Stephen Farry
North Down · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Speaking for a party that has a longer pedigree in advocating a public inquiry than both the DUP and Sinn Féin, I nonetheless welcome this announcement, despite the torturous path that we have had and, indeed, the missed opportunities.”
“The first was a reform of the petition of concern to take it back to the original intent when it was designed in 1998. It was clear at that stage that Arlene Foster banged the table and said, "No, never. We are not doing that. That is a way whereby we are going to have to fold on equal marriage: it's not happening".”
“<BR /> <BR />The main points that I make concern the substance of the order. There are probably three aspects that the Minister needs to address properly before the Assembly, and they really relate to what other options he has.”
“That raises the question of why they want to go as far as 2022, especially when I am not sure — I would welcome any clarification to the contrary on it — that there has been formal Executive approval of this.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are three major substantive issues that I do not believe have been properly aired on this: VAT; European Commission infraction proceedings; and, most important, the opportunity foregone to revisit the classification of Northern Ireland Water and the ability, through a separate water charge, to allow it to borrow commerc…”
“While my party was supportive of the Good Friday Agreement back in 1998, at that time, we expressed some reservations around the very detailed nature of the proposals and how those could, in due course, destabilise Northern Ireland and prevent us from realising our full potential. We have been very much vindicated in that analysis.”
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“While plans for the new Craigavon campus that is due to replace the current Lurgan and Portadown facilities are at an early stage, the potential for the college to utilise the new leisure facilities is actively being considered. Southern Regional College has confirmed that it is fully aware of the proposal for new district council leisure facilities and, consequently, does not intend to build a sports hall, a swimming pool or football or other sports pitches as part of the new campus in Craigavon. The college is in regular communication with the district council and will continue this engagement with a view to establishing formal arrangements whereby the college can utilise the new leisure facilities.”
“The meeting went very well, and I am due to meet the action group on 14 October. One of the items on the agenda for that meeting will be the creation of a sectoral partnership in the engineering sector to develop more opportunities for apprenticeships.”
“The Member and, indeed, the entire Assembly will be aware that we released a new strategy for apprenticeships in Northern Ireland in June this year. This is a radical departure from the previous situation with apprenticeships, and we hope to see a considerable expansion of the range of occupations and the skill levels to which they are being applied. <BR /> <BR />One of the key areas that we seek to do differently is to ensure a much stronger voice for employers in relation to apprenticeships. We are working to develop sectoral partnerships that will focus on the needs of particular sectors, and I am confident that engineering will be one of the first that we will seek to develop. Last week, I met employers in the ICT sector with a view to setting up a sectoral partnership.”
“I do not have the precise figures to hand, but I can say to the Member that actions have been taken forward in relation to careers. He will be aware that a joint review of careers is being undertaken along with the Department of Education. That is being taken forward by a panel chaired by Brian Ambrose from George Best Belfast City Airport. We have also placed careers staff directly with employers so that they have a better understanding of their needs. Rather than employers necessarily having to come to us, we have been even more proactive in sending careers staff to be embedded in the business community, including the engineering sector, so that they are better able to articulate the needs of that sector to potential workers of the future.”
“However, it is worth stressing that we have a broad range of engineering strength in the Northern Ireland economy and there are clusters in different parts of Northern Ireland. They each have their individual strengths, and we are happy to work with them all.”
“I certainly recognise that we have seen some job losses in the sector, but it is worth stressing that we have also seen new jobs being created. For example, we have had the expansion of Caterpillar and new jobs being undertaken through that company. Equally, there is a host of other companies that are going from strength to strength. We have very clear indications that the aerospace, defence and space sectors in Northern Ireland have a very bright future, and they are keen to ensure that they have a steady flow of people coming through. <BR /> <BR />It is also important that people are prepared to be a little more mobile in looking for work. We cannot always direct the work to where people live, and, to an extent, there has to be a focus on good labour mobility.”
“I am happy to assure the Member that it is something that we are working on. She is lucky that she has the South West College in her area, which is very proactive in working with local employers. That goes for all the colleges right across Northern Ireland. We are very much guided by the needs of employers. It is important that we hear about not just the very general skills that employers need but the very specific skills shortages that they may be experiencing, so that we can ensure that the education and training system responds. The working group gives us the structures around which we can provide a forum in which we do that efficiently and effectively.”
