Debate contribution: Summer Schemes in Special Schools: Cancellation

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on 31 March 2026.

MLA: Mr Danny Baker
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 31 March 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Summer Schemes in Special Schools: Cancellation
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5471351

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.
We are in this position not because of the Executive but because two Ministers could not pick up the goddamn phone to call each other. No excuses, no deflection: that is exactly what it was. Families are here today watching, and they saw what you did to them last week. You knew about it. Let us not pretend that it is the Executive or the Finance Minister's fault. We know whose fault it was. You did not pick up the phone to talk to each other. You have to take responsibility for that. You cannot say through gritted teeth that it is regrettable and give a half-hearted apology. You need to wholeheartedly apologise to those families and make sure that the summer provision happens. In your speeches, you said, "We will do everything that we can to make sure that it happens". No: it has to happen. Remember that it is not provided for all the children, because you took away the little that they had. Not all children get that support. Do you know why they do not get the support? It is because children are not being placed in the right setting. Time and again, I have said that at the Education Committee. It is my job to scrutinise the Minister and hold him to account. I have said that, if a child gets a golden ticket to a special school, they get more support. Every year, there are children who are not being placed in the right setting. I remind the House that, last year, around June — we were close to recess again — we had schools closing, and hundreds of children with additional needs had not been placed. Where was our Education Minister? He was in Florida, championing TransformED. Where was the chief executive of the Education Authority? He was in the royal box at Wimbledon. If the issue had been about mainstream children, I can tell you that the Minister and the chief executive would certainly not have been on those trips: absolutely not. They would not have been. So why are we in this situation, with a U-turn being done? You want to point the finger across the Chamber, but you would not even take an intervention from these Benches. You do not show the respect to be held to account by Members on these Benches for those who gave us a mandate in our communities. Children with additional needs have voices, too. I am here to be their voice, now and always. To the Health Minister, I say this: not too long ago, you used the Chamber to say that there was no time to legislate in response to Alma White and Caleb's cause. I do not want to single you out too much today, but you tried to do that. It was pointed out to you that that was not the case, but what have you done since then? Alma deserves an apology. You need to work harder to introduce that legislation. The next piece of the puzzle comes from Health. Do not stand here and put it at the First Minister and deputy First Minister's door. It is not their responsibility. To every Minister, I say: let us not gaslight people. You all have your own budgets and priorities. You cannot stand here, take credit, claim praise and get a pat on the back every time that you do something good but, when something goes badly, lay it at the Executive's door. People see right through that. They see through all your social media posts. They see the gaslighting. They do not need it. They want us all to work together. Can we hit the reset button now and work for the next year? Absolutely. I am up for it. I will stay here until 4.00 am every day, if doing so will mean that legislation goes through that supports those children. Let us not keep calling them vulnerable children: it is the system that makes them vulnerable — the system that you all have authority over. Let us stop pointing fingers and start working. Let us do that today. I say that to every Member. I am up for it. Let us do a U-turn on Caleb's cause. Let us make sure that funding goes into the Youth Service. Danny Donnelly made a big point, which was that the Youth Service are under attack, because the Minister has not made it one of the Education Authority's priorities. It is only a small part of the budget, which goes to organisations such as Kids Together and Sólás. Those families were on the phone to me last night, saying, "Do you know who will be the first ones to lose out this year, next year or the year after? It will be our children". You should give more, not less. If you want to have a budget, let us agree the three-year Budget. When you get your budget, prioritise it for children who need it the most. I will stand beside you and support you on that, Minister.

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

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