Stormont was about to have an emergency budget imposed on it by London before the Drumcree dispute suddenly changed the subject. The financial crisis continues to fester and will have to be addressed within weeks.

Although Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) did not deliberately engineer a Drumcree distraction, they are clearly happier arguing over a parade than confronting their failure to agree a budget.

The other two Executive parties, Alliance and the Ulster Unionist Party, share the blame. Sinn Féin’s Minister for Finance in Northern Ireland, John O’Dowd, is responsible for preparing a budget. DUP ministers have been most vocal in rejecting it. However, all four parties agree that the problem is underfunding, and London simply needs to give them more.

Their agreement on this has only grown as they have fallen out over everything else. All hands to the begging bowl is their final point of unanimity.

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Yet Stormont has plenty of money, more than ever before and enough to meet its needs according to........

© The Irish Times