Paul Givan
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The EA's enhanced support model has been out for consultation. The Member's party is the largest political grouping on the Education Authority, so his party supported the model's being consulted on.”
“Protections around strike action and action short of strike are firmly established in statute for all workers, including teachers. If the Member is referring to the Education Inspections Bill, let me be clear: nothing in that legislation removes or undermines that right.”
“The issue was covered at length at the Education Committee. The position is still not where it ought to be. When I came into office, the position that I inherited was much worse than it is today.”
“It is an area that I have had to navigate, as have many previous Education Ministers. Industrial relations is an area that needs ongoing work. I have outlined how we can address it, but I come back to saying that, when workload was undefined, trade unions struggled to specify the challenge.”
“That is not a fair characterisation. In fact, I was with Justin McCamphill, the leader of NASUWT, at the launch of the curriculum reform, at which he commended me for it and said that he thought that it was good. I have sat in many a meeting with trade union representatives during which they have said, "This is a good initiative.”
“That is exactly why there is a 16-week consultation period, rather than the normal 12 weeks or the minimum eight weeks; to allow the public and teaching profession to very much engage in that curriculum, which I commend to all Members.”
The complete record
Every one of 6,258 lines we hold for Paul Givan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 18 of 126.
“There is not a sufficient pipeline of those development proposals being taken forward currently. I can take decisions only on what is actually being presented to me, and that is a challenge. The Member raises an important issue that has merit, and I intend to say something further on that in due course.”
“The Member makes an important point about the approach to area-based planning. It is for managing authorities to bring that forward: I have just highlighted how one development proposal needs to go from CCMS to the EA before it gets to me.”
“He has highlighted one specific aspect of capital works that would aid and facilitate schools being able to operate more effectively. I will certainly take that away and ask for some further advice in respect of that particular school.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. At a higher level, when it comes to amalgamation, I absolutely understand the need and desire to have a single-site solution. We have just opened St Ronan's College in Lurgan, which had operated on various different sites. Undoubtedly, single sites have clear benefits. Similarly, three schools are trying to come together in the Causeway area, but that is fraught with challenges because we are unable to arrive at a single-site solution. <BR /> <BR />The Member has referenced one example in his constituency, which I have been able to visit, and I am aware of the issues. Ultimately, I want to be able to take forward single-site solutions for schools that amalgamate, but, given the financial challenges that we face, that is proving to be difficult.”
“Several areas of support are available for schools that have undertaken transformation. Those are detailed in the departmental circular 2018/15, which was issued in October 2018. That circular offered guidance in the following areas: area planning and development proposals; amalgamation implementation plans; establishing an interim board of governors; the school reorganisation agreement on teaching staff arrangements for non-teaching staff; financial support; accommodation; transport; special educational needs; and school meals and catering services. If a school has a specific query of any of those areas, I encourage the school to contact my Department in the first instance.”
“Needless to say, however, I assure the Member that I will not delay reaching a decision in that regard.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary. I know that he has long campaigned on this issue. He has met me on numerous occasions, he has presented petitions and he has certainly been a strong advocate for the school in question. I have outlined a process that we need to follow. Now, having had the consultation, it is for CCMS, if it wishes to take forward a formal development proposal, to go to the EA. The EA will carry out its process and, ultimately, that will come to the Department. I assure the Member that I will in no way delay taking a decision on a development proposal once it has been assessed by my Department and presented to me. Ultimately, however, as the final decision-maker, whilst I have every sympathy with the Member's case and commend him for it, it would not be appropriate for me to give a view on that.”
“Should CCMS decide to proceed with the proposal, it would then progress to the Education Authority and, on receipt of a development proposal, there is a statutory requirement for the EA to consult with all schools that are affected by it, including the school that is the subject of the proposal. While the development proposal is being progressed, the school remains able to apply for temporary variations in order to request an increased intake when there is over-subscription in the area.”
“The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), as the planning and managing authority for Catholic maintained schools, has indicated that it will seek to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers at Dean Maguirc College via the development proposal process, as outlined under article 14 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. CCMS has confirmed that it began the consultation process for the development proposal with governors, staff and parents on 17 December last year. The proposal being consulted on is to increase the admissions and enrolment numbers of the school from 80/440 to 100/600 from 1 September 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. That phase of the consultation process finished on 24 January 2026.”
“Having looked at the Scottish Bill to try to identify what it would mean for Northern Ireland, we believe that such provision would cost between £11 million and £18 million per year. I repeat: whist I support outdoor education, I have to be cognisant of the financial pressures that face the education system, and I am not able to bring forward provision in that area in the current climate.”
