All of Mr Nick Mathison’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I thank the Minister for his response and for the update on the wider investment in greenways. I welcome the investment in greenways in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area. The Minister may be aware that the residents who live directly on the site where the footbridge is due to be constructed have expressed…
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) when he will establish an area planning taskforce; (ii) the make up of this taskforce; and (iii) whether the taskforce will be independent of the Department.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the communication that has been sent to school leaders in relation to the operation of the new local impact teams.
To ask the Minister of Education when the Education Authority aims to complete consultations with schools nominated by children currently with a statement of special educational need for the 2025-26 academic year.
To ask the Minister of Education whether he will establish an early year partnership board chaired by the Minister of Education and Minister of Health, as recommended by the Independent Review of Education.
To ask the Minister of Education to provide his response to the independent review of education recommendation that current arrangements relating to funding, staff ratios and qualifications in public sector preschool education provision should be applied to private sector provision as soon as possible.
To ask the Minister of Education why children approved for deferred entry to statutory education in primary one are not permitted to complete a second year in a non-statutory preschool education setting.
To ask the Minister of Education, once the preschool standardisation process has completed, whether approved enrolment number will be allocated to both statutory and non-statutory preschool education setting.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the criteria that will be used to assess a school's eligibility for funding for (i) outdoor covered sports spaces for primary schools; and (ii) synthetic pitches and sports halls for post-primary schools.
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 17942/22-27, how he will assess the effectiveness of the investment in Specialist Provisions in Mainstream Schools when the money provided to establish them is not earmarked to be used specifically in the Specialist Provision.
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the total investment being made in the 2024-25 year in the Curriculum-Led Capital Investment Programme, broken down by (i) primary school physical education pilot programme for covered outdoor sports spaces; (ii) post-primary synthetic pitch and sports hall provision; (iii)…
If the Minister would like to visit a banking hub, one is shortly due to open in Comber in my constituency, where she would be made very welcome. Can the Minister provide any more detail on the sorts of policy interventions at Executive level that would be useful for supporting the retention of high street banking…
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Larne High School with my colleague Danny Donnelly, who represents East Antrim. I was shocked by the condition of the buildings in which the children are educated. It has undoubtedly reached a state where it impacts on their ability to access the curriculum in a number of…
The Minister said that the situation for those young people was an "injustice". Given the seriousness of that, what reassurance can he give parents of young people with special educational needs that, by the end of the mandate, whether through legislation or by having better systems in place, there will be tangible…
To ask the Minister of Education why he did not include reinstating holiday hunger payments as an option for consideration in the Department's consultation on the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants.
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 18494/22-27, to detail (i) the work that was included in the Strategic Partner element of the Education Authority's contract with Fujitsu; and (ii) whether the new school management system is still being delivered by Fujitsu.
To ask the Minister of Education, further to the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants, whether he will also review the current quantum of uniform grant payments.
To ask the Minister for Communities, further to the October Monitoring Round, to detail any remaining financial pressures related to homelessness as set out in Departmental Management Board Minutes of 4 September 2024.
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for his assessment of the Ards and North Down Borough Council plan to construct a footbridge over the Newtownards to Bangor dual carriageway, to facilitate access to Whitespots Country Park and the planned greenway.
I thank the Minister for the assurance that he is committed to developing libraries across Northern Ireland. On that basis, will the Minister provide an update on the redevelopment of the library in Newtownards and specifically on any engagement with Ards and North Down Borough Council, which remains a key partner, to…
To ask the Minister of Education whether he plans to make regulations as enabled by Article 23 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 to provide for the removal of members of a Board of Governors in specified circumstances.