“<BR /> <BR />The aim of the action plan is to upskill the existing workforce across the sector to meet the exact needs of local employers and to ensure that there is a pipeline of highly skilled young people keen to embark on a career in this exciting industry.”
“It is due to complete in October, at which point it will be evaluated, with a view to rolling it out within the sector. Furthermore, a higher-level apprenticeship in engineering commenced in November 2013, with 15 apprentices from companies such as Terex, Kiverco and the Quinn Group. The apprentices will do a foundation degree on a part-time basis with the South West College. <BR /> <BR />Another key action that is being taken forward is the development and implementation of a careers attractiveness strategy. It will inform young people and their key influencers about the wide range of career opportunities available in the sector.”
“In 2013, I established an advanced manufacturing and engineering services working group, with membership from employers, colleges, universities and government, to identify and address the skills challenges faced by employers in the sector. <BR /> <BR />In April 2014, I launched an action plan agreed by the group, and, since then, a number of initiatives have been taken forward. For example, a computing and engineering scholarship programme has been developed, offering funding support to assist twenty employers offering work placements to undergraduate students taking the relevant degree courses that meet employer needs in computing and engineering. Also, a computer numerical control machining conversion course is being delivered and funded by my Department's Assured Skills programme. That will upskill 12 Magellan Aerospace staff.”
“Absolutely. I am sure that it has been very deeply felt in the college and in her wider family circle. <BR /> <BR />In closing, I take on board the point that Members and the NUS-USI have made around looking to see how better we can promote and make people aware of the fund. We will undertake that, though Members should appreciate that we are already doing quite a lot of things to make those funds known to people.”
“We now have the situation in which young people who fall between the ages of 16 and 19 who happen to be in the school system will avail themselves of that protection, whereas young people in that age group who attend further education or are in other training programmes have no such protection. We are very aware of the differences between the cohorts in respect of demographic and socio-economic backgrounds. There is inequity in the system that Sinn Féin Members in particular may wish to reflect on. Hopefully, they will respond in the winding-up speech.”
“My door has always been open to the NUS-USI to talk to me about such issues. We had a long-standing engagement, which coincided with their campaign in the media around the issue, and, no doubt, I will meet them in the future to discuss any important issues. <BR /> <BR />I want to make an important point around funding. At present, we are going through huge difficulties with the Northern Ireland Budget, and my Department and all the services that we provide will suffer as a consequence of that. Members need to be aware that decisions have been taken to give protection to the Department of Education.”
“That point stands well. I want to come back to the Budget issue in a moment to make a very important point for the House to note. <BR /> <BR />I met NUS-USI representatives on 17 September to discuss these and other issues and to explain our approach to proactively supporting students in further education. I trust that I have now corrected any misunderstandings with them. <BR /> <BR />It is legitimate for students and others to campaign for a change in the eligibility criteria and the scale of the awards that we offer. However, I cautioned the NUS-USI and I will caution others that, if those were to be relaxed to make the scheme more generous or to bring in a greater number of eligible students, it would require additional funding, in times when my Department has to find savings.”
“I am happy that we look at that. That can be one of a range of interventions that we can review.”
“In short, there has been a lack of understanding of how student awards and hardship budgets work. There has not been a reduction in the overall expenditure across the interconnected FE awards and hardship funds. Calls for me to reverse a cut in hardship funds are meaningless, as there has not been a cut, never mind a decision; rather there has been a natural displacement to FE awards. It would be perverse to reduce access to FE awards to see an associated displacement back towards hardship funds. That would be regressive in nature. That is surely not what the NUS-USI and others are calling for, even though that would be the logical inference from what they have been saying.”
“That fund has been significantly increased in the past couple of years and helps colleges fund technical or personal support to students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important to highlight the range of support that my Department provides to students. Extensive help is provided with childcare costs through several of the funding streams. For higher education courses in FE colleges, eligible students can avail themselves of tuition fee and maintenance loans. They may also apply for a range of means-tested grants. A disabled student allowance is available. For students aged between 16 and 19, help is available through the education maintenance allowance. That provides a payment of £30 a week, plus bonus payments based on achieving objectives. My Department has provided further assistance of £4·5 million per annum to colleges through the additional support fund.”
