Michelle McIlveen
Strangford · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Public confidence depends not only on effective enforcement but on enforcement being exercised fairly and consistently. <BR /> <BR />There is widespread concern across Northern Ireland about the condition of many of our lakes and rivers, and there are a vast number of factors that contribute to water quality challenges.”
“Although we support the overall direction of travel, I think that is appropriate to reflect on the concerns that have been raised and ensure that the legislation is proportionate, practical and capable of delivering its intended outcomes.”
“If we are therefore serious about improving our aquatic environment, every source of pollution must be addressed. New legislative powers are meaningful only if the Department has the resources, the expertise and the personnel necessary to implement them effectively.”
“There is, however, a need for accompanying clear guidance and support and for regulatory consistency and prompt decision-making. Delays, uncertainty and excessive bureaucracy will undoubtedly discourage investment and undermine confidence in the sector.”
“Subordinate legislation should not become a substitute for proper democratic accountability. Consultation and engagement must be undertaken before regulations are introduced, and I cannot overstate the need for stakeholder engagement. <BR /> <BR />I will now talk about the Bill's proposed enforcement powers.”
“The DUP broadly welcomes the Bill. As has been said, it provides an opportunity to modernise legislation that, in some areas, has remained largely unchanged for decades. The Bill strengthens the protection of our fisheries, improves the regulatory framework for aquaculture and enhances the management of our water environment.”
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“Since 2019, four minor capital works projects have been completed at Larne High School. These were accommodation works for special educational needs, completed in November 2020 at a cost of £54,000; refurbishment of a 2G synthetic pitch, completed in July 2021 at a cost of £300,000; a Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)-specific accommodation scheme, completed in 2019 at a cost of £163,000; and a school meals accommodation project, completed in October 2021 at a cost of £828,000. <BR /> <BR />The school also submitted minor works applications for an upgrade of boiler flues and roof works during the last minor works call in 2017.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He may be aware that, some weeks ago, I met the Infrastructure Minister because there are a number of issues on which our Departments should be working more closely, particularly on road safety at schools. I am not familiar with the exact details of the issue that the Member raises, but I am happy to raise it with Minister Mallon.”
“I thank the Member for her question. A number of Members have asked that question, particularly in relation to the transfer procedure that took place in summer last year. As I have said to other Members, at this point, there are no plans to review the policy until the independent review of education is complete.”
“If the EA is required to do individual assessments, it will do them in line with Road Safety GB guidelines. As I mentioned to Ms Sheerin, however, the review of home-to-school transport is, unfortunately, being held back until the conclusion of the independent review of education.”
“I thank the Member for his question; he asked me several. I share the Member's concerns around representing a rural constituency. Obviously, pupil safety is a very important issue when ensuring that a home-to-school transport policy operates effectively. Although the EA is responsible for a pupil's safety once the pupil steps onto a vehicle that is part of the home-to-school transport service, parents remain responsible for getting their children to and from the bus pickup point and deciding whether they should be accompanied. Sadly, not all pupils have a parent who will take them safely to a pickup point. Specific issues may need to be raised regarding particular roads that are unsafe, and those conversations may need to be held with the Department for Infrastructure.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As she knows, the walking distances for home-to-school transport are set out in the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. As she will also be aware, the independent review of education is ongoing, and, as a consequence of that, the review of home-to-school transport has been held back in order to ensure that the proposals that come out of the independent review will be accommodated in any future policy on home-to-school transport.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst there will always be some exceptions, it is my view that the vast majority of pupils in rural areas receive a service that gets them to and from their school in a safe, comfortable and timely manner. There is no doubt that it is more challenging to deliver home-to-school transport in rural areas while ensuring the practicality and efficiency of routes and that pickup and drop-off points on rural routes are more difficult to facilitate. However, the investment made through the provision of home-to-school transport plays a fundamental role in sustaining the rural public transport network in Northern Ireland. The current EA contract arrangements guarantee income to Translink for the provision of 52,000 seats on the Ulsterbus network.”
“The purpose of my Department's home-to-school transport policy is to facilitate pupils' attendance at school. It aims to ensure that all children are able to attend a suitable school, regardless of where they live. The Education Authority (EA) is responsible for the operation and delivery of the policy. That includes assessing eligibility, determining the appropriate form of transport to provide and managing the school transport network in line with the policy. The EA currently transports approximately 92,000 pupils to and from school every day, and 70% of those pupils live in rural areas. The service is highly valued by parents and pupils and enables pupils to travel to and from school each day.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I do. The availability of various aspects of that and of labour has been impacted particularly by COVID. I know that, for example, in some schools, key trades have not been able to be at their work as a consequence of COVID-19, and that has produced delays of perhaps six weeks when teams are out. I have a concern about that and the slippage that that causes for a number of projects, but we are in exceptional circumstances, and we need to be mindful of that.”
