Covid-19: NI to get further £300m to tackle pandemic

Northern Ireland is to get a further £300m from the UK government to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

The money can be spent now or carried into the new financial year in April, which the Treasury says shows "unprecedented flexibility".

Stormont ministers have been concerned that extra funding they received in December will not all be spent and some may have to be handed back.

Funding allocations have become more complicated during the pandemic.

Normally Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get a population-based proportion of new spending for England.

In July 2020, the government decided to give the devolved institutions money up front without having to wait for it to be spent in England first.

The UK government initially announced a guarantee of an additional £12.7bn on 24 July which has now been uplifted four times.

Northern Ireland has now been allocated a total of £3.3bn in that way.

The further funding was welcomed by Finance Minister Conor Murphy.

He said he and his counterparts in Scotland and Wales had pushed the Treasury to allow money to be carried into the new financial year.

"I'm pleased flexibility has been granted in relation to this funding which will ensure continued support for the health service, individuals and businesses in the tough months ahead," he added.