The British government has launched a review after it emerged today that Northern Ireland departments and official agencies had underspent their budgets by £366 million sterling.
The shortfall has been criticised by public representatives who want to see surplus cash handed to community groups and education bodies.
The government insists any money not spent during the last financial year ending April 2006 will be recycled in the coming months.
Underspend totalled around 20 per cent of the overall budget allocated, which was in excess of £8,000 million.
The funding goes towards day-to-day running costs of long-term projects like sewerage replacement - capital projects where most of the underspend can be linked to delays.
The former finance minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sean Farren, said it was up to voluntary groups to lobby for the money.
"The most important thing is for the government to identify key projects within the voluntary sector where there is an acute need for financial support and to ensure that this money is now made available to such organisations so that they are not left in crisis.
"Government needs to be strongly lobbied for the emerging underspend to be geared towards the voluntary sector."
The figures were revealed today by Department of Finance and Personnel minister David Hanson who added that efforts to reduce the amount of underspend were working.
Despite this the Government was attacked by South Eastern Education and Library Board member Jonathan Bell who said schools suffering from budget cuts would be horrified at the underspend.
"I am devastated to learn that there is £366m in the pot. A directive was given to me to cut education provision to children with special needs and I think it is disgraceful that this surplus money has not been made available to alleviate this crisis for our most vulnerable children."
Commissioners have been appointed by the Government to administer Education Board funds after elected representatives refused to approve cost-cutting measures.
PA