Member's statement: Irish-medium Education: Funding
Member's statement by Mr Pat Sheehan on .
- MLA
- Mr Pat Sheehan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 7 September 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Irish-medium Education: Funding
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5669620
Read the official Assembly record
Text
In the December monitoring round, £6 million of funding was allocated to the Minister of Education for Irish-medium facilities and accommodation, which was supposed to go to Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta
It is a simple issue: Paul Givan's Department bid for £6 million specifically for Irish-medium accommodation facilities and the money was secured on that basis, yet, having secured it, the Minister chose to divert £5 million elsewhere. No amount of sleight of hand or retrospective justification from the Minister can change those basic facts.
He asked for money for one purpose, got the money and then spent the vast majority of it on something else. That is not acting in good faith. It is dishonest conduct from a Minister who has serious questions to answer about how he has handled public money.
Unfortunately, Paul Givan has form when it comes to the Irish language. This is the Minister of Líofa renown, who previously stripped away bursaries that enabled disadvantaged young people to attend the Gaeltacht. His party has form too. The DUP has gone through the courts to challenge even the visibility of Irish language in our communities. Therefore, the Irish-medium education community is entitled to look at this decision and question the motivation behind it. Irish-medium education is the fastest-growing sector in our education system. It needs investment in accommodation and facilities to meet that growing demand, and the Minister cannot bid for money on the basis that the Department will support that sector, take the money and then decide that £5 million of it would be better spent elsewhere. Paul Givan should restore the funding to Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta and explain clearly to the Assembly why he asked for £6 million for Irish-medium education if he had no intention of spending £5 million of it on the purpose for which it was sought.
305 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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