Mr Robinson said,
“The reform and transformation of our public services is necessary but so too is the funding mechanism.
Our campaign to secure fair funding for Northern Ireland commenced when Phillip Hammond was Chancellor of the Exchequer. When we first raised this campaign it was dismissed by many of those who now join us in putting forward the case.
Our goal has always been based on fairness in terms of the funding Northern Ireland needs so that our citizens can benefit from public services at the same level as their counterparts across the rest of the United Kingdom.
The Fiscal Council reinforced the validity of this message and whilst we have made progress over recent years there is still some way to go.
Years of chronic underfunding has tied the hands of local Ministers and left Northern Ireland often struggling just to stand still in terms of delivery. This is all happening whilst household budgets are squeezed to breaking point also.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee can play a useful role in moving us towards the goal that we identified many years ago and I look forward to exploring this with both the Chair of the Fiscal Council and the other contributors who will give evidence to the Committee.”