Debate contribution: Preschool Admissions: Socially Disadvantaged Circumstances Criterion

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 7 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Paul Givan
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 7 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Ministerial Statement
Heading: Preschool Admissions: Socially Disadvantaged Circumstances Criterion
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5670269

Text

I can guarantee that every single child in Northern Ireland who wants to get a paid preschool place will be able to get it regardless. The position is that there has been universal provision for nearly a decade now, which was not the case in 1998. Then, it sat at less than half of all young people availing themselves of preschool provision being able to get a paid place in a setting. That is why the policy, when it was introduced, may have had merit then, but the context has changed significantly since. Whether the Member wants to call it "blowing one's own trumpet", we have been able to deliver. I prefer to call it "DUP delivery in action". I wish that others were able to deliver in their Departments. We have moved to a much better position, with 65% of children getting full-time places. He knows, as does every MLA in the Assembly, that this is a significant issue for hard-working families who do not get their child into a setting of their choice or get a full-time place as a result of somebody else, who may not be from the local area, having been able to take the place of their child through the use of a criterion that is now out of date and that disadvantages hard-working families.
The Member is right. I know the impact that it has had in my constituency, as it has had in every Member's constituency. The ability to get a full-time nursery place or a place in a preschool setting makes a huge difference.
Going from two hours per day to four and a half hours per day of planned educational play and learning will benefit the child — that is the main driver for the policy — but it will also benefit the parents. I know that from my circumstances: two of my children were in part-time classes but my third child was in a full-time class, and that made a big impact on my wife's work-life balance. This issue has a huge impact, and that is why there has been an increase of over 300% in applications to settings that have become full time. Parents want this, and it benefits children. It has a big impact on early intervention and contributes to the long-term benefits of our education system. As of today, we sit with 65% of children being in a full-time class. I want us to move forward to 100% full-time provision. That is dependent on funding being available and the state of readiness. I believe that we can move the next 100 settings forward, but we will reach a point where some settings, such as those in small church halls or nursery schools, cannot accommodate it. There will be some increased capital requirement for those settings near the end of the process. However, there is a real appetite and demand for this. The evidence shows that it is working. We in the DUP have taken the issue forward and delivered on it, but we want to do more, and that will require everyone in the Chamber to help me.

522 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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