“While it is positive that there are capital calls, it is about ensuring that the money is available as soon as possible in order to action those calls.”
“I thank the Member for his question and, indeed, for his comments. I have spoken in the Chamber as well about the disparity of provision across our school estate. <BR /> <BR />It is my intention to make a further major capital call before the end of this financial year that will hopefully address some of the issues. As the Member will be aware, however, a long line of schools has already been announced, through either major capital calls or the school enhancement programme (SEP), for which the works are still not on the ground. I am sure that there will be Members who will ask questions about the schools for which projects have been announced.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As I said, my officials have engaged with colleagues in construction and procurement delivery in the Department of Finance. They are finalising guidance that will assist parties to work out material costs and so on under a procurement advisory note that was issued on 3 August 2021. <BR /> <BR />There are discussions taking place at the moment about ongoing projects. If you have a build that is of particular concern to you, contact me, and I will see where it is and how it has been impacted on.”
“The increase in cost and delivery times for raw materials is having an impact on a number of my Department's capital projects. For the schemes that are under construction, the Department of Finance has provided guidance that seeks to deal with the current market uncertainty. My officials are working with professional colleagues in the Education Authority and DOF on the implementation of that guidance. They are also working with EA colleagues to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are included in future contracts to permit consideration of material price inflation in the context of each contract. My Department will continue to deliver future schemes within the capital budget allocated by the Executive.”
“The designs also provide for teaching accommodation that is deemed to be within acceptable tolerances and for more ancillary accommodation that is deemed justified educationally and functionally than would be provided for five stand-alone post-primary schools. <BR /> <BR />To ensure that the campus promotes genuine sharing, equality and full inclusivity for all, the needs of SEN pupils were incorporated into the design from the outset. While that has added to the area size and costs, the most cost-effective design has been developed and can ensure that the campus functions smoothly, provides optimum facilities and supports learning for all students who use it.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The estimated overall cost has risen from £169 million in 2016 to £228 million in 2021. The 2016 figure did not, however, include an allowance for inflation. The increase is due largely to increases in building and site-work costs and the potential impact of construction price inflation in future years. The additional cost is due to a number of reasons, including costs exceptional to Strule for site preparation works to transform a former military base into a site fit for schools; significant external roadworks; a changing pavilion; and a maintenance building.”
“Those plans have been developed in line with and feed into the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council local place-shaping plan and the Omagh opportunity sites task force. <BR /> <BR />The Gortin Road scheme relates to the widening of the existing route on the Mountjoy Road and Gortin Road immediately adjacent to the Strule campus. That was discussed at the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council planning committee meeting on 21 October 2020. It was agreed that the application would be deferred to enable discussions to take place between the Department of Education, Department for Infrastructure Roads and the council's planning department to allow for further consideration, clarification and resolution of the outstanding issues. I understand that a revised scheme has been submitted to the council that addresses those concerns.”
“I thank the Member for his question. There will be five post-primary schools relocating to the campus, which will leave significant gaps in the area. Two of the sites are owned by the Education Authority and three by individual trustees. It is for the site owners to decide on the future and/or the disposal of those sites. In recognition of the significance of the vacated sites to the town, the Department established the vacant sites working group in November 2016. The working group comprises members representing the site owners, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and relevant government bodies. The working group is actively considering how best to plan and manage the future use and disposal of the existing sites. Site-specific disposal strategies have been prepared as a first step in determining plans for their future use.”
“I thank the Member for her question. In response to Mr McCrossan, I mentioned that I had shown my commitment early in my tenure by issuing a ministerial direction to move the project forward. I know that it has been welcomed by the schools and by those in the vicinity. It certainly is a priority and will remain a priority while I am in post.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The site is incredibly significant, hence I was keen to move forward with a ministerial direction. A considerable amount of money has been spent to date — over £46 million. It is an incredible investment in that area that I am keen to see progress. I understand that work will continue to move forward to tender. I still hope that the construction can complete in 2025. We are looking for works in advance of that, particularly around sports facilities and so on; at least they will then be on site. It is a positive news story for the area. While it is overdue, I am confident that we are moving in the right direction.”
