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Health minister reinstated for a couple of hours to sign off primary care investment

Northern Ireland’s health minister signed off nearly £1.5m for primary care services after he and other ministers from the Democratic Unionist Party were reinstated for a couple of hours on Wednesday before resigning again.

The assembly has been in crisis since the murder of a former IRA man in August.

The murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr caused a row between the political parties after Northern Ireland’s police chief said IRA members had a role in the murder and that the organisation still existed.

But Simon Hamilton had to return to the Government yesterday to sign off previously promised money to general practice.

A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Building on a previous announcement of a planned investment package into primary care services which was announced on 1 April 2015, Simon Hamilton yesterday released £1.3m of this investment into General Medical Services.’

Picture credit: Northern Ireland Executive