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Thank you to the Minister; I very much welcome the statement. On raising the age of compulsory education, it is noted in the report that jobs require a higher level of skill. Minister, will you detail what your Department has done to collaborate with the Department for the Economy to ensure that your work aligns with…
If we are serious about transforming special educational needs (SEN) provision, we must ensure that Health is at the table, working in partnership. That is particularly important with regard to allied health professionals (AHPs). I asked this yesterday during Question Time: if we are serious about giving every child…
I also thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, how will your Department address current recruitment and retention challenges, and what immediate steps will be taken to make school leadership roles more attractive?
I very much welcome the statement. I will also reflect that it is so encouraging to see an Education Minister who is passionate about tackling educational underachievement and raising standards in the entire system. When does he expect the curriculum review, which is so clearly tied to the strategy, to report?
I welcome the Minister's commitments to an evidence-based approach to improving our education system and tackling underachievement. Given the overwhelming evidence against the use of academic selection from academics, educationalists, children's rights groups, charities, trade unions and others, can we expect the…
Minister, thank you for your statement. I welcome your commitment to tackling educational disadvantage in the North. On that matter, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) has published research on educational disadvantage faced by children who have parents with addiction in the home. Can you…
Today, I am delighted to launch TransformED NI, my Department's new strategy for transforming teaching and learning. Last summer, writing for the Belfast 'News Letter', under the heading "Paul Givan: Change is coming to ensure Northern Ireland has a truly world class education system", I set out my ambitious intention…
On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, the Education Minister announced a continuation of the childcare subsidy scheme. The original subsidy scheme was welcome, and my party worked on it with the Minister and the help of parents and others. Also yesterday, the First Minister published entirely…
Last week, during the debate on the Programme for Government, I contrasted the two bodies mentioned on page 85 of that document, namely InterTradeIreland and Intertrade UK. I highlighted the fact that InterTradeIreland has a budget of over £6·4 million awarded to it from the Stormont Budget. I could have added that…
I congratulate Enniskillen Drama Festival, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. It is a nine-night amateur drama festival that has been staged in the Ardhowen theatre each year since the spring of 1980. It was founded by a small group of local drama enthusiasts to showcase and celebrate the best of…
I am profoundly concerned about the recent news of the closure of Rathkeeland House surgery in Crossmaglen. The situation highlights the severe underfunding of general practice, making it increasingly unsustainable for practices to continue operating under existing contracts. Rathkeeland House surgery has served the…
It is a privilege to speak today about the vital work being carried out by the Simon Community in the North of Ireland. I recently had the opportunity to meet some of the brilliant team at the Simon Community in Armagh. The dedication and compassion that they show to those in need is truly inspirational. The Simon…
I rise to congratulate two long-standing organisations in my Strangford constituency that are celebrating significant anniversaries. I congratulate Portaferry Women's Institute, which celebrated its 90th anniversary. Portaferry WI is the second-oldest surviving institute. It was set up in 1935, and, at the first…
Members will be aware of Muckamore Abbey Hospital but always for the wrong reasons. Everyone is aware of the debacle that went on there for many years and of the abuse and scandals. The long-called-for inquiry began in June 2022. After sitting for 120 days, the inquiry finally comes to an end this week. However, it…
I rise to speak about a number of children's healthcare issues. I recently met two families who have children with achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfism. At the moment, there is no clear pathway for those children when they are diagnosed. Not only that but there are no services for them. They may be lucky enough…
I thank some of the local football clubs in my constituency of East Derry. I will name just a few of them: the Heights Football Club; East-End Youth Football Club in Coleraine; and, of course, Portrush Football Club. Those clubs help hundreds of children to enjoy sport and get exercise, instil in them a sense of…
As we hurtle towards St Patrick's Day, I am reminded of how that day drags together into one my sense of Irishness, my sense of Britishness and my military history. Today, I am wearing my regimental tie, that of the Royal Irish Regiment, which is green. Many argue that the colour of St Patrick is not green but azure…
The United Kingdom has a long and proud tradition of supporting some of the most vulnerable people around the world through its international development assistance, tackling poverty, supporting sustainable development and responding to humanitarian crises around the world. We have a reputation as a global leader in…
This weekend, across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the world, people will join to celebrate St Patrick's Day. On St Patrick's Day, we embrace the way in which a former slave, who embodied togetherness, brought Christianity to this island some 1,500 years ago. In context, a single century is a brief yet…
Last Wednesday, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the Executive were in breach of their legal duty to adopt an anti-poverty strategy. The ruling came on the back of a judicial review taken by anti-poverty activists, led by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ). I thank the CAJ for bringing the legal…
Ms Sheerin asked the Minister of Finance what his Department is doing to further gender diversity, noting that International Women's Day was celebrated at the weekend.
Mr McReynolds asked the Minister of Finance for an update on relevant recommendations for his Department from the high street task force report, given that high streets are essential for our economy and jobs.
Mr Crawford asked the Minister of Finance what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older people are not left behind in digitally accessing information and online financial services.
Mr Gaston asked the Minister of Finance what he is doing to cut back on wastage such as over £250,000 spent by his Department on diversity, equality and inclusion training since 2019, as revealed in this morning's 'Belfast Telegraph'.
FlaggedDecided on a second assessment.Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues