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.”
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“I thought that the Member would have welcomed transparency and openness. He seems to be suggesting that he did not want to have transparency and openness and that these discussions would happen behind closed doors. That is an interesting departure from the TUV's position on transparency. I have brought a statement to the House for Assembly Members to be able to hold me to account. I assumed that Members of the legislative Assembly wanted that opportunity, but Mr Gaston outlines a different approach. <BR /> <BR />On the key issue, Mr Gaston brought me to some schools in his constituency —”
“Yes, the leader of the Opposition, having made his cheap shot, leaves the Chamber. It really shows the absolute insincerity of that last contribution from the leader of the SDLP. <BR /> <BR />I say to Mr McNulty that this is the plan to ensure that we do not fail our children. This is the plan to make sure that we actually can provide for them so that they can succeed in life. I ask for the support for this plan, because we will be able to deliver for them. That is the obligation on our society. I appeal to Members that this should cross party lines. This should cross all departmental responsibilities. I appeal to the Opposition to join us in the endeavours that we are seeking in order to meet the needs of our children and young people.”
“I have outlined the plan to make sure that we can meet the needs of those children and young people.”
“He should apologise to the special schools and to the families for his shameful contribution.”
“I think of the principals and the parents who have listened in to the last 60 seconds of unedifying contribution from Matthew O'Toole as leader of the Opposition. He will not apologise to me. I do not expect him to.”
“— and it is utterly shameful that the SDLP's leader has used this opportunity —.”
“— that he has just outlined. I am not going to allow the Member to detract from children with special educational needs —”
“— of the leader of the Opposition will come to their own conclusion —”
“I have to say that those who are listening to the contribution —”
“We come to the Chamber to speak on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society and to talk about children who have complex medical needs and who need to have our support and a clear plan for how we can come up with that support, and the leader of the Opposition, the alternative to the Executive, fires a cheap shot around the use of artificial intelligence.”
“We have a limited window of opportunity to make a meaningful impact on those young people's lives when they are in school settings. That is why we have to implement the plan. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the Department continues to work with other Departments on pathways for young people to transition to life beyond special school settings. The Department for the Economy and its Minister have brought work to the Executive on how they will be able to provide greater support in those pathway provisions.”
“I thank the Member for her question and for the work that she does in East Antrim. <BR /> <BR />The statement is very much about the capital needs of the school estate. It is about a 10-year plan to make sure that we expand the physical capacity of special schools. It is about establishing new schools and looking at making greater use of campuses by bringing together existing special schools on a campus-type model. All that has been worked through and given a master plan. The benefit of having an effective school estate is that we will then be able to enhance the educational output from those schools. If we fail to do that and to provide the right environment in which our young people can learn and be supported, at the point at which they leave school, they will not be equipped with the skills that they require to continue in life.”
“We have some children who travel long distances to be given the educational support that they need. I do not find that position acceptable, nor do I believe that any Member finds it acceptable. That is why we need to endorse the plan and allow my Department to get on with the work of putting it into action.”
“The Member highlighted Sperrinview. That is one of the schools that we are seeking to take forward. There have been some challenges there in recent weeks, but some progress has been made on identifying a suitable site for that school, which we now need to test to ensure that it is the most appropriate place. <BR /> <BR />The exercise that I commissioned from the EA last year was to look at all the special schools, identify the areas of need across Northern Ireland and see where we need new schools to be created. That work has been completed. The plan is now available for Members so that they can ensure that we are meeting pupils' needs. I want — of course, we all want — children to be able to get the educational support that they require in their local community.”
“I have, however, been reassured by some principals, who have said to me that they are pleased with the support provided. They are pleased with how specialist provision has been implemented and the positive impact that it has had on the whole school community, so there are good examples of that. <BR /> <BR />I believe that principals will continue to step forward, because it is in their very DNA to want to help, so, as we build confidence, we need to make sure that the Executive provide that support. We need to provide the buildings that will be required to meet that need. I have outlined very clearly the path that we need to follow and the plan that we need to implement to do that.”
“<BR /> <BR />Our schools rose to the challenge last year, and they have risen to the challenge this year. Going forward, I want to take the approach that schools engage with the Education Authority, which is why I welcome the intervention by the NAHT: that trade union in particular. It wants to have that engagement, so that, across all localities, we can have adequate and excellent provision for all our children as close to their home as possible. Of course, I want schools to believe that, whenever support is offered by the Education Authority to set up specialist provision, they can have confidence that that support will be there. It would be wrong of me to deny that that is a genuine concern for principals, because they lack confidence that they will get the right support.”