“Each college promotes both funds through a range of channels, including prospectuses, websites, posters, a variety of funding guidance literature, and information in student college diaries. Funding advice is also provided by student support services staff at induction sessions. My Department consults the board on the content of its advertising campaign and provides colleges with good practice guidelines for publicising hardship funds. Higher education support funds are administered and publicised by the higher education institutions and by colleges delivering higher education to help students experiencing financial hardship. My Department provides the funding and copies of the conditions booklet to the universities and colleges. We also place information and the conditions booklet on the NI Direct website and that of my Department.”
“Over the past five years, there has been a net increase of approximately £800,000 in the total amount available in the combined funds, with the budget set aside for FE awards rising by over £2 million. Although the drawdown of resources in the demand-led hardship fund may have decreased by just over £900,000, the spend on FE awards has increased by £1·5 million. That support is helping to alleviate financial barriers to education. <BR /> <BR />Hardship funds and FE awards are advertised extensively through a variety of media by the board and the colleges. FE awards are promoted on the board's website and through a television advertising campaign, which is run during May and June each year.”
“<BR /> <BR />Allocations to students take account of personal and family financial circumstances. Over the past number of years, hardship fund requirements have been met in full, and no application has been refused because of lack of funding. <BR /> <BR />As I stated earlier, financial help is also provided to students through FE awards. Over recent years, we have encouraged take-up of those awards to reduce dependency on hardship funds. Both funds are, however, inextricably linked, and the majority of applicants are required to apply for a further education award in the first instance before being considered for hardship support. Although there has been a reduction in hardship funding requirements over recent years, there has been a corresponding increase in the uptake of FE awards.”
“The budget itself is only indicative for planning purposes and is determined by historical factors, including previous spending levels and data on the number of disadvantaged students. That is adjusted during the academic year to ensure that appropriate funding is made available. <BR /> <BR />It is important that Members understand the difference between actual spend and the budget-setting process. Budgets are an estimate for financial planning. Mr Wilson is quite right when he says that it is important to try to estimate the budget accurately as best you can. I have not made any monitoring round bids for hardship funds. We have sought, where appropriate, to make internal sums available from elsewhere in my Department's budget in the circumstances in which demand exceeds what we have budgeted for.”
“It is also welcome that fewer students having to apply for hardship funds means fewer having to go through the potentially intrusive process of disclosing information about their personal finances and circumstances — much more intrusive than the application route for further education awards. <BR /> <BR />FE awards are up-front payments made at the beginning of each term, whereas hardship fund payments are reactive when students are in difficulty. It is surely better to shift the balance of government intervention to earlier intervention and, indeed, prevention. <BR /> <BR />I wish to emphasise that, contrary to earlier reports, I have not reduced funding for hardship funds. The amount of money distributed is purely demand-led and is not curtailed by any budgetary considerations.”
“<BR /> <BR />A number of years ago, the deadline for applications for further education awards was extended from 30 June to 31 August. The effect of this was positive as it provided more time for students to apply for bursary awards, resulting in increased demand for awards and, consequently, reduced demand for hardship funds. This has been a positive outcome for a number of reasons. Hardship funds are meant to be a last resort for exceptional financial personal problems, so it is to be welcomed that there is reduced demand for these and increased demand for bursaries.”
“Further education awards are available to eligible students who are over 19 years of age and undertaking an approved vocational course up to level 3. The maximum amount payable is £2,092 per annum. Hardship funds are provided to help students who are facing financial difficulties and who would otherwise not be able to attend a further education college. The maximum amount payable through the hardship fund is £3,500 per annum. <BR /> <BR />These two funds are inextricably linked because, for most students, to be eligible for hardship funds, they must first have applied for a further education award. The maximum payable for applications from both funds cannot exceed £3,500 per annum in total, excluding childcare costs.”
