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| 100,000 households get £150 boost | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Up to 100,000 vulnerable households are to get a one-off £150 fuel credit, as part of the Northern Ireland Executive's £70m hardship package. | Up to 100,000 vulnerable households are to get a one-off £150 fuel credit, as part of the Northern Ireland Executive's £70m hardship package. |
| Finance Minister Nigel Dodds told the assembly those on income support and pension credit will get the payment. | Finance Minister Nigel Dodds told the assembly those on income support and pension credit will get the payment. |
| Business rates had been due to rise in line with inflation but they will now be frozen for next year. | Business rates had been due to rise in line with inflation but they will now be frozen for next year. |
| He also announced the £20m Farm Nutrient Management Scheme to encourage the construction of slurry tanks. | He also announced the £20m Farm Nutrient Management Scheme to encourage the construction of slurry tanks. |
| Several million pounds will be spent on maintaining roads and schools. | Several million pounds will be spent on maintaining roads and schools. |
| Construction firms will be able to bid for government contracts worth £115m for schools and hospitals, as these projects are no longer caught up in a legal dispute over procurements. | Construction firms will be able to bid for government contracts worth £115m for schools and hospitals, as these projects are no longer caught up in a legal dispute over procurements. |
| The measures were agreed by Stormont ministers who have been discussing how to help people affected by the economic downturn. | The measures were agreed by Stormont ministers who have been discussing how to help people affected by the economic downturn. |
| Mr Dodds made the announcements at a special assembly session to debate the executive's decisions. | Mr Dodds made the announcements at a special assembly session to debate the executive's decisions. |
| 'Smash and grab raid' | |
| He said the fuel credit scheme had gone beyond proposals by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie which were reported to have caused tensions in the executive. | |
| Ms Ritchie told reporters that the Stormont Executive had made a £30m "smash and grab raid" on her housing budget to help pay for the hardship package. | |
| "No other department has been picked on in this way," said the SDLP minister. | |
| "It means the Housing Executive will not be able to take forward badly-needed maintenance projects," she said. | |
| "People waiting on housing improvements and maintenance are now going to suffer, and contractors and employees desperate for this work will now go out of business." |