“I do not disagree with the Member. Outdoor residential activity is very beneficial. Some schools are in a position to provide that, but — he is right — there is no universal provision in order for every child to avail themselves of such an opportunity. My family and I were in Tollymore yesterday, enjoying the benefits of the great outdoors. I certainly encourage schools to make that provision, but it comes with a financial resource pressure. Whilst I have every sympathy and wish that there was greater access that was paid for by the taxpayer, I cannot introduce a Bill that would add to the financial pressures that the Department of Education faces. However, I absolutely support outdoor education and encourage schools to provide it where they can.”
“Whilst I am supportive of the important work of outdoor education providers, given the contribution that outdoor education makes to the school life of our children, I have no intention of introducing a similar Bill in Northern Ireland at this time.”
“The Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill was recently passed by the Scottish Government and is awaiting Royal Assent before becoming law. The Bill mandates a minimum of four nights and five days of residential education for every pupil across the period of their school career. That may be fulfilled by way of one five-day-long school trip or through several shorter trips that add up to four nights and five days of residential education. Detailed costs have not yet been calculated, but the cost estimate for year 1 runs from £21 million to £35 million, which is to be met by the Scottish Executive.”
“I touched on that in my earlier response. The EA is looking at options through a pilot scheme to give schools greater autonomy in purchasing low-value consumables through their delegated budget and choosing whether to use EA frameworks or alternative suppliers. The main objective of the project will be to assess the potential benefits and impact of removing the mandate to use framework arrangements. In addition, the pilot will assess the level of risk attached to schools undertaking procurement below the £10,000 threshold in the absence of the EA's centre of procurement expertise support and knowledge, and that will be part of the outworkings of the pilot that the EA wishes to take forward.”
“Understandably, there needs to be a procurement framework for significant capital works, but, where there is low-value spend, there should be greater levels of autonomy for schools, and I outlined in my initial response some of the work that is being taken forward to provide for that.”
“I share exactly the same sentiments that the Member has articulated. It is a frustration of mine when principals outline that they would be able to achieve greater value for money by going into a direct contract award instead of having to go through the EA. When I engage with the EA on that, it outlines that, when it comes to the economy of scale of being a large purchaser and being able to secure contracts, it can deliver greater value for money than allowing schools to be able to procure things individually. That is an open question for people to interrogate. I have engaged with the EA on that to try to identify lower-value spend, which should be at the discretion of the school.”
“The contracts also include a local management of schools addendum for cost certainty. That means that the most requested maintenance activities have set prices fixed for the duration of the contract, ensuring assurance and transparency for school leaders. In addition, improved data and reporting requirements support better forward planning and more informed decisions for capital investments. <BR /> <BR />In addition to the new contracts, a pilot project is currently being agreed by the EA to test the delegation of low-value tenant maintenance, such as painting and carpeting, to schools in the 2026-27 financial year.”
“The Education Authority (EA) is implementing its new term service contracts for maintenance and minor works. Sixteen of the 18 lots have been awarded, with 10 lots already implemented across Northern Ireland. It is anticipated that all 16 lots awarded will be fully implemented by 1 April 2026. <BR /> <BR />The new contracts have been designed to strengthen value for money, through a combination of improved commercial controls, clearer performance management and greater cost certainty. Contract pricing has been benchmarked through competitive procurement, with clear schedules of rates and fixed pricing addendums. Stronger contract management arrangements, including enhanced reporting and governance, provide earlier visibility of emerging issues and reduce the risk of cost escalation over the contract term.”
“Members will, I hope, reflect over the next number of weeks, as the consultation continues to take place on the Sinn Féin draft Budget, and make sure that their voice is heard loudly that education cannot be underfunded in the way that it has been and that people should express those opinions. I trust that the Finance Minister will be listening, as that voice is being heard clearly from school principals and others.”
“I agree with the Member's sentiments. The RAISE programme was grossly misrepresented not just by Sinn Féin but by others. It has now been demonstrated, as Members will see from the outworkings of the specific projects, that it will be targeted at helping address educational disadvantage. That is what underpins it, and the rationale for the selection process has been vindicated by the courts. I trust that Members will now get behind the RAISE programme in their communities and encourage and support the work that it will take forward.”
“The only opportunity that many from a more disadvantaged background have is the limited time in the classroom in front of the teacher. We need to make sure that this is given the best possible support, which will be transformative in helping working-class communities not just from a Protestant background but from every background in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have also taken forward the transformation of our education system through the TransformED programme. That is underpinned by a curriculum task force and by pedagogy — the practice through which we teach the content — and we are looking at methods of assessment. We need that multiple approach to make sure that our curriculum is properly supported by way of content and how it is taught and assessed. Getting those things right will benefit pupils in every school in Northern Ireland but particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds whose parents do not have the same means as others to harness private tuition, get teachers to coach their children and enhance the learning opportunities that they have.”
“As result of devolution, I have been taking actions in areas that were neglected under direct rule and would continue to be neglected if we had direct rule. As a DUP Minister in the Department of Education, I have taken forward work on establishing a controlled sector unit in the Education Authority that has a clear and dedicated focus. The controlled sector is the underperforming sector. It does not have the same level of advocacy as other sectors. There is inequality in how the controlled sector is treated by comparison with others. I have taken steps to do that. I have also consulted on the establishment of a managing authority, for which, when the consultation concluded, we had overwhelming support. I will take a paper to the Executive.”
“That is why, as we engage in the Budget discussions, I will champion Education, but there is also a need for the Executive collectively to robustly engage with the Treasury and London on the challenges that we face.”
“We know that the Republic of Ireland is in a different place when it comes to budgetary allocation and what is currently available to it. <BR /> <BR />My job is to make the case for the Department of Education. When it comes to our capital, we have not been funded properly over the past number of years — it is not just me saying that; the independent review of education said it — and that needs to be reflected in the budget that we receive. It also needs to be reflected in how we engage with the Treasury. A case needs to be made around the structural underfunding of Northern Ireland for many years. We are still living with the legacy of that.”
“My Department has been looking through some of the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report and, indeed, the PAC report. A key recommendation on which I absolutely agree with the Committee is about having planned maintenance programmes in order that we do not have to react. My response to that has been to say that, at the moment, because of inadequate funding, we have to react with emergency-type responses, as Members will know from their constituencies. However, I want us to have planned maintenance so that we do not take that reactive approach. That will provide greater value for taxpayers' money. <BR /> <BR />I am keen to learn from any jurisdiction as to the most effective way of managing the finite resources that are available when it comes to capital expenditure.”
“represents the biggest threat to education. <BR /> <BR />Mr Baker, do your job, lobby your own Minister and start fighting for schools.”
“will listen to the principals of the schools in his constituency and to the trade unions who have said that his Budget”
“Of the two most significant cases, one was on integrated education, which I won convincingly. However, the cost to the taxpayer was hundreds of thousands of pounds. The other was on RAISE, which I won, but the cost to the taxpayer was hundreds of thousands of pounds. Such activities starve our education system of funding. I trust that Mr O'Dowd, who says that he is listening,”
“yet we have some Members actively encouraging people to take legal cases.”
“I also read today's published statement from the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) about the Sinn Féin Budget. I quote the NAHT's warning, which has been attributed to its president, that John O'Dowd's draft Budget:”
“Members in the Chamber and people outside of it have talked about the Department of Education budget's reckless waste. I say to Members that there has not been reckless waste. Indeed, I listened carefully to the principals this morning on 'Good Morning Ulster'. A principal of one of Northern Ireland's largest schools said:”
“— of taxpayers' money. That money was wasted as a result of Sinn Féin challenging the decision. It politicised a scheme that the courts found to be perfectly legitimate.”
“— but the LSA is out funding likely to the tune of £300,000 to £400,000 —”
“The applicants also got legal aid, so the Department of Justice's Legal Services Agency (LSA) had to provide them with taxpayers' money. Not only is my Department therefore out by over £100,000 so far —”
“Your words generated a legal case that undermined RAISE, which was found to be a perfectly rational and logical programme, as determined by the judge. Not only did those Members delay the allocation of funding but they caused my Department to incur considerable expense — over £100,000 so far — defending its policy. We successfully won that case.”
“<BR /> <BR />That was the judgement of the court, and I am glad that it was presiding over the case, as opposed to Sinn Féin Members. They now ask about the delay in distributing the funding. The reason for the delay was the legal challenge. We are now able to proceed with allocating the funding. The terms of offer are being conveyed in letters to groups, but the case is now being taken to the Court of Appeal. Three days have been set aside for it to be heard in April. We will proceed with the schemes, however, thus allowing West Belfast and North Belfast, constituencies that have needed such interventions, to have funding allocated to them at long last. <BR /> <BR />To the Members opposite, I say, rather than take cheap political shots at the schemes, reflect on the words that you use.”