“It is also at the heart of the current review of higher education funding that my Department is undertaking, the results of which will go out to public consultation in the coming months. For the first time, Northern Ireland has a widening participation strategy for higher education called Access to Success. With direct relevance to further education, we ensure that financial assistance is provided to students through further education awards, bursaries and hardship funds, which are administered respectively by the Western Education and Library Board and each of the six colleges. <BR /> <BR />Further education awards and hardship funds are means-tested to ensure that support is directed at students most in need.”
“As Mr Wilson said, retention rates have improved in colleges over the past number of years. I think that someone also referred to a drop in enrolments, which may well be due to, for example, demographic change affecting the number of eligible young people and also the fact that schools tend to hang on to young people post age 16 more than in the past. That is a much wider debate. I would welcome the Assembly's turning its mind to it on some other occasion. <BR /> <BR />Across higher education and further education, significant efforts are being made to widen participation. This was one of the key motivations behind the Executive's ongoing commitment to the freezing of tuition fees for local students at local universities.”
“I am happy to take credit for many progressive, imaginative proposals and new strategies that we have taken forward over the past number of years, but that change lay within the tenure of the previous Ministers. I am sure that Mr Swann, as Chair of the Committee, will wish to pass on the regards of the House to Lord Empey and Mr Kennedy. <BR /> <BR />I believe that considerable steps are being taken to communicate properly the existing support mechanisms, but I am happy to consider how this could be improved further. My Department recognises the importance of providing support to students facing financial difficulties associated with learning. Even with the support that is available, I acknowledge that it can be difficult for some students to enter and remain in further education.”
“<BR /> <BR />There has not been a proper appreciation of how my departmental budget operates with regard to hardship funding and support for further education students, such as the interaction between further education awards and hardship funds, and other steps that we have taken. A lot of Members referred to decisions that I have taken or a lack of consultation on those decisions. Let me be very clear: this system of further education awards and hardship funds goes back to 2009 and 2010. No changes have been made to the approach adopted by the Department since then. If Members worked through the sums, they would realise that those changes took place before my term in office.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion and to correct what has become either a major misunderstanding or a misrepresentation of what student support my Department and I, and, indeed, the wider Executive, are providing to students in further education. <BR /> <BR />I think that it was Mr Douglas who referred to the situation in Wales, where there have been media reports on the reduction in the hardship fund there. Perhaps we can surmise that the assumption has been made that the reduction in spending on hardship funds in Northern Ireland means that a cut has been made here that is similar to that made in Wales, which is not the case. Indeed, I think that there has been a failure to look at the much wider picture of what we have been doing on student support.”
“I have never turned down a request for a meeting in that regard. We look forward to receiving the remainder of the business case in the autumn and giving it scrutiny. As it is a very complex piece of work, it will take us some time to go through it, and no doubt there will be some different iterations of the business case required. However, that will provide us with a foundation to make a bid, subject to those financial circumstances changing. That will allow us to have a higher education system that we can embed within our community, ensure is of international standard and then seek to expand even further.”
“So, while the door is open to the bid being made, it is important that people understand the wider context in which we are operating. If we can work collectively to address budget uncertainty to ensure that we have a fit-for-purpose higher education system that is properly resourced, those opportunities will become viable. <BR /> <BR />I have been very clear about my position. It is important that Members appreciate that we are in a situation where we face cuts in higher education. It is difficult to see how you can make cuts and make an argument to expand at the same time. We have to address and reverse those cuts, and then we can look to future opportunities. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for the debate and the opportunity to respond. I have met a number of delegations from the city and will no doubt continue to do so.”
“Also, on the particular issue of capital investment relating to the proposed teaching block, my Department will seek to process that business case over the coming months and will consider making a bid in the 2015-16 Budget. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I stress that we will process the business case in order to be in a position to make bids if financial circumstances allow us to do so. However, it is important that Members are under no illusion about the extreme financial pressures that are facing my Department and the Executive. <BR /> <BR />The higher education system is under great pressure, and the pressure is set to increase. Until that situation is reversed, we will not have a credible environment for my Department to realistically seek to expand the Magee campus.”
