Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Further Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Nick Mathison on .
- MLA
- Mr Nick Mathison
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Further Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5786423
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am conscious that we need to focus on the amendments, but amendment No 6 is being framed as one through which to address the issue of finance. If the Member is saying that this is the thing to do, which seems to be the message coming from DUP Members, and is certainly the message that came from DUP Members on the Committee, albeit they may think that it is being done through the wrong Department, does he not agree that there are already provisions in the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 whereby the Minister could engage with Executive colleagues to look at pooling resources to see how we can do it? There are creative ways to address all of this. The Bill would create the statutory duty, but there are frameworks that would allow for budgets from across the Executive to be pooled in the best interests of the child. The Member seems to be saying that he thinks that the Bill at least delivers on that front.
177 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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