T5. Mr Kingston asked the Minister for Communities to outline the impact that his budget for 2024-25 will have on the Supporting People programme. (AQT 415/22-27)

The Supporting People programme is a vital service that provides invaluable housing support to vulnerable people, enabling them to have better quality of life, live more independently in the community and maintain their tenancies. My Department works closely with the Housing Executive on resource allocation to analyse budget requirements and assess the impact of each year's DFC budget on the Supporting People programme. More than 70% of the Supporting People budget is used by providers to pay the salaries of Supporting People staff across 850 services. In March 2024, I announced £3 million of additional funding for the Supporting People programme for the 2023-24 financial year. That funding, which the Northern Ireland Housing Executive distributed to accredited providers, was to help sustain those vital housing support services and support providers during the difficulties of the current economic situation. Notwithstanding the significant budgetary constraints this year, I have decided to provide a £4·8 million increase in funding for the Supporting People programme that goes above the 2023-24 final equality impact assessment budget position in order to help ensure its continued viability.

I welcome the increase in funding for the Supporting People programme and recognise that the Minister is operating in a very constrained budgetary environment. Will he make sure, as far as possible, that funding goes to those projects that make the greatest impact on people's lives, are strategic and have long-term benefits for the people of Northern Ireland?

Yes. The Member is absolutely right to raise the issue because we are in an era of constrained budgets, so it is important that we spend every pound as wisely as we can and in a way that most benefits people in Northern Ireland. Those are really difficult decisions. None of the budget process was easy. We have many good programmes that deliver for people across Northern Ireland, and it was a very difficult budgetary process, but I decided to increase the funding that is available for Supporting People because it makes a real impact and changes lives. Moreover, if that money were not made available, I would simply be pushing problems on to other Departments — I would impact even more on the Department of Health and, in many cases, the Department of Justice — so the approach that I am taking to spending public funds is to make sure that they go to where they make the greatest difference. I know that others will not be happy with some of the outcomes and that we will face an awful lot of difficulty, but, as the Member set out, we need to make sure that we spend money where it can make the most difference.