“Mr Baker laughs, but he and Mr Sheehan said that the programme was flawed, that it discriminated against disadvantaged communities and that it needed to be taken back to the start and rethought. What were the consequences of their misinformed and ignorant commentary? It was to create the environment for those in their community to decide to take a legal case to challenge the programme. Unnecessarily, Members decided to be critical of it, but the judgement that was delivered on Friday 12 December 2025 dismissed all legal challenges to the Department's methodology for allocating funding under the RAISE programme. The judgement was clear. The court found that the Department had acted lawfully and rationally in developing a Northern Ireland-wide place-based approach to funding, using objective indicators of educational need.”
“The challenge with the RAISE programme has been that some Members have undermined its work and created unnecessary confusion in their constituencies, which led to a legal challenge.”
“In addition, it is why I introduced a clear departmental policy that says that primary-school children should not bring phones to school at all and that, at post-primary level, such phones should not be accessed by children from when they enter school until they leave. That recognises the harm that smartphones can cause to our children and young people in particular. I welcome the public consultation on social media that is being carried out by the UK Schools Minister. I encourage parents to feed into that, but I am also considering whether we should try to address the issue from a Northern Ireland perspective.”
“That is similar to what the Member has asked about previously. We know about the dangers of online harm. It is why I support Safer Schools NI's project that encourages parents not to let their children access social media on their smartphone in their early, formative, teenage years. It is also why I introduced the capital programme to limit access to mobile phones. Nine schools are taking part in that pilot scheme. Some Members were critical of that, but the principals who have been engaged are very supportive of it. King's College London will carry out an evaluation of that, which will be independent of the Department and will reflect the effectiveness or otherwise of the approach.”
“I engage North/South, but I also engage very much on an east-west basis, given Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom.”
“I thank the Member for the question. Last week, there was the North/South Ministerial Council meeting in the education sectoral format. We also had an East-West Council meeting, which was hosted by the Secretary of State and was held in Belfast. I attended that meeting, at which we discussed taking forward a twinning programme between schools in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. That is an outworking of the Command Paper that the DUP helped to secure. We updated the East-West Council on the progress of that twinning arrangement. I also attended a UK-wide ministerial summit that was facilitated by the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, on artificial intelligence and the opportunities that exist for it to be developed in education.”
“There are good examples of what the Republic of Ireland is doing in the type of curriculum and teaching that it applies. I absolutely want to benefit from that to enhance Northern Ireland's educational output. That is why I selected a former chief inspector of the Republic of Ireland's education system to be part of the international ministerial advisory panel. It will help to inform the educational transformation work that we are doing here in Northern Ireland.”
“The Member raises an important point. I have looked at where Northern Ireland is being outperformed internationally, particularly in measurements such as the programme for international student assessment, the trends in international mathematics and science study and the progress in international reading literacy study. The Republic of Ireland is outperforming Northern Ireland, as are other high-performing jurisdictions, in educational attainment. That is why we are taking forward the TransformED programme. We, as a Department, have to perform statutory functions to ensure that we have an up-to-date curriculum. We also have to consider what the most effective way is of assessing that. It is not just about the substance of what is being taught but about how it is being taught and how you measure that by way of assessment.”
“I am happy to take the Member's suggestion away. There are different programmes that give young people an opportunity to engage internationally. Those are welcome, where they can be availed of. Part of the meeting referred to the establishment of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland youth forum, which would allow not just more North/South exchanges but more east-west exchanges, so that there would be greater opportunity to empower young people across the British Isles, and for them to have their voices heard.”
“It has been an ongoing challenge to try to release the funding for that, but I am pleased to inform the House that we have made significant progress. Shared Island funding of €24 million has been made available to my Department to take forward interventions to address educational underachievement, which is welcome. I will always take funding, from whatever source I can acquire it, to benefit young people in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Those interventions have been designed for the areas that were selected, which are various. The projects have all been developed. We are at the stage of finalising the letters of offer that will allow us to make progress on RAISE. It is a welcome intervention that will have a meaningful impact on tackling educational underachievement.”
“The Member is right: we are somewhat constrained by the financial resources that are available to us.”
“I have been to the Middletown Centre for Autism. For Members who have not been, I commend the facility to them. There is an issue with accessing the building currently, due to some structural challenges for transport and with the road to the building. That was touched on in the meeting. There is an ongoing issue with the assessment of those structural challenges and the work that we can do to try to resolve them. <BR /> <BR />The Member is right to mention the budgetary challenges. We face significant challenges. The South also has restraints on its level of expenditure, although not to the same extent as us. We are trying to identify how Middletown can be utilised more effectively. Obviously, that could relate to potential budgetary issues. As those issues emerge, we will need to address the issue of the allocations that we can make.”
“One of the undertakings from the meeting was that we would seek to find more ways in which to share what we are doing and what we are trying to address, as they are doing in the South. If we can learn from each other, we should learn from each other.”