“Work is also progressing across a number of other work streams, including the development of detailed arrangements for the ownership, governance and management of the campus; consideration of how best to plan for and manage the future use and/or disposal of the existing school sites following relocation; and ongoing liaison with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on the Department's planning application for the proposed development works on Gortin Road and Mountjoy Road.”
“<BR /> <BR />The memorandum of agreement, which details the arrangements for the management, ownership and governance of the campus, has been reconfirmed with the Education Authority and trustee bodies of the schools moving to the Strule campus. The Department continues to work closely with the six school principals and their teams to build on the culture of sharing in Omagh, albeit within the context of ongoing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I am fully committed to delivering this educationally and strategically significant programme. Following Executive endorsement last year, I have issued a ministerial direction to move to the next stage. Pre-tender engagement with the construction industry was completed in August. The next step is to formally commence a fresh main works procurement competition to build five post-primary schools and shared facilities, with the release of the invitation to tender scheduled for autumn this year. At that point, progress will be reviewed on a number of important elements of the programme, including the ongoing development of the work required to realise the educational benefits and the outcome of engagement with the construction industry.”
“If the Member does not mind, I will come back to him on that.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I am aware of the situation, because other Members have written to me about the Steven Gerrard football course at Greysteel. The Vale Centre is not categorised as a school, so it cannot be determined to be eligible for transport assistance, nor can home-to-school transport be provided to the venue under the policy. As I said in the substantive answer, the EA assists with vehicles that can be hired. I will speak to officials about the issue to see whether anything can be done, but, as I understand it, it is not possible under the current policy.”
“Schools can use extended schools programme resources to meet the costs of those activities to ensure that all pupils can take part, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. That may include meeting the costs of travel. The programme guidance requires schools to ensure that there are adequate arrangements in place for pupils to travel to and from school for extended schools activities over and above standard home-to-school transport arrangements. Close cooperation with the EA's transport section is therefore essential.”
“My Department's home-to-school transport policy provides funding for transport assistance for eligible pupils travelling to and from school each day. Transport assistance is not provided under that policy for off-site extracurricular activities. Transport to off-site extracurricular activities is a matter for schools to organise and fund themselves. The Education Authority (EA) offers vehicle hire services on request and subject to availability. <BR /> <BR />The extended schools programme supports eligible schools by providing additional activities for children and young people outside normal school hours. That often takes the form of before- and after-school clubs, summer schemes and educational trips and excursions.”
“I lay down the challenge to those who tabled the motion and its supporters to commit, in the Assembly and the Executive, to prioritising educational recovery. The future of education in the months and years ahead is in all our hands.”
“As I have outlined today, my Department is providing significant funding to support schools as they work to identify and limit the long-term impact of disruption: a range of high-quality, well-evidenced interventions for our pupils. Yet, of course, more can be done. Today, I make the case to Members to prioritise additional investment in education. That will support our young people, not to catch up but to develop the knowledge and skills that will equip them for whatever the future holds. The pandemic has surely awakened and strengthened our commitment to education as a common good and a force for inclusion, equity, solidarity and individual and collective achievement. It is up to us to build, as a legacy of the pandemic, a modern, fit-for-purpose education system that truly meets the needs of our society in the 21st century.”
“So is political point-scoring around alleged mishandling, when our education system has faced completely unprecedented and unknown challenges and when a pandemic has swept across the world. The current crisis has tested our ability to deal with large-scale disruption. It has upended the education landscape. We have, however, endured and succeeded, and we have made changes for the better. Our education system has shown its resilience and its ability to innovate and work in partnership. We must celebrate that. <BR /> <BR />I do not underestimate, of course, the huge challenges facing our school leaders, teachers, parents and, most importantly, children and young people. As we emerge into a new reality, there continue to be many unknowns and challenges ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />My Department has introduced a comprehensive package of reductions in assessment across CCEA qualifications for 2022. We were the first jurisdiction in the United Kingdom to announce such measures. Our young people, uniquely, will have significantly fewer exams in 2022. That reflects the significant disruption that they faced, and it will ensure that they are again supported to fulfil their potential and to progress successfully. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, over the past 18 months, our education system has overcome unprecedented difficulties. The continually negative rhetoric about loss, damage and catch-up in education set out by those who tabled the motion is singularly unhelpful.”
“When I reflect, therefore, on summer 2021 awarding — a summer with the lowest number of appeals on record — I struggle to recognise the picture painted by those who tabled the motion. Thousands of young people completed their qualifications and progressed to the next stage of education, employment or training despite the impact of the pandemic, so where is the mishandling? Again, I cannot praise enough our school leaders and teachers, who stepped forward to provide centre-determined grades with fairness and consistency. It is due to their dedication and professionalism that our students were enabled to obtain those important qualifications. Here in Northern Ireland, CCEA sampled evidence from every school and college, giving young people, parents, universities and employers confidence in the grades awarded.”
“The report particularly notes the high scores of children in Northern Ireland from low-income households. We have an education system of which we should rightly be proud. It is a system with significant strengths that performs extremely well internationally and has many of the features of top performing systems. <BR /> <BR />I turn to qualifications. For the first time in over 70 years, public exams were cancelled in 2020. It was a unique and unprecedented situation for Governments across the United Kingdom. Ultimately, teacher grades were awarded in every jurisdiction. In 2021, when exams were cancelled again, my Department and CCEA put in place the best possible arrangements in the circumstances.”
“The proposers of the motion are, of course, entirely silent on those matters. They are also silent on the most recent EPI study that compared the educational outcomes of pupils across the UK in reading, vocabulary, language and maths. It concludes:”
“A more balanced summary would note that the EPI acknowledges the inherent difficulties in trying to draw funding comparisons across the UK and internationally; that the boundary between specific catch-up spends and other interventions is not always clear; that the analysis compares different funding periods, notably including spending plans in England into the next financial year; here, it does not do that; that spending in Wales includes all investment to support 16- to 19-year-olds and vocational learners, whereas investment by the Department for the Economy here is not included in the report; and that our programmes are also evidence-based and appropriately targeted. I quote directly from the EPI website:”
“The chief inspector will write to all schools later this week inviting them to participate. I have also prioritised increased investment in early years interventions. Around £2 million of additional annual funding has been provided for Sure Start, and a further £1 million of additional investment has been provided this year for the pathway fund to target young children at risk of not reaching their full potential. <BR /> <BR />Having reflected on the support and investment provided by my Department, I note the highly selective extract from the EPI report cited in the motion.”
“Unfortunately, at this stage, I am not confident of support from all Executive colleagues, given the focus on other priorities. The Engage programmes have also been supplemented by a wide range of complementary interventions: £10 million of investment in summer schemes serving over 40,000 children; half a million pounds to help year 12 pupils taking GCSE maths; and a new well-being and pastoral support programme for children with special and additional educational needs. I am also delighted that £1·4 million of additional investment in teacher professional learning will support a new capacity building project to be delivered by the Education and Training Inspectorate. The Stepping Forward Together project will provide professional learning opportunities in the key area of self-evaluation, and this will lead to improvement.”
“That is why my Department has put in place a wide range of tailored, evidence-based interventions that draws on international and local best practice to support effective learning and recovery. In the last academic year, over £17 million was invested in the Engage programme, which provided one-to-one or small group teaching support to thousands of pupils across every primary and post-primary school in Northern Ireland. The programme was widely welcomed by schools, as it gave them flexibility to shape the programme to their pupils' needs. This year, the Engage II programme continues that important work with an increased budget of over £16 million for the period until March. <BR /> <BR />I will bring forward proposals for further funding for the remainder of the school year.”
“Our world-class curriculum has stood up well to the toughest of challenges. Its flexibility allowed schools to tailor and adapt their teaching to support recovery and respond to the needs of individual learners. As a result of the excellent, innovative opportunities created by our schools, many thousands of children engaged positively with remote learning. Of course, that does not make up for the social connections and life skills that children develop at school or the fun experiences of everyday school life — music, drama, team sports and cookery — that children have missed. <BR /> <BR />Children also had a very different home experience. Understandably, some struggled to engage with remote learning.”
“Secondly, collaboration: the teaching profession has learned from one another, sharing ideas and practice as never before. We have seen enhanced partnerships between our schools and health professionals, parents and communities. Thirdly, innovation: the pace at which our schools have adapted and embraced new technologies has been impressive. The pandemic has changed teaching, creating new possibilities of doing things differently and with greater flexibility.”
“A wide range of professional development opportunities, resources, guidance and case studies to support remote learning were produced by my Department's continuity of learning project. <BR /> <BR />When I reflect on the past 18 months, three things stand out above all: resilience, collaboration and innovation. First, resilience: the way in which teachers, parents and pupils adapted to the situation and, with little notice, moved to a wholly different way of teaching and learning has been a case study of resilience. Instead of focusing on loss, we should praise our children and young people for adapting and working hard through a global pandemic. They need to be told how strong they are and that they can tackle any challenge that life throws at them.”
