Letter: Stormont’s Fiscal Policy is Making Us Poorer
A letter from Edward Ferrin responding to Dr. Esmond Birnie’s article on pay parity highlights the urgent need for political debate on Northern Ireland Executive’s economic and fiscal strategies.
Pay parity in the public sector with the rest of the UK and Ireland is becoming unmanageable. Continuing to grant pay raises in an oversized public sector is financially unsustainable and risks higher wages being paid for mediocre public services.
Ferrin clarifies that this does not imply public sector workers are failing but rather that funding for high-quality services is lacking. This situation calls into question the local political system's approach.
He asks why no MLA or party in Stormont advocates for fiscal responsibility and cautious public spending. Instead, political parties appear to believe that pay parity and rising public sector costs will lead to tangible economic and social improvements in Northern Ireland.
"It is fiscally unsustainable and risks us paying our public servants more money to deliver ever more mediocre public services."
"Why is there not a single MLA or political party at the heart of our devolved government [...] making the case for fiscal responsibility and prudence in our public expenditure?"
Author’s Summary
Stormont’s current fiscal approach threatens economic stability by prioritizing pay parity over sustainable public spending and quality service delivery.