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Mr Paul Givan: Assembly records
All of Mr Paul Givan’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
The full, detailed costs of standardisation will depend on a range of factors, on some of which decisions have yet to be taken. It will also be informed by the scoping study that is due to report at the end of March. I will engage with Executive colleagues on that in due course. In order to give a figure to the…
There has been significant engagement with stakeholder groups and preschool settings on the standardisation of preschool sessions as part of the wider early learning and childcare strategy engagement. A stakeholder engagement forum was established in autumn 2022 to ensure maximum engagement and to assist with the…
It is planned that an options paper will be available for my consideration by the end of April. Following consideration of that, I will decide on the scope and priority of an implementation plan in the light of the wider financial pressures and constraints under which the Department is operating.
The Member is right to raise those concerns, particularly in areas where there is multiple deprivation for those who come from a more disadvantaged background. There needs to be the support in those areas to give children the opportunities to flourish and reach their full potential that children have in other parts of…
On day 1 in the Assembly, I made a ministerial statement to the House that set out my ambitious capital plans for the Department. I said that I would be bidding for £528 million. That is more than double the capital spend that has ever been carried out by the Department of Education. I have an Executive paper for…
The Department is currently considering the report produced by the independent review panel and is carrying out an internal consultation to inform a way forward. That process includes discussion with key education stakeholders, including other relevant Departments and arm's-length bodies. Following the consultation,…
I have asked for an assessment to be provided to me on what is commonly known as the "holiday hunger payment". Members will know that that came to an end on 31 March last year because of budgetary pressures in the Department of Education. I have asked for an assessment of the issue to be provided to me. The issue cuts…
The Member is right about the fact that some schools are not following the guidance. I should say, however, that a considerable majority are doing so. Obviously, I want all schools to follow it. My officials have carried out significant work to identify possible solutions. A pre-consultation exercise, which engaged…
The cost of uniforms is one of the issues that I will be engaging further on with the Department. Guidance was provided to schools on that issue. It is one that comes up every year, and I again appeal to schools. If they were following the guidance, legislation would not be necessary in this area. It is a prohibitive…
My Department's review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants continues to examine a range of options for increasing the number of children and young people who are able to access free school meals and uniform grants. The options that are being considered include raising the income…
It was part of the £3·3 billion financial package that the UK Government presented. The capital funding that was still outstanding from Fresh Start for shared and integrated education and shared housing schemes was included in the totality of that package. The ring-fencing that was there for Fresh Start is no longer…
That is one of the schools that will continue to advance in the planning phase because, rather than being cancelled as a result of the UK Government and the Secretary of State's position, I have moved it into the conventional major capital programme. However, it is not one of the schools that was contractually…
I can. The announcement was made at the tail end of last week, and I know that, over the weekend, the Member of Parliament for North Antrim expressed his concern about the proposals for Ballycastle. I can assure the Member and, indeed, the Member of Parliament for North Antrim that Ballycastle shared education campus…
The Member raises the important issue of support staff. It is vital that that business case is finalised. The Department of Finance continues to look at aspects of it. Issues with the business case have been raised by the Education Authority, the Department of Education and the Department of Finance. I have made it…
I am not sure where the Member has been. I highlighted on day 1 in office that the budget allocations for my Department were a real cause for concern. Long in advance of devolution even being restored, it was flagged that the way in which the UK Government were treating the Fresh Start money would create difficulties…
Funding of £150 million that was previously earmarked for Fresh Start projects has been placed in the UK Government's financial settlement for the Executive. In addition, construction costs for the Fresh Start projects have risen considerably in recent years. The remaining Fresh Start funding is, therefore, sufficient…
Obviously, there are issues around making sure that the information that is provided is there, and, often, it is that inability to garner the appropriate evidence that becomes the challenge. Where there is evidence, the assessment can take place. There are some circumstances where that assessment has maybe not been…
The Member raises an important point around having a workforce that is available to carry out these processes, and making sure that there is such a workforce is a challenge. We are aware of that, and, obviously, it is important that we can recruit people into those roles so that they can carry out the functions that…
There are, obviously, statutory obligations for processing statements of education. That has been borne out with the additional spend that the Department has had to make over the past number of years given the exponential growth in this area. The Member can be assured that assessments being carried out is a priority…
The Education Authority (EA) has not changed the process for parental referrals for statutory assessments. Article 20 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 clearly sets out the duty on the Education Authority to comply with a request from a parent or carer to arrange an assessment of special educational needs…
Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I concur with the deputy First Minister's remarks, and I am pleased that she and the First Minister outlined this as a priority. It was one of the five issues that were on the agenda for our first Executive meeting. I will bring a paper for discussion to Executive colleagues this…
Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I wish you well in your new duties. I thank Assembly colleagues for tabling the motion for discussion. I also thank Members who contributed to the important debate, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. I pay tribute to the Members — I think there were five, if not six — who…
I thank the Member for her comments. She raises a number of issues, and I will take the last one first. I will give her a detailed response on that by way of a written reply. Being better sighted by working with other Departments to identify children who emerge with special educational needs is important. Last year,…
I thank the Member — my friend — for his best wishes in taking on the role. I will certainly avail myself of his expertise in special needs in particular, and I look forward to working with him. The Member rightly raises the issue of ensuring that the right infrastructure is in place to allow our teachers and support…