COUNCILLORS have called for the introduction of emergency legislation to release £300 million in Stormont funding for those struggling to pay energy bills.
A special meeting of Belfast City Council passed a Sinn Féin motion, with an amendment from the SDLP, calling for access to the funds that have been stuck in limbo due to a row over power-sharing. The motion called for the restoration of the Executive "in order to allocate and agree spending to support workers and families".
It further called for tax changes from Westminster to tackle rising energy costs and to overturn a proposed increase in National Insurance contributions, and for council to table proposals for "a citywide hardship fund".
The Sinn Féin motion reads: "The collapse of the Executive caused by the resignation of DUP First Minister Paul Givan is preventing a budget or the allocation of £300m available from Treasury from being agreed, and is hampering ministers from using their full spending power to give people relief who rely and depend upon it.
“This council calls for the immediate restoration of the Executive in order to allocate and agree spending to support workers and families, or the introduction of emergency legislation to release the £300 million. This would include requesting an expansion of the £200 home energy scheme to include others considered particularly vulnerable at this time.”
It further called on Westminster to "take action where local ministers cannot, by scrapping VAT on domestic energy bills and cutting duty on home heating oil, petrol and diesel for the duration of the energy crisis, by introducing a windfall tax on energy generators and redirecting money towards supporting families, by reversing the planned increase in National Insurance contributions, and by halting the planned change in red diesel entitlement".
An amendment from SDLP Councillor Brian Heading included a call for legislation to release the £300 million in funding. The motion was passed with support Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Alliance, the Green Party and People Before Profit, but was opposed by the DUP, the UUP, and the PUP.
A DUP amendment to remove reference to Paul Givan's resignation was defeated.
People Before Profit tabled an amendment to introduce a series of measures including pay increases for public sector workers, increase minimum wage and benefits, a winfall tax on energy providers, and the introduction of rent reductions. The amendment was defeated by votes from Sinn Féin, the DUP and the UUP.
