Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“After two days of debate, pointless to the extent that the DUP’s Petition of a Concern meant no democratic changes could be made, key questions on welfare reform remain unanswered.
“One thing is clear though, while the Assembly is legislating for welfare reform, at the same time it is preparing to divert money from schools and hospitals to nullify its effect! It could only happen in Stormont.
“Sinn Fein boasts £565m will be spent on this exercise. The only certainty is that this money will be siphoned off the block grant, the money which runs our schools, our hospitals and all our public services. This is what is being put upon the Northern Ireland in order to keep Sinn Fein happy and benefit dependants in the manner to which they are accustomed. The philosophy of the Stormont Executive is clearly benefits before jobs. So much for rebalancing the economy. With 6,600 families averaging £30,700 pa in benefits (which equates to earnings of over £40,000 pa), where is the incentive to work?
“It is not so very long ago that the First Minister and other Ministers told us that there was no more money and that they had done the best that they could. It now seems that there is an unspecified amount of money in the future, and the only thing that we know about it is where it will come from. It will come from where it can least afford to come from: the block grant. That is what is frightening about those unspecified welfare reform arrangements.”