Debate contribution: Special Educational Needs and Disability: Investment and Transformation

Debate contribution by Mr David Brooks on 26 February 2024.

MLA

Mr David Brooks

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

26 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Special Educational Needs and Disability: Investment and Transformation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4231201

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am proud to rise for the first time in the Chamber, and I am thankful to those who elected me to represent the great constituency of East Belfast. In the traditions of the Chamber, I will refer a little to my predecessor and my constituency before I move on to the scope of the motion. I follow my friend — a great servant of East Belfast, my party and the House — Robin Newton. As I told him before my election, he was long an encouragement to me. He was, and remains — even outside this place — a peerless example when it comes to providing public service to the place and the people that he was proud to represent and work for over three decades, two of which were in the Assembly. Thank you, Robin. In some ways, I am East Belfast by choice. I was raised a little further east, in Comber, but my family on both sides is rooted in the east. My father hailed from Dundonald, and my mother's side of the family was originally from Saunders Street — now gone — at the bottom of the Newtownards Road. East Belfast has a proud history. It has been at the fore of some of Ulster's most iconic industries: the linen mills; the rope-works; aerospace and defence at Short Brothers; and shipbuilding at Harland and Wolff. It was home to the great CS Lewis, whose image and words greet us on the way into the Chamber. It gave us arguably the world's greatest footballing talent in the Cregagh's own George Best, and, of course, our first Prime Minister, James Craig. Throughout my childhood, it felt like some of those iconic industries were in terminal decline, but the east does not just have a proud history; it has an exciting future, which is core to the new and emerging Northern Ireland economy. Today, we see Spirit AeroSystems seeking to grow their footprint here; Thales, which is at the cutting edge of defence systems; and the cranes of Harland and Wolff, which are such a symbol of our city and of Northern Ireland, again overlooking shipbuilding and a new generation of skilled yardmen and women. The nearby Harbour estate is now teeming with new and thriving industries in the sciences, cybersecurity, film and creative industries, and tourism and hospitality, all of which are foundations of what can be a bright future for all. Through highs and lows, east Belfast's anchor has always been its people: resilient, loyal, hard-working and strong-willed. Today, they look forward, wanting, as we all do, a better future for this generation and the next, easy access to healthcare when their loved ones need it, decent homes for their family and quality schools and education for their children. The motion addresses the need to invest in and secure that education for some of our most vulnerable children. Last week, I visited Greenwood House Assessment Centre and later spoke to the principal of Mitchell House School. I have nothing but admiration for the work of staff in both schools, which, I know, is replicated in others across the constituency in what are, too often, unfit facilities that are bursting at the seams and in need of repair and replacement. That is testament to their dedication to their vocation and to the children. There is recognition on all sides that, too often, the system in which they operate hinders rather than helps them in that difficult, if fulfilling, work. From speaking to the Education Minister, I know that he is fully committed, as we all should be, to do all within his gift to ensure that young children with SEN have, like their peers, an education that is suited to and takes account of their needs. Educational transitions should be as smooth as possible for every child, they should be timely and not disruptive to the pupil's education, and they should not exacerbate the challenges that children or their families already face. The Education Authority must be fully accountable in that regard. Too often, its approach appears to be policy-focused rather than child-focused. The needs of the sector and, most importantly, the children go beyond the allocation of places. They require access to tailored and evidence-based support, the mainstreaming of SEN training for all our trainee teachers and facilities that are fit for purpose. We know, however, that, in every sector, transformation and improvement require resource. The implementation of the end-to-end review will be no different. In my first weeks here, I have heard Members speaking in the Chamber and at the Education Committee about their commitment to and vision for SEN education. The intent of their words is, I believe, sincere, but words are not enough. A vision — a wish list — will remain only that unless the UK Government deliver on their promise of the sufficient, needs-based funding model that my party has advocated. Equally, all parties across the Chamber that are represented at the Executive must be prepared to back up the talk of prioritising education by empowering the Minister with the investment required to improve the lives of all those who depend on and work in our SEN education services. I look forward to working with Members across the House towards that shared goal.

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

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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