“I thank the Member for the question and commend him for his work in Foyle. I have been to Ardnashee. I know what is taking place there and commend the school for the excellent work that it is doing. He asks an important question, and it is one that has generated some discussion on the powers that exist for direction. The EA was asking the Department to consider directing schools back in June. If, at the point of exhausting all possible options, there had been a viable option for doing so in the view of the EA, it was seeking a view on whether we would go down the route of direction. Ultimately, we did not need to do that. We avoided having to go down that particular route. For Members' benefit, I will say that it is a power that has been utilised in a neighbouring jurisdiction, so it is not unique. Such a power has been enacted elsewhere.”
“Many aspects of cross-departmental work are required for our education system, but this is an absolute priority, and I am ringing the alarm bells as loudly as I can to say to Members and to all political parties that this is the only viable path. I have been challenged, and rightly so. I have been asked where the plan is. I have developed a plan. It is not just aspirational or a strategy. Rather, it is a detailed, worked-out master plan for every single special school and for everywhere that we need specialist provision. We are now at the moment of decision for all Executive parties on whether they step up and endorse that approach. It is the only way forward.”
“The Member is right: it is about more than just buildings. Again, however, I emphasise the point that we need buildings. I cannot emphasise enough that schools will close otherwise. If we do not step up to the plate, schools will close. Right across the school estate, we are funding emergency responses to keep schools open and safe. If we do not provide funding for special educational needs through the ring-fenced Executive flagship project that I have outlined, we will not be able to keep schools open and safe, and they will therefore close. <BR /> <BR />I agree with the Member that we need collaborative working. We need the Department of Health to work with us. We need the Department for Infrastructure to work with us on road safety to help us improve roads outside our schools.”
“<BR /> <BR />I expect, and we will articulate, that the Programme for Government will be honoured in respect of the approach to the comprehensive spending review process and that the funding will align to the PFG. Therefore, that will follow what the Member and others have called for, which is a SEN-first approach. That has to be reflected not just in my Department, which it is, but by the Executive as a whole. I trust that I can count on the Member's support for putting children with special educational needs first.”
“I am asking my Executive colleagues to deliver the Programme for Government commitment. That is the document that the Member's party agreed to, as did my party. One of the nine priorities in the Programme for Government, which I referenced in my speech, is around special educational needs. The logic, therefore, is that Executive expenditure will align with the Programme for Government. In my engagement with the Minister of Finance, I outlined a 10-year plan. The year 1 call to deliver on the plan amounts to £93 million. It builds, and, by the midway point, it will rise to almost £400 million in one year alone. This is a 10-year plan: the Minister of Finance is engaged in a three-year programme of identifying where the priorities should be, and the Executive will engage in that.”
“All resources remain focused on the delivery of additional accommodation in order to meet the demand for 2026 and 2027, and works to restore lost accommodation will follow.”
“I thank the Member for that question. He highlights the repurposing of mainstream school spaces for specialist provision. Let me first express my deep gratitude to schools that have very much stepped up and accommodated specialist provision at the expense of existing support and the limited classroom space that they have. I am deeply appreciative of those schools, principals and boards of governors who have gone above and beyond in order to help us address the challenges that we face. <BR /> <BR />I can confirm that works to restore any required space utilised in the establishment of specialist provision are on the minor works programme for delivery. Despite the work that has been carried out over the past two years, demand for SEN places continues to outstrip availability.”
“For children and young people in special schools. that is where they are best placed to receive all the other medical support that they need. That is where we need the work of the Department of Health in order to assist me and those principals. Their job, fundamentally, is to be educators, but they can only do that, in an environment where there are increasing medical complexities, with the right support from our medical practitioners. That is why I welcome the review that was commissioned by the Chief Nursing Officer. A report is there and is being looked at. We need to see the outworkings of that review, and then we need to see the support being aligned to what I am trying to do and what the special school principals have been calling for.”
“I will come to back to the Member on the specific detail, but she is right that Knockevin is one of the schools that we have been moving forward, and work on that continues. The Member rightly highlights a cause for concern that I have mentioned before: the withdrawal of a nurse and of allied health professionals. That is why I said that this is not just a departmental responsibility but a cross-departmental responsibility. As we move forward with my plan, as I hope and trust that we will, other Departments need to align with it.”
“If implemented, the plan will allow us to put in place measures to meet the long-term strategic need. If we do not do that, as I have made clear and will do again, schools will close. Children will be unplaced if we do not move forward with the approach that I have outlined. <BR /> <BR />Members will rightly challenge me on what I am doing to plan for and meet children's needs. I have been getting on with coming up with a plan. We have published that plan, and I seek the support of the Executive to take it forward. It is the only viable way of addressing the issue; otherwise, we will be trapped in a cycle of emergency responses, which means failing our children.”
“We can look at the past, which people have legitimate questions about, but we need to deliver for the future. When I came into office, we reorganised our capital expenditure and provided clear visibility on the SEN capital programme — we separated that within our departmental structures — and we took a SEN-first approach. I am now asking Executive parties to take a SEN-first approach to all capital spend in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I commissioned the Education Authority to carry out the detailed master plan work, which it has now completed. That work was undertaken with my officials and, importantly, school principals. They have very much been part of the process. What we have today is a culmination of that engagement with our special school leadership.”
