Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK announced that next year's Government net spending, which is the amount that has to be funded by direct and indirect taxation, is to increase by £1.6m, or 0.3%, to £545.2m.
Government's gross spending, that is spending before taking into account income collected by Government Departments themselves, is estimated at £944m, which averages around £2.59m a day.
The operating balance, which Government needs to keep available for contingencies, is £40.4m or 7.4% of net spending. This budget also includes a Central Government Contingency Provision of £8.2m to allow some flexibility for the financing of unbudgeted inflationary costs and other unforeseeable items, where the departments affected cannot contain these costs within their existing target. This move adds a measure of prudence to the budget, and will help sustain the reserves position going forward and support the New Fiscal Strategy.
Capital Estimates of £78m are included for the year, which will be funded without recourse to external borrowing.
Staffing numbers are reduced by 89 posts in 2015-16.
The total personnel employed by Government Departments, including seasonal staff and Statutory Boards, is the equivalent of 7,874 full-time posts including contract posts.
The Department of Health and Social Care will employ 2,777 or 35.3% of the total, with 1,462 or 18.6% being employed by the Department of Education and 1,056 or 13.4% being employed by the Department of Infrastructure.
