Debate contribution: Schools in Mid Ulster: Procurement Process
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 18 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Schools in Mid Ulster: Procurement Process
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4806855
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Ms Sheerin for securing the Adjournment debate and those colleagues who spoke on the issue. Having been a constituency MLA for quite a number of years, I very much share Members' frustrations. I am now in a position to, hopefully, do something about it, which is what I have been trying to do, and I will get to that later in my contribution. This is an opportunity to provide an update to Members on the Education Authority's plans to introduce new contracts for the delivery of maintenance that will better deliver value for money, quality and responsiveness to all our schools. In raising the subject, Ms Sheerin has pre-empted her colleagues who have tabled a motion for next week on procurement. We will touch on very much the same issues, so you will likely hear a repetition of what I am about to say. I have no doubt that that will help to inform your contributions to and speeches for that debate. Since becoming Minister, I have visited over 150 schools, including a number in Mid Ulster. I have listened to and heard the concerns and frustrations of many principals about the state of some school buildings. The Chair of the Education Committee, Mr Mathison, just outlined those frustrations — I have heard them — about trying to get value-for-money repairs completed in reasonable time frames. We have an estate of over 1,100 schools. The recent Audit Office report only served to highlight what we already know: many of our schools are in extremely poor condition. I see that every time that I go to some of those schools. Years of underinvestment, coupled with insufficient budget availability and the requirement for a large number of additional specialist places for rapidly increasing numbers of children with special educational needs, have meant that the top priority for investment has been to keep schools open and safe. The schools maintenance resource allocation for the current financial year is just over £20 million. That allocation is directed to statutory inspections, response maintenance and the maintenance officers who work on the ground with schools. Planned maintenance has just not been possible within the existing resources. The focus had to be on health and safety, statutory compliance and the need to address urgent and emergency repairs that could close a school or present a significant health and safety risk. It is not good enough, and that is why I am unapologetic about continuing to make a strong case for increased and sustained investment in our education system. I will take a moment to outline the current maintenance arrangements. The Education Authority has statutory responsibility for maintenance in controlled, maintained and other maintained schools, which are mainly Irish-medium schools. Voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated schools are responsible for their own maintenance, and they receive an enhanced budget for that purpose. Schools report maintenance issues through the EA's maintenance help desk. The maintenance service will triage those requests, with the response being categorised according to risk. Response maintenance is undertaken by the EA's term service short contractors. Under the current arrangements, there is no scope for controlled and maintained schools to procure their own maintenance works. I hear regularly from schools about that. I am sure that every Member present has heard the same frustrations, and those who took part in the Adjournment debate have articulated them. I am pleased to be able to inform you that the Education Authority has completed a comprehensive review of how it delivers maintenance and minor works to schools. That review involved many engagements with principals, and the feedback was taken on board. The Education Authority has worked over several years to procure new maintenance contracts, and I am pleased to advise that it is now in the latter stages of that complex exercise to procure new term service short contracts for maintenance and minor works. There have been six separate procurement exercises. Each exercise contains three lots, based on the type of work and the council area. There are two types of work in the exercise: building maintenance/minor works; and mechanical and electrical maintenance/minor works. Two contracts have been awarded, with a planned commencement date of 1 April, and the other four are well under way. The procurement exercises relating to building maintenance, mechanical and electrical maintenance and minor works for the mid-Ulster area closed on 6 February, and the Education Authority will soon begin to evaluate the tenders. It is anticipated that the new contracts will be implemented across Northern Ireland in a phased approach, to be completed by September this year. The new delivery model will include performance measures to monitor early warnings of contractual non-performance and respond immediately, and to monitor cost certainty, with set prices for most requested maintenance activities. That will deliver an improved and more responsive service for our schools. EA maintenance officers will keep schools informed as contracts are put in place across Northern Ireland in the coming months. While the service transitions to the new model, there are contractor contingency arrangements in place for mechanical and electrical maintenance works. Those are, unfortunately, impacting on delivery on the ground in schools in some areas. The EA is aware of the ongoing contractor capacity issues: it is ensuring that works are appropriately triaged and implementing alternative contingency arrangements where required. Schools should continue to report urgent maintenance issues via the EA's maintenance help desk. Alongside the new contracts, the Education Authority's maintenance service is reviewing how it can provide the most efficient and effective model for schools to procure low-level maintenance works. That model will be for maintenance works of around £5,000 that form part of the tenant responsibilities. That includes things such as painting and carpeting. That speaks to the example that Mrs Dillon raised about the £800 flooring and how the price rose after the EA process to three times that, at around £2,400. The new approach will allow the school to procure the work at that lower level and take it forward. It is anticipated that any changes will be implemented in the coming academic year. The EA will advise schools on when the change will come into operation. I am sure that that change will be warmly welcomed by schools as it will give them greater flexibility when it comes to smaller scale works while ensuring that there is compliance with health and safety and quality standards. It strikes the right balance between ensuring value for money and health and safety. Schools are all reputable organisations that will not procure work that is to the detriment of either health and safety or the taxpayer. It is right that we provide that flexibility, and I think that it will be welcomed. I will look at the £5,000 figure. The Department of Finance has a role in central procurement and policy that other Departments follow. The Minister has been looking at that issue. Where there is scope for me to address the £5,000 figure, I intend to do so, albeit it will not be increased in any significant way. We need to make sure that we keep that figure under review, and, where appropriate, adjust it if it can be adjusted. Let us get the new approach in place, and then we can look at the threshold that is currently set at £5,000. I conclude by acknowledging the frustrations that we all feel about maintenance. However, the new contracts will enhance response times and provide cost certainty in relation to maintenance works. The new arrangements for schools to self-procure low-value works will make a significant improvement for schools. I will continue to make the case for increased and sustained investment in our schools to ensure that all children in Mid Ulster and across Northern Ireland are educated in schools that are comfortable and safe, are of good quality and are properly designed and resourced to support their learning. I thank colleagues for taking part in the debate.
1,331 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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