Programme for government 'make or break' for Executive

The programme for government will be make or break time for the Stormont Executive, ministers were warned tonight.

Alliance leader David Ford said after last week's clashes between ministers over the decision to axe the £1.2m (€1.72m) Conflict Transformation Initiative the document could make or break public confidence in the executive.

"The pressure is on them to start delivering improvements to people's everyday lives," the South Antrim MLA said.

"They must clearly demonstrate how they will do this within tomorrow's programme for government.

"The Executive has been in total turmoil for over a week now and they must convince the public that they are capable of governing effectively and collectively."

First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will tomorrow unveil the programme for government, making pledges on a range of policies across all government departments.

Finance Minister Peter Robinson will also unveil his first budget and the Executive will also produce an investment strategy for the province.

Mr Ford said while there were a number of challenges facing the Executive, there was a need for an effective and united approach to promoting a shared future and ending the human and financial cost of segregation.

The Alliance leader continued: "For the Executive to be effective we need to stop damaging power carve-ups like we saw last week.

"The public wants to see an end to the stalemates and delays that occur every time an important decision has to be made.

"It's simply not good enough just having the Assembly up and running. The Executive must show that it can deliver good value for money by producing fresh ideas and coherent plans.

"Given the current turmoil, they will have to produce something very special tomorrow to win over the public."

Mr Robinson was also urged tonight to produce a radical budget addressing root and branch problems facing the Northern Ireland economy.

Alliance Finance spokesperson Stephen Farry warned: "For all the talk of efficiencies, Alliance is concerned that the Executive has not taken any action to tackle the imbedded distortions of public expenditure relating to the cost of segregation.

"It is a shame that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister have shelved the Deloitte report into this subject that their own office commissioned.

"The desire to prioritise economic development is appropriate, but it would be a mistake to set up an artificial choice between on the one hand pump-priming economic growth and on the other hand investing in improved public services. The two can and should go hand in hand."