To ask the Minister of Health how his Department works with the Department of Finance to fulfil the Children's Social Care Services Strategic Reform Programme.

My Department submitted bids to the Department of Finance to inform the Executive’s consideration of Budget 2025-28. In addition to the bids to cover our inescapable pressures, we submitted bids for other key departmental priorities including Children's Social Care Reform.

Unfortunately, the 2025-26 draft budget allocation to Health will not be sufficient to cover the significant increases in cost, which we will face as a result of pay and price inflation, increased National Insurance contributions for GPs, pharmacists and social care providers and rising demand. This means we are faced with a significant shortfall in funding and while I would like to be able to direct additional investment to areas such as children’s social care reform, I will need to consider all of the funding pressures my Department is facing before I make any final funding decisions.

I also submitted an Executive paper to seek Ministers’ considerations on cross-cutting recommendations made by the Independent Review of Children Social Care Services that will require an Executive position to progress. This included an ask to Ministers to consider the establishment of an Executive Family Wellbeing Fund in line with one of the recommendations from the independent review of children’s social care services. I have not yet received a response from the Minister of Finance on this matter.