Secretary of State for Northern Ireland welcomes additional funding to tackle coronavirus
Northern Ireland to receive an additional £200million to help fight the coronavirus
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Treasury has now committed a total £340m to support the effort in Northern Ireland
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People in Northern Ireland also benefit from a range of UK-wide measures including £330 billion worth of UK Government backed loans, the Job Retention Scheme and the UK-wide PPE strategy announced last week
The Northern Ireland Executive will receive an extra £200m - a total of £340m - as a result of a boost to the Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund, announced today (Monday 13 April 2020) by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The funding will help the devolved administration at Stormont meet its urgent priorities across public services in Northern Ireland as it works closely with the UK Government to tackle the pandemic.
Welcoming the additional funding, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP, said:
“This Government has promised to do everything in its power to help this country defeat coronavirus - protecting people, their jobs and their loved ones.
“This additional funding for the Northern Ireland Executive delivers on that promise by bolstering support for our fantastic public services and their staff - making sure they have the resources they need to meet the exceptional challenges presented by this outbreak.
“We are united in our commitment to tackling coronavirus and working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive as part of our UK-wide effort to fund urgent health priorities at this very challenging time.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:
“Our public services and its incredible staff are bravely working with immense resolve and skill to keep us safe. We depend on them, which is why we’re giving them the extra funds, tools and resources they need to tackle the virus.
“From the start, I’ve been clear our vital public services will get whatever they need to protect this country and its people from Coronavirus. We are delivering on our pledge.”
People in Northern Ireland also benefit from a range of measures that are supporting people across the UK. Businesses in Northern Ireland have access to £330 billion worth of UK Government backed loans and the Job Retention Scheme and on Friday the Health Secretary announced the UK-wide PPE strategy. This means our heroic front-line workers across the country have the protection they need to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
At the Budget on 11 March, the Chancellor said he would do everything in his power to help Britain defeat Coronavirus. He initially set aside a £5 billion fund as a rapid response, and said that whatever extra resources needed by the NHS and public services would be provided.