奥多德称，英国政府为北爱尔兰额外提供15亿英镑的提议“仍有改进空间”。财政部长约翰·奥多德表示，英国政府为北爱尔兰额外提供15亿英镑的提议“仍有改进空间”。
'Room for improvement' on offer of extra £1.5bn for NI, says O'Dowd There is "room for improvement" on the UK government's offer of an extra £1.5bn for Northern Ireland, Finance Minister John O'Dowd has said.
周二，在斯图蒙特政府部长们举行紧急会议后，他发表了上述言论。会议期间，他们就最新提议进行了“富有成效的讨论”。
He was speaking after an urgent meeting of Stormont ministers on Tuesday in which they had a "useful discussion" about the latest offer.
财政年度开始六个月以来，权力分享联合政府尚未达成预算协议，斯图蒙特各政党正敦促威斯敏斯特政府提供更多资金。
No budget has been agreed by the power-sharing coalition six months into the financial year, with Stormont parties pressing Westminster for more funding.
北爱尔兰事务大臣克里斯·布莱恩特爵士上个月提出了额外15亿英镑的“最终提议”，并随后指示其官员考虑“应急计划”，以防该提议未被接受。
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant made a "final offer" of £1.5bn extra money last month and has since instructed his officials to consider "contingency plans" should it not be accepted.
奥多德表示，部长们正在就资金问题向克里斯爵士和财政部“寻求进一步澄清”。
O'Dowd said ministers were "seeking further clarification" from Sir Chris and the Treasury over the funding.
奥多德对BBC新闻线表示：“如果我们能就我们提出的问题获得澄清，那么执行委员会已同意于周四再次举行进一步讨论。”
"If we can get clarification around the issues we're raising then the executive has agreed to come back again on Thursday to have further discussions," O'Dowd told BBC Newsline.
“不仅可用资金规模，还包括相关条件，都存在改进空间。”此前，司法部长娜奥米·朗警告称，在决定是否接受该协议时，执行委员会不应“因小失大”。
"There is room for improvement to, not only the quantum of finance available, but also the conditions around that." Earlier, Justice Minister Naomi Long warned that the executive should not "cut off its nose to spite its face" when it comes to deciding whether to accept the deal.
针对这一言论，首席部长米歇尔·奥尼尔表示，在试图从威斯敏斯特争取更多资金时，斯图蒙特执行委员会不应“轻言放弃”。
In response to that remark, First Minister Michelle O'Neill said that the Stormont executive should not "be throwing in the towel" when it came to trying to secure more money from Westminster.
如果斯图蒙特未能达成预算协议，北爱尔兰事务大臣有可能在威斯敏斯特强行通过预算。
If Stormont does not agree a budget it is possible for the Northern Ireland secretary to pass it in Westminster.
奥尼尔表示，如果克里斯爵士试图“绕过我们——我们这些拥有授权、由当地人民选举出来处理预算问题的人”来采取行动，这将传递出“非常危险的信息”。
O'Neill said it would be "a very dangerous message" for Sir Chris to send to "reach over the heads of ourselves, who have mandates, who are elected by the people here to deal with the budget situation".
朗表示，斯图蒙特执行委员会必须“接受现实”，即政府已无更多资金可用于帮助稳定北爱尔兰的财政状况。她表示，并不认为政府是在“玩把戏或采取强硬手段”。
Long said the Stormont executive had to "accept the reality" that there was no more money on offer from the government to help stabilise Northern Ireland's finances. She said she did not believe the government was "playing games or hard-balling".
“说实话，我很希望能获得更多资金，我的部门确实需要这笔钱……但现状就是如此。”政府已明确表示，如果北爱尔兰行政机构不接受其提议，就会在威斯敏斯特通过预算案，但15亿英镑的额外拨款将不再提供。
"I'd love to see more money, my department could do with it quite frankly... but it is what it is." The government has made clear that if the executive does not accept its offer, it will pass a budget through Westminster but the additional £1.5bn will not remain on offer.
朗特说道：“把15亿英镑就这么浪费掉是不可持续的。”据外部支出监督机构统计，目前北爱尔兰各政府部门面临着最高达16亿英镑的资金缺口。
Long said: "Throwing £1.5bn out the window is not sustainable." Stormont departments are facing a shortfall of up to £1.6bn, according to a spending watchdog, external.
上个月，布莱恩特提出了在未来三年内提供约15亿英镑资金援助的方案。
Last month, Bryant made an offer of a financial package worth about £1.5bn over the next three years.
然而，行政机构各政党认为这一数额远远不够，并坚称在达成能够制定预算的协议之前，仍存在诸多重大缺口。
But executive parties said it did not go far enough and have argued that significant gaps remain before they can agree to a deal that would allow them to set a budget.
由于尚未敲定预算方案，各项公共服务目前只能依据应急安排运作，各部门的支出额度最高可达去年预算的95%。
With no agreed budget, public services have been operating under contingency arrangements allowing departments to spend up to 95% of last year's funding.