Good morning John,

With Christmas approaching, households across Northern Ireland are carefully budgeting for the expense of the season. If your home is anything like mine, it’s all too easy to go slightly over budget!

Having, and holding to, a budget is essential to keeping spending under control. For several weeks now, I’ve been focusing on the cost and delivery of the new Royal Maternity and Children’s Hospitals in Belfast.

What was intended to be a much-needed investment in healthcare infrastructure for Northern Ireland has turned into a dreadful example of how elements of our public sector manage projects and finances.

Construction costs have spiralled dramatically over budget. To date, £184 million has already been spent on this project, yet no work is expected to commence on-site for the Children’s Hospital before next year.

The predicted total cost has already risen by over £400million from the original estimates, with more to come. It is taxpayers of course who are footing the bill for this eye-watering escalation in costs.

To make matters worse, the Maternity building is now plagued by serious issues, including the presence in the water infrastructure of Pseudomonas, a potentially deadly bacteria for vulnerable babies, alongside a recently uncovered problem with the pipework supplying medical gases.

In the Assembly on Tuesday, I secured majority support for a full, independent inquiry into these matters. It is essential the issues are addressed with the seriousness they deserve, and that those responsible are held to account.

Every day appears to bring forth more questions than answers and the Belfast Trust officials, recalled before the Health Committee next Thursday, must provide clear explanations for their actions.

Time and again, taxpayers are left to cover the cost of mismanagement, while those responsible rarely face consequences. This cannot continue. A transformation to a culture of responsibility, transparency and accountability is urgently needed, and this extends well beyond the health sector too. Every pound wasted is a pound that could have gone towards improving healthcare, education, or other vital services.

The DUP firmly believes it is unacceptable to ask taxpayers for more, while their hard-earned contributions appear to be so carelessly handled.

The people of Northern Ireland deserve better. We will continue to fight for the efficient use of the public resources you contribute, and we will not allow failures like this to go unanswered.

Yours sincerely,