Finance Minister John O'Dowd has unveiled a substantial £129 million boost for six projects set to reshape crucial sectors, including healthcare, special educational needs, justice, and infrastructure. Revealing the financial package spread across five years.
Among the funding announced is £61m for the Department of Health’s Primary Care Multidisciplinary Team proposal to help stabilise Primary Care, focus on prevention and management of conditions away from hospital settings and better utilise the skills of the community and voluntary sector. This funding will enable completion of the model in the seven existing MDT areas and expansion into five new GP Federation areas.
£27.5m has been allocated for the Department of Education’s proposal to support children with special educational needs to reform services to ensure better outcomes for children. This proposal will support a suite of pilot programmes focused on early intervention and building an appropriately skilled education workforce.
The Department of Justice and Public Prosecution Service’s proposal on Speeding Up and Transforming the Criminal Justice system to reduce delay, maximise efficiencies and free up capacity in the courts for more serious cases has been allocated £20.45m.
£2.19m has also been allocated for the Department of Justice’s Electronic Tagging proposal to transform the way in which they monitor individuals released into the community.
The Department for Infrastructure have been allocated £15m for an Urban Drainage proposal to fund a pilot project for transforming the way in which rainwater is managed in our towns and cities. DFI will also receive £3m for its Transforming Planning proposal to help the Planning Appeals Commission address its resource issues through making improvements in the planning system.
Minister O'Dowd emphasised the necessity of public service evolution: "As our society changes, we must ensure our public services adapt and evolve to meet the new and changing needs of citizens. Transforming how we deliver services requires courage and ambition to try new ways of doing things.
"I am pleased today to announce £129m of funding for innovative projects which will help support and drive the transformation of our public services."
The minister detailed the far-reaching impact of this investment, which promises to enhance health outcomes, assist children with special educational needs, innovate within the justice system, and bolster pivotal infrastructure efforts.
An additional £0.3m has been earmarked for the Executive Office to conduct a Digital Maturity Assessment on 18 proposals aimed at propelling digital transformation. This funding forms part of the £235 million handed down by the UK Government, specifically dedicated to public sector reform in support of the Executive's restoration.
After these funds are allocated, about £100 million will be left over, earmarked for future allocation towards digital initiatives that pass the Digital Maturity Assessment and are considered transformative in subsequent calls for proposals.
Minister O'Dowd added: "While this funding will in no way tackle the magnitude of issues at hand, it will be significant in helping to develop and implement a model of delivery, to stimulate the wider transformation of public services. Transformation will take time and a collective effort, today is an important step on that journey."
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