Justice Minister Highlights Budget Challenges
The justice minister has stated that the only way her department can "move towards balancing the books" is by making cuts to frontline services.
The executive has not reached a final agreement on the draft budget published in January, resulting in government departments starting the financial year in April without clarity on their spending limits.
Naomi Long expressed concern about the potential impact on frontline services such as policing, probation, prisons, and the youth justice agency.
Police Federation Raises Concerns Over Recovery Plan
On Wednesday, the chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland indicated that a recovery plan aiming to increase police officer numbers to 7,000 by 2028 was in "grave doubt."
Liam Kelly noted that the number of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers was "supposed to grow" to 6,500 by April 2026, marking the end of the first year of the recovery plan.
Minister Describes Situation as a Crisis
Long told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme that she was currently facing a "crisis situation."
"I haven't waited for the Police Federation or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to say it's a crisis, I have been saying it to the executive," she said.
"Without a budget, I cannot give certainty to the Chief Constable or to any other body that operates the justice system."