“We will measure the decisions that are taken by Executive parties by their decision on this Executive paper. <BR /> <BR />It is about investing to save — I agree — given our current spend, which was about £110 million in the past two years. I mentioned that, in 2019, we spent about £9 million on emergency approaches. Next year, we will have to spend in the region of £85 million on emergency responses. We all know that, when you have to respond in that emergency environment, there will be questions about value for money and why we have had to respond in that way. We need properly planned construction work to ensure that we spend the money effectively. Ultimately, however, it is about investing in our special children.”
“I thank the Member for his welcome and endorsement of the approach that I have outlined. It is commendable that we have people who are prepared to step up and give support when they know that it is the right thing to do. Thank you for that. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about investing to save; it is about investing in our special children. That is critical and is what drives the approach that I have taken. I have been in countless special schools, as have Members, some of whom have been with me. Every time I go into a special school, I walk out of it asking myself what more I can do to support it. More than any other part of our education system, we need to support that sector. As Members often say in the House, we are measured by how we treat the most vulnerable in our society.”
“I can advise the Member that the business case in respect of the first Belfast special school has now been submitted to my Department and is going through the approvals process, so any potential dates will be subject to receipt of business case approval as well as the necessary statutory approvals. However, the current delivery programme indicates that construction would commence in 2029 with provisional completion of the whole project in 2032.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Obviously, details are now available for Members to look at. I will resist the temptation to go into detail on every individual school in their constituencies that Members may want to raise, because that presupposes that a decision will be taken first of all on the principle of the Executive-led scheme that we need to take forward. We can get into the granular detail of what we will do in every constituency only on the basis that we have secured the support of the Executive. <BR /> <BR />Work is obviously being taken forward on the basis of decisions that I had previously taken in respect of schools.”
“We have provided details of the plans that we have for their schools. The plans for Members' constituencies are available for them to look at. We know what we need to do. I know what the Executive need to do. I trust that the other political parties around the Executive table know what they need to do.”
“I do not accept that characterisation of the Audit Office report on the value-for-money assessment. That is a side issue. <BR /> <BR />I met the Finance Minister, John O'Dowd, only a number of weeks ago. I explained the critical nature of the budget not just for resource but for capital and highlighted to Minister O'Dowd the need for the Executive paper that I have now taken forward. I welcome the Finance Minister's engagement with me. He welcomed the approach that I am taking and gave a commitment that he would engage positively in looking at the request that I make in the Executive paper. However, what we now need is not just words or sentiment but tangible decisions and actions on that costed plan. We have master planned every special school. This morning, I have corresponded with every principal.”
“I have engaged with the NAHT on it, and I welcome its intervention and willingness to engage at this early stage rather than having to respond in May or June. The union has taken a welcome step, and I commend the union for that approach. Of course, I will work with it as we seek to build that confidence, but, first, that decision needs to be taken in principle by all Executive parties around the table.”
“The Chairman makes an important point, but, before you can get to that engagement and to making sure that things work, the Executive need to take a decision in principle. All parties, including the Member's party, Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionist Party, are on the Executive. The Executive need to take a decision in principle to endorse the paper that I have submitted with the strategic plan. My approach to providing the long-term strategic plan that Members have rightly called for and that I have commissioned needs to be endorsed and supported by every political party on the Executive. That is the only viable pathway forward. It absolutely needs to have the confidence of our school principals for us to make the provision, but we need to take that decision.”
“Let us be bold and united. Let us deliver the future that our children deserve.”
“As an Executive, let us demonstrate our commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice and to building a better and fairer Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The transformation of SEN planning requires dedicated, earmarked funding. It cannot be resourced from a budget that is struggling to keep open a crumbling and ageing school estate. Let us resource the specialist facilities that will equip and empower our children so that no child is left behind, no dream deferred and no future forsaken. Alternatively, if we fail to invest adequately in specialist facilities, educational inequality will deepen and remain for another generation. We must move from patchwork solutions to purposeful transformation. We must invest not only in buildings but in hope, opportunity and the dignity of every child who relies on us to get it right.”
“It is the only viable path forward. Without that dedicated programme, I cannot progress to the next phase of our SEN capital investment strategy and we will remain trapped in a cycle of emergency planning and reacting to crises rather than building for the future. <BR /> <BR />To conclude, I ask Members this: what is more important than meeting the needs of our most vulnerable children and young people? It is not merely an educational concern but a societal obligation. Members have rightly expressed their concerns at the emergency planning approach to SEN placements. I ask all political parties to support me in the Assembly. This is not an issue for the fractures of our politics. I ask Members to support that ring-fenced capital investment. Let us choose not division and delay but delivery and determination.”
