AQO 3141/17-22 Oral question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education, in the absence of an agreed budget for the next financial year, what action she will take to mitigate the impact on her Department.
Asked by Andrew Muir MLA on 3 February 2022
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 3 February 2022
- Answer due by
- 23 February 2022
- Answered
- 23 February 202220 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 23 February 2022. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Miss McIlveen
Education is facing unavoidable cost pressures and rising service demands associated with delivering statutory and policy obligations. The sector will require significantly more funding during this Budget period if we are to avoid a significant and detrimental impact on our children and young people. As I have said on many occasions, education is key to the future economic stability of our society, and we cannot afford to continue to neglect it through years of financial underfunding. The 2022-25 draft Budget had proposed allocating an additional £162 million towards pressures that are deemed to be inescapable or pre-committed, which are currently estimated to be about £376 million. However, without further additional funding, it would have been extremely challenging for my Department to implement a range of things, including the education actions in the Northern Ireland COVID recovery plan, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act and any recommendations that will emanate from the independent review of education. I acknowledge that the absence of an agreed Budget for the next financial year will be a concern to our education stakeholders. I therefore recognise the need to provide as much clarity as possible to schools, the Education Authority, other non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and relevant third-party organisations. I have agreed to my officials taking forward some budget planning to enable me to provide indicative allocations for schools and other organisations, pending the agreement of a final Budget in due course.
Mr Muir
I thank the Minister for her response. The lack of an Executive, as a result of the DUP walking away, means that we cannot agree a Budget for the next financial year. That is causing great uncertainty and apprehension among the school community, including children and young people. Will the Minister reconsider her party's decision to walk away? How will being without a Budget for next year help the education of our young people?
Miss McIlveen
I thank the Member for his question. As I said in my initial response, I acknowledge that there is concern. I have spoken to my officials, and we are looking to give some certainty where we can regarding the budget.
Mr Speaker
That ends the period for listed questions. We now move to 15 minutes of topical questions.