“The efforts of many of our schools to deliver remote learning have been excellent. They have been ably supported by COVID-19 link officers from the Education Authority (EA), the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) and other education support bodies. We are fortunate in Northern Ireland that schools have access to a centrally provided IT system: C2k. It supported online access to school services from the beginning of the COVID-19 school closures. <BR /> <BR />My Department invested almost £7 million in enhancing remote learning. Almost 25,000 new digital devices and over 9,000 free Wi-Fi and mobile vouchers were provided to learners.”
“That provided much-needed assistance for families. Our Youth Service provided weekly food parcels to 5,000 young people who were at risk of food poverty and much more, as Ms Dillon mentioned. I thank Mr McGrath for his emphasis on the youth sector. I am hugely supportive of the work of the Youth Service, including the uniformed organisations, which make an incredible contribution. I have met them several times over the past couple of months, and I intend to engage with them further. Investment of £33 million has provided over 100,000 children with direct payments in lieu of free school meals during school closures and throughout school holidays. As the EPI report notes:”
“Never before has our education system witnessed such disruption, with periods of extended school closures, the cancellation of public exams and the need to develop new ways of teaching our young people remotely. We must reflect on how COVID has negatively impacted on many children and young people's mental health and well-being. The crisis has had an impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular. Across the globe, it is likely to have widened existing inequalities. <BR /> <BR />We must also celebrate the positives, however. Our education professionals have worked tirelessly to reduce the pandemic's impact on children's education. Vulnerable children, including pupils with statements of special educational needs, were able to attend school throughout the lockdown earlier this year.”
“<BR /> <BR />Unlike the Members who tabled the motion, I will not use the term "catch-up". That narrative can place unnecessary pressure and anxiety on children, parents and teachers. Rather, the focus of my Department and our school leaders is on supporting children to reconnect socially, build positive relationships and engage enthusiastically with learning. The aim is to ensure that our pupils are motivated to learn through a curriculum that places equal emphasis on knowledge, understanding and skills, rather than the deeply negative "catch-up" rhetoric. Rather than on catch-up, the focus must be on a smart recovery to build citizens of the future who are innovative, confident and empowered. <BR /> <BR />The COVID-19 pandemic has brought truly unprecedented challenges.”
“That is why my Department has invested no less than £330 million of Executive funding to support the education sector through COVID. <BR /> <BR />I will reflect on the challenges that we have and that we continue to face, the many achievements of our education system and my Department's significant investment in recovery. At the outset, I will address our school leaders and teachers directly. My Department knows that it has not always got it right. We, too, have faced unprecedented challenges, and we have been learning and adapting alongside you. I give you my assurance, however, that I am committed to listening carefully to your concerns, to learning from recent events locally and internationally and to working with you in the weeks and months ahead to continue to support recovery.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to address this important matter. COVID-19 has presented many significant issues for our society and our education system. Today, I place on record my sincere thanks to the education sector as a whole, which has responded professionally and positively to the unprecedented challenges of the past 18 months. I fully recognise the severe impact of the pandemic on our young people, parents and education staff.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He is correct. The 'A Fair Start' report has been concluded and published, and my Department is working through it. I am proud of that report, as, I am sure, is Mr Weir, the former Education Minister. It is, indeed, the second commitment we have delivered. As for others, the Member may wish to send a question for urgent oral answer to other Departments to find out whether they have been as exercised.”
“I thank the Member for her question. We went through a process to which quite a considerable number of people responded, which was great. There was also a very good gender balance. The sift was done through an anonymised process, quite a large proportion of candidates was interviewed, and I was presented with a list that detailed the competencies and how well each candidate fitted those, be that extremely good, very good or good. My focus was very much on those who excelled in the process and were either extremely good or very good.”
“That said, other pieces of work will continue in tandem alongside it, because I am quite clear that I do not want the system to be paralysed as a consequence of the review taking place.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I hope that it is not. If the Member read 'A Fair Start', which was the consequence of the deliberations of the expert panel on underachievement, he will have seen a very detailed and specific report that addressed underachievement. My Department is working through the recommendations. Finance has been allocated to that this year, and we hope for Executive buy-in to progress it further. <BR /> <BR />It will be very much about the quality of engagement, the stakeholder involvement and just how serious those stakeholders are in bringing forward suggestions. I do not want the panel's report to be something that sits on a shelf, because there are quite a number of strands in education that need to be urgently addressed and that are very much dependent on that piece of work.”