“<BR /> <BR />That said, my Department will scrutinise any business case received in order to be in a position to make a bid in the 2016-2020 Budget period. Any bid to the Executive for additional resources would only be viable once financial circumstances are different and the overall Northern Ireland Budget and the resourcing of my Department are placed on a sustainable footing. Any bid would have to represent additionality and not be at the expense of quality elsewhere within the higher education system. It must also be considered in conjunction with other investments required to consolidate the world-class standard of our universities and the wider development of skills in our economy in areas such as apprenticeships.”
“My first responsibility is to work with the universities to manage the pressures as strategically as possible, with a particular focus on the direct needs of the local economy and the steps necessary to maintain international standards. <BR /> <BR />I am sympathetic to the potential further expansion of the Magee campus of the University of Ulster, but I cannot be expected to both cut public spending and increase it at the same time within the context of higher education; it simply does not add up. Indeed, it is worth stressing that the resourcing of the One Plan's student numbers would represent a significant challenge in terms of funding and would require an investment of over £30 million on a recurrent annual basis.”
“We have received the needs-analysis aspect of the business case, with the remainder expected to arrive during the autumn. <BR /> <BR />However, we are receiving this business case at a time when the Executive are facing an unprecedented budgetary crisis. My departmental budget has already been cut in-year by 4·5%. The previously indicated level of cuts to be formally ratified in the October monitoring round may well be exceeded. Furthermore, we are staring into the abyss, with even greater levels of cuts facing us in future years unless there is a major reassessment of the approach being adopted on some critical financial and policy matters in the Executive. <BR /> <BR />I have had no alternative but to pass on 4% cuts in-year to our universities, with further uncertainty over forthcoming budgetary periods.”
“<BR /> <BR />The University of Ulster has received more than its proportionate share of those places, receiving 652. In line with its stated commitment, the university has allocated those places to the Magee campus. So I do believe that solid and steady progress was being made towards the interim target of 1,000 additional places by 2015 as set out in the One Plan, before budgetary uncertainty and now cuts have forced a pause in our expansion plans. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate that the Derry/Londonderry strategy board is developing a business case in relation to the much greater proposed expansion of the Magee campus in line with the One Plan target through to 2020. The business case is required, given the location-specific nature of the proposal.”
“While there is a general commitment to the One Plan, only the regeneration of Fort George and Ebrington are specifically mentioned. Importantly, my Department is not measured or scrutinised in relation to the expansion of Magee in any respect. <BR /> <BR />When I assumed office in May 2011, there was no Executive budgetary commitment or resources within my departmental budget to facilitate the expansion of Magee. However, through two bids to the Executive — the first arising out of the tuition fee settlement and the second relating to the jobs and economy initiative — and from redirecting resources in my pre-existing budget, I have been able to expand higher education by around 1,600 places across Northern Ireland, with 1,200 being directed to our universities.”
“I do not want to see lower tuition fees being matched with an inferior form of higher education — that is not something in the interests of our young people or the economy, and I am sure that Members would share that concern. <BR /> <BR />It is important to set out this context before looking at the specific ambition to expand the University of Ulster campus at Magee. <BR /> <BR />I do understand the impact that the creation or expansion of a university campus can have on any location, including Derry and the wider north-west. I also understand the history around this issue and the frustrations over the past 50 years. The One Plan provides my Department with the strategic context and targets for the expansion of the Magee campus. However, it is important to be clear how it is framed within the Programme for Government.”
“With the efficiency savings asked across the public sector during the current Budget period, combined with this restriction on income generation, our universities have a major challenge to match the rate of growth of the leading universities across these islands. <BR /> <BR />To put this in perspective: the amount invested per university place in Northern Ireland is between £1,000 and £2,500 less than in English universities, depending on the funding band. To put this another way: the universities require an investment in the region of £25 million per year to remain competitive. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we retain a quality higher education system and, indeed, build further upon that.”
“However, I remain concerned at pockets of graduate unemployment and underemployment, and I am keen to stress the importance of investment in employability skills and developing a greater relationship between the degree programmes offered and the requirements of the economy. My Department's increased focus on a new strategy for apprenticeships, including higher-level apprenticeships, with the opportunity to link up with higher education pathways, is particularly relevant in this context. <BR /> <BR />The decision to freeze tuition fees for local students at local universities was the right one. It is a recognition of the Executive's commitment to widening participation. However, we must at the same time recognise that it does curtail the universities' ability to generate additional income.”
