Debate contribution: Post-19 Special Educational Needs Support

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on 18 May 2026.

MLA: Mr Danny Baker
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 18 May 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: Post-19 Special Educational Needs Support
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5548900

Text

The families in the Gallery heard the Health Minister say that he would not be found wanting in the 311 days left to him, but then he scurried out the door. As the leader of the party that holds the Department, you have a responsibility, because that is where it is failing right now. Imagine the opportunities that we all had when we were 19 and the opportunities that are now being offered to those children. They are being given one option, with no guidance, no support and no real choice. That their voice does not matter and their future does not matter is the clear message that they got from the Health Minister today when he walked out that door. Children are simply being placed into a box that does not fit them, and that is the reality of post-19 SEN provision for too many children and young people with complex needs. Choice is not an option; equity does not exist; and the pathway ahead is not clear. Imagine navigating a system that was not built for you; a system that says, "Wait longer and fight harder"; a system that needs to be reformed. However, we have already seen proposals for reform that will make the system worse. The Children's Law Centre has sounded the alarm bells about the reforms being proposed by the Education Minister. Across the water, there are proposals that will take away the rights and legal protections of children and their families. The Minister who is responding in the Chamber today has done solid work to progress the opportunities for children with additional needs. However, in all honesty, we needed the Health Minister and the Education Minister to be here to play their role in the next piece of the puzzle. Young people who attend special schools live with a wide range of complex needs and challenges. Behind every one of those people is a family that fights every day, year-on-year, to access support that should already exist. There is no clear guidance, joined-up planning or straightforward pathway, and we saw that recently when two Ministers could not even pick up the phone to each other. Families are left to rely on one another to navigate an exhausting system. The hard truth that we cannot ignore is that children do not stay children for ever. They grow up, but their disabilities do not disappear. Their needs do not suddenly end when they leave school or turn 25. Children with additional and complex needs need the Health Minister and the Education Minister to get real. They need to re-engage with parents and human rights advocates and to prioritise the resources in their budgets to support children with additional and complex needs, because right now they are slipping through the cracks of a system that barely exists. That is why Caleb's cause exists, and it is fighting for what young people deserve: a lifelong care plan, equality and pathways. The Assembly still has time to work together around the clock to build a legacy of hope, dignity and future possibilities. Is it not time for the Education and Health Ministers to show up —
— step up and do the right thing?

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

Assessment

Awaiting analysis

This record has not been analysed yet. It is not counted in any total until it has been assessed.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification