will be able to bid for government contracts worth �115m for schools and hospitals, as these projects are no longer caught up in a legal dispute over procurements.

No other department has been picked on in this way

Margaret Ritchie
Social Development Minister

Heat debate raises temperatures

John Armstrong, managing director of the Construction Employers Federation, said he hoped work would be made available quickly.

"The property development market collapsed at the end of last year and the danger is that public sector infrastructure expenditure, which has long been anticipated, is now key to maintaining employment in that sector," he said.

The measures were agreed by Stormont ministers who have been discussing how to help people affected by the economic downturn.

Mr Dodds made the announcements at a special assembly session to debate the executive's decisions.

'Smash and grab raid'

He said the fuel credit scheme had gone beyond proposals by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie, which were reported to have caused tensions in the executive.

Ms Ritchie told reporters that the Stormont executive had made a �30m "smash and grab raid" on her housing budget to help pay for the hardship package.

"No other department has been picked on in this way," said the SDLP minister.

"It means the Housing Executive will not be able to take forward badly-needed maintenance projects," she said.

However, First Minister Peter Robinson dismissed Mrs Ritchie's claims.

"It's a proposal which goes beyond what she wanted," he said.

"So I would have thought she would be jumping up and down and rejoicing. Instead we hear carping and criticism.

"These are people who clearly do not understand the first thing about finance."