“Our universities are key partners in the economic transformation of Northern Ireland. Indeed, they are central to our inward investment narrative and efforts to create more jobs and business start-ups locally. They are also key providers of higher-level skills and research. <BR /> <BR />Over the past three years, I have put in place Northern Ireland's first higher education strategy, Graduating to Success, and the first widening participation strategy, Access to Success. In this time, I have also added just over 1,200 university places, all in STEM subjects. We are on course to double the number of publicly funded PhDs over the decade. We have also made fresh investments in university research. <BR /> <BR />It is particularly important to emphasise the relationship between universities and our economy.”
“I welcome this debate, as it provides an opportunity for me to set out my approach to the delivery of the expansion of our university sector and in particular the expansion of the University of Ulster at Magee in Derry. It also allows me to set out the pre-existing funding challenges facing our universities and the much deeper pressures that are now being experienced in light of the ongoing budgetary difficulties facing the Executive. <BR /> <BR />My central objective is to ensure that Northern Ireland continues to have a world-class and internationally recognised higher education sector and, indeed, that we can further build on this strong platform over the coming years.”
“As we look to invest, particularly in level 2 and level 3, in getting much greater numbers studying STEM subjects and at how we can develop a strategy for economic inactivity in the north-west, the college is a particularly important actor. It is important that we have a college that is fit for purpose and in which there are good industrial relations.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Obviously, the McConnell report gives the opportunity for a new start in the college. A new principal has been appointed, and I have appointed a new chair of the board of governors. I believe that strong progress has been made across the vast majority of the recommendations, and the college is very much seized of their delivery. The Department is keeping a close watch on this, and the Committee has had a close interest in the issue in the past. There will always be bumps along the road and tensions between stakeholders, but we will seek to be of assistance, where we can, to overcome those and ensure that we can invest in the college, which is a key partner in the delivery of the skills agenda in the north-west, which has not always been the case.”
“We do have access to resources domestically and also through the European social fund that allow us to offer us a whole range of programmes. Obviously, we need to be mindful of coming budget pressures in that regard, but it is something that I believe should be a priority for me, and I know that it is for the Assembly as well.”
“We are very happy to have ongoing discussions with the European Union, and, obviously, the MEPs are a very useful conduit in that regard. Already, we have access to the European social fund. That is set to be a bigger pot for Northern Ireland over the next seven years than has been the case previously, so that will create a lot of opportunities for us. <BR /> <BR />The Member may also be referring to the youth employment initiative, and, due to the way that internal boundaries are drawn for Northern Ireland in terms of what are called NUTS areas — maybe NUTS is an appropriate term to refer to them, but it is a French acronym that I will not bore you with — none of our subregional areas in Northern Ireland were going to be eligible to access that fund. We looked at a whole range of different scenarios as to how we could draw it down.”
“Those are some of the structural changes that we are making in our economy to address youth unemployment. <BR /> <BR />To address the situation as we find it today, we have the youth employment scheme, which has been very successful in giving young people opportunities. As part of the more mainstream employment programmes, the former Steps to Work and now Steps 2 Success will also give support for young people to avail themselves of opportunities to get themselves into employment.”
“The Member is very right to highlight the challenges facing young people. Thankfully, our youth unemployment is falling, but, like many other parts of Europe, it is a major challenge. It is worth emphasising that, in the context of Northern Ireland, unemployment is very heavily concentrated among young people. Almost a third of the people who are out of work fall in that very narrow range between 18 and 24, so there is a real concentration and a more disproportionate concentration than in many other societies. That highlights the importance of investment in work experience to enable people to get on the first rung of the ladder. It also reinforces the importance of good careers advice and the importance of investment in the new form of youth training and what we are doing around apprenticeships.”
“It is something, again, that we are looking at in the context of the higher education funding review because, sometimes, there can be anomalies in that system and cases where someone really is investing in upskilling and there is a case for giving full support. Obviously, that will be governed by the availability of resources, but we are very much aware of the cases that the Member is referring to.”