Finance
Is Northern Ireland underrated? Examining the context for a review of our rating system
On 9 May 2019 the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Finance (DoF) announced a fresh appraisal of the fundamental features of the Northern Ireland (NI) rating system. This article provides some context for the Review.
We don’t need no education!
The finances of Northern Ireland’s schools have been in the spotlight for some time. For example, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster is currently holding an Inquiry into Education funding. In June 2018, Northern Ireland’s
Public Finances in Northern Ireland: Key recent developments and how they may affect you
This article unpicks key recent developments relating to public finance in Northern Ireland (NI), while there is no functioning Executive or Assembly and there is no direct rule from the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament. Those developments
What are rates and why do we pay them?
Rates are a property tax paid by households and businesses. There are two different types of rates in Northern Ireland, domestic rates for residential properties and non-domestic rates for businesses and other non-residential properties, such as
UK Chancellor’s Budget: Small Change for Northern Ireland
Yesterday, in the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced some changes to the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s spending plans based on the latest economic data. What does this mean for Northern Ireland (NI)?
Save Our Spending! What do we need to know about the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s 2017-18 budget?
This article examines the Budget Bill put forward today by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (NI) in Westminster. The recent blog article Reclaiming the power of the purse explained the actions which the Secretary
Reclaiming the power of the purse
Half way through the fiscal year, Northern Ireland (NI) still has no 2017-18 budget. A previous blog, Who has the power of the purse if the Assembly does not agree a budget?, set out the process
Who has the power of the purse if the Assembly does not agree a budget?
Piecing together a budget is one of the most fundamental activities of government. But in Northern Ireland (NI) there is currently neither a government nor a budget for the next financial year. Fresh elections have just