Written Ministerial Statement

Published at 14.30am on Tuesday 23 June 2026

Mr John O’Dowd (The Minister of Finance): I am writing to provide Members with an update on 2025-26 Provisional Outturn and the level of funding available in 2026-27.

2025-26 Provisional Outturn and Budget Exchange

Provisional Outturn provides an indication of departmental budget management performance during the last financial year and determines the level of resources that the Executive can carry forward into 2026-27 under the Budget Exchange Scheme (BES).

The tables accompanying this statement set out the provisional outturn position for each department.

Non Ring-fenced Resource DEL

Taking into account the Reserve Claim, in non ring-fenced Resource DEL, departments reported an underspend of £24.0 million. After adjusting for lower than forecast regional rates income and RRI interest costs, and for earmarked funding that must be returned to the Treasury, the overall position is a small overspend of £0.5 million.

In line with Treasury rules, this will be deducted from the funding available in 2026-27. As the Reserve claim provision in 2025-26 means that no non ring-fenced Resource DEL underspend is eligible for carry forward, there is no overall loss of funding to the Executive.

Capital DEL

In conventional Capital DEL, departments reported an underspend of £13.2 million.  After adjusting for earmarked funding which must be returned to the Treasury, the underspend is £13.0 million.

This is within the Budget Exchange limits and will be carried forward in full to 2026-27. Therefore, no Capital DEL funding is lost to the Executive.

Financial Transactions Capital DEL

In Financial Transactions Capital (FTC), departments reported an underspend of £1.1 million. Including unallocated amounts, the total underspend is £9.6 million. Under the Budget Exchange Scheme, only £0.8 million may be carried forward. 

The FTC underspend reflects the ongoing challenge for departments in identifying suitable projects which can avail of this form of finance, as FTC can only be used for loans to or equity investments in the private sector.

Ring-fenced Resource DEL

Ring-fenced resource budgets are used for non-cash items such as depreciation and impairments costs and cannot be used to fund other services.

It should be noted that of the total underspend of £229.3 million, some £184 million relates to Student Loan impairments, and is mainly as a result of the funding model used by the Treasury rather than underspend by the department.

From 2026-27, the Treasury has reclassified ring-fenced resource DEL as Annually Managed Expenditure (AME). As the Budget Exchange Scheme only applies to DEL, no ring-fenced resource funding will be carried forward.

2026-27 Available Funding

I also wish to update Members on the latest funding available to the Executive, were a Budget Act to be passed based on an agreed Executive Budget.

Following the Westminster Main Estimates process, total available funding is £17,417.3 million Resource DEL, £2,360.8 million Capital DEL, and £92.6 million Financial Transactions Capital (FTC). These totals include funding earmarked by the Treasury for specific purposes. The Resource DEL total also includes £17.2m for energy costs which was announced by the Treasury but will not be provided until Supplementary Estimates stage later in the financial year.

Members will be aware of the challenges surrounding the level of the Executive’s Budget envelope, to the extent that agreement on a budget for 2026-27 has not yet been reached.

I will continue to engage with Treasury and the Secretary of State to make the case for the additional support required to enable sustainable planning, investment and delivery for our people.

 

INDEX OF TABLES

 

Annex A           2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Non Ring-fenced Resource DEL

Annex B           2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Ring-fenced Resource DEL

Annex C           2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Capital DEL

Annex D           2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Financial Transactions Capital

Annex A

2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Non Ring-fenced Resource DEL

 

    £millions

Department	Final Plan	Provisional Outturn	Underspend (-) / Overspend (+)
DAERA	657.1	656.6	-0.5
DfC	930.2	928.0	-2.2
DfE	842.4	838.8	-3.5
DE	3,583.9	3,579.8	-4.1
DoF	234.1	229.8	-4.3
DoH	8,898.3	8,897.0	-1.3
DfI	661.2	661.0	-0.2
DOJ	1,436.7	1,434.7	-2.1
TEO	189.4	187.2	-2.2
FSA	17.3	16.9	-0.4
NIA	57.4	55.2	-2.2
NIAO	10.8	10.3	-0.5
NIAUR	0.3	0.0	-0.3
NIPSO	5.1	5.0	-0.1
PPS	43.8	43.6	-0.2
Total Departments	17,568.0	17,544.0	-24.0
Totals may not add due to roundings.
£0.0m represents amounts of less than £50k

 

Annex B

2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Ring-fenced Resource DEL (including Student Loan Impairments)

 

                                                                                               £millions

Department	Final Plan	Provisional Outturn	Underspend (-) / Overspend (+)
DAERA	42.9	42.6	-0.2
DfC	33.6	21.2	-12.5
DfE	1,696.2	1,510.2	-186.0
DE	3.0	2.9	-0.1
DoF	51.2	49.0	-2.2
DoH	265.2	256.2	-9.0
DfI	164.9	164.3	-0.6
DOJ	111.3	103.5	-7.7
TEO	2.5	-7.7	-10.2
FSA	0.2	0.2	-0.0
NIA	4.8	4.8	-0.0
NIAO	0.2	0.2	0.0
NIAUR	0.3	0.3	-0.0
NIPSO	0.1	0.1
PPS	3.5	2.7	-0.8
Total Departments	2,379.9	2,150.6	-229.3
Totals may not add due to roundings.
£0.0m represents amounts of less than £50k

 

Annex C

2025-26 Provisional Outturn - Capital DEL

 

                                                                                     £millions

Department	Final Plan	Provisional Outturn	Underspend (-) / Overspend (+)
DAERA	127.6	127.4	-0.2
DfC	272.9	272.3	-0.6
DfE	234.0	233.1	-0.9
DE	402.8	400.2	-2.6
DoF	33.9	31.7	-2.2
DoH	377.7	377.4	-0.3
DfI	852.3	849.8	-2.5
DOJ	101.5	98.8	-2.7
TEO	14.9	14.7	-0.2
FSA	0.2	0.2	-0.0
NIA	2.6	1.8	-0.9
NIAO	0.0		-0.0
NIAUR	2.9	2.9	-0.0
PPS	0.8	0.7	-0.1
Total Departments	2,424.2	2,411.0	-13.2
Totals may not add due to roundings.
£0.0m represents amounts of less than £50k