The Northern Ireland Executive has launched a public consultation on its draft multi-year budget, the first of its kind in over a decade. Covering day-to-day spending from 2026 to 2029 and capital investment through to 2030, the budget will shape public services and infrastructure for years to come.

The Finance Minister has encouraged individuals, businesses and organisations to engage with the process. For rural communities, this consultation is particularly important. Long-term budgets can provide stability, but without proper rural consideration, they also risk entrenching existing inequalities.

Key proposals in the draft budget

The draft budget sets out proposed allocations across all government departments, including:

• Health: Approximately £26 billion, with £495 million allocated to reducing waiting lists
• Education: Almost £10 billion, including capital investment for Special Educational Needs facilities
• Infrastructure: Over £4 billion for major transport and infrastructure projects
• DAERA: Around £2 billion in resource funding and £500 million in capital investment over the budget period

While these figures appear substantial, demand for public services continues to rise, and many departments remain under significant financial pressure.

The challenges facing Stormont

1. A constrained financial environment
   Stormont is operating within tight fiscal limits. Rising costs, inflation, demographic change and increasing demand for health and social care mean that much of the available funding is already committed. This creates a challenging environment in which difficult decisions are unavoidable.
   There is a real risk that rural needs — often less visible and harder to quantify — may be deprioritised in favour of more immediate pressures elsewhere.
   
   
2. Competing priorities across departments
   The Finance Minister has been clear that increased spending in one area will require reductions in another. This creates competition between departments and policy areas.
   For rural communities, this raises concerns that:
   
   • Local roads, rural transport and connectivity may lose out
   • Agricultural and land-based support may be squeezed
   • Small rural services may be deemed less “cost-effective” despite their importance

3. Infrastructure delivery in rural areas
   While major road schemes and transport hubs are welcome, rural infrastructure has historically been underfunded.
   Key issues include:
   • The condition of rural and minor roads
   • Limited public transport options outside towns and cities
   • Ongoing gaps in digital and broadband connectivity
   Without targeted rural investment, infrastructure spending risks reinforcing the urban-rural divide rather than addressing it.

4. Pressures on agriculture and the rural economy
   The proposed funding for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs comes at a time of significant transition for the farming sector. Farmers are facing:
   • Rising input costs
   • Market volatility
   • Policy change and increased regulation
   • Uncertainty around future support schemes
   Stormont must ensure that agricultural funding is practical, accessible and supports active farming, while recognising the central role agriculture plays in sustaining rural communities and the wider economy.

5. Capacity to deliver on commitments
   Years of political instability have affected Stormont’s ability to plan and deliver effectively. Delays to infrastructure projects, complex funding processes and slow implementation have had a disproportionate impact on rural areas.
   A multi-year budget must be matched by:
   • Clear delivery plans
   • Rural-proofed policy design
   • Transparent monitoring and accountability
   Without this, long-term budgets risk becoming long-term promises rather than tangible outcomes.

Why rural voices matter

The consultation remains open until 3 March 2026. This is a critical opportunity for rural communities to highlight the realities of life outside urban centres and to ensure that policies are designed to work on the ground.

Rural Northern Ireland cannot be an afterthought. Access to services, infrastructure, farming support and housing are essential to maintaining vibrant, sustainable countryside communities.

Countryside Alliance Ireland’s position

Countryside Alliance Ireland believes that the multi-year budget must:

• Properly recognise the needs of rural communities
• Protect and improve rural infrastructure and services
• Support agriculture and the rural economy
• Ensure fair access to healthcare, education and connectivity

Stormont faces difficult decisions, but rural Northern Ireland must be part of the solution, not a casualty of compromise.

We encourage our members and supporters to engage with the consultation here and make the rural voice heard.