“I fully recognise that the Executive face difficult decisions. Every Department has capital needs. Every sector is under pressure, and the capital budget, as we all know, is finite. However, meeting the needs of children with special educational needs is not just another departmental priority; it is a cross-government priority and responsibility. It is a moral and societal imperative that transcends portfolios and party lines. Those children are not abstract statistics; they are individuals with potential, promise and the right to an education that meets their needs and nurtures their strengths. That is why I have submitted proposals to the Executive for the establishment of a new Executive-led and funded SEN capital investment programme that will be a strategic long-term commitment over the next 10 years.”
“We will face significant disruption to children's education, and, inevitably, schools will close and children will be unplaced. That is why I am calling for a dedicated Executive-led SEN capital investment programme, not as a luxury but as a necessity. We must invest in the future of our children, and we must protect the integrity of our education system.”
“As a result, we have a 15-year backlog of planned maintenance that is estimated to cost in the region of £800 million. Of the 74 major capital projects for schools, 21 are paused owing to the restricted capital budget position. Of the 72 school enhancement projects that have been announced since 2017, only eight have proceeded to construction. The capital need outside specialist SEN provision is significant and pressing, yet the pressure for SEN placements continues to escalate. The cost of emergency SEN placement provision has risen from £9 million in 2019 to a projected £85 million next year, which is an 850% increase in just six years. <BR /> <BR />Let me be absolutely clear: the Department of Education budget cannot sustain that trajectory. If we do not act, the school estate will continue to deteriorate.”
“Those are not discretionary spends; they are essential to the daily operation of our education system. It is simply not possible to suspend all capital works across the school estate for a decade in order to redirect funding towards SEN infrastructure. That would jeopardise the integrity of the entire education system. The conventional education capital budget cannot carry the weight of modernising and expanding SEN provision over the next 10 years. <BR /> <BR />Alongside the urgent need for SEN placements, I am faced with an ageing estate. Many schools built in the mid-20th century are now reaching the end of their useful lifespan and are no longer fit for purpose. Maintenance and minor works are currently restricted to emergency and statutory interventions only.”
“In total, the SEN capital investment programme has a £1·7 billion investment need over the next 10 years. The urgency, however, is not just for the long term but immediate. We face a capital funding crisis next year that must be addressed without delay. The stark reality is that I cannot do this alone. The current education capital budget simply cannot absorb the level of investment required. A single new 500-pupil special school costs around £90 million. That is one third of my Department's annual capital budget, which is already stretched to its limits. It is fully utilised to ensure that schools across the estate remain open and safe, as well as to fund the ICT infrastructure and transport fleet that enable access to education for thousands of children.”
“<BR /> <BR />To deliver on our Programme for Government commitments, we must also urgently proceed with the projects outlined in the plans of action, as well as with the expansion of specialist provision classes. The next phase of the SEN capital investment programme will deliver 400 additional special school places through the expansion of five existing projects; new investment at 12 special schools to create over 2,000 places; three additional multi-school campuses in Belfast delivering over 1,000 places; three new campuses across Northern Ireland providing 700 places; and over 500 new specialist provision places in mainstream classes. <BR /> <BR />I have submitted detailed proposals to the Executive for ring-fenced funding that is separate from the main Department of Education capital budget.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I noted earlier, over 6,000 additional places are required over the next decade. The plans therefore include the expansion, enhancement and restructuring of the special school estate. They also aim to ensure that the necessary specialist accommodation and equipment are in place to enable pupils to develop the vital skills required to enhance their life beyond education and to provide opportunities for them to access the workplace. The SEN-related capital works currently in planning have a present-day value of £430 million. They include new builds for Sperrinview Special School and Knockevin Special School; a second campus for Ardnashee School and College; two Belfast special school campuses; and 10 extension and refurbishment projects for special schools through the school enhancement programme.”
“Those plans are not aspirational; they are actionable, but they require more than departmental will. They require Executive endorsement and support as a flagship investment programme. Only through such a funded programme will we move from a reactive emergency approach to a sustainable position and fulfil our Programme for Government commitments. <BR /> <BR />Last year, I tasked the Education Authority with developing detailed plans of action for each of our 40 special schools. Today, those plans have been published. They represent a blueprint for transformation that will revolutionise our special schools estate and reshape how we deliver placements for children with special educational needs. The plans set out the short-, medium- and long-term capital works that are essential to meet the increasing need for special school places.”
“There is also an annual requirement of around 400 additional special provision classes as the need for SEN placements there has doubled in five years. That is a clear signal of the scale and seriousness of the issue. Those figures reflect a broader truth: the rise in special educational needs is not a temporary spike. It is a sustained and accelerating trend, and it demands a strategic, well-funded response. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland must not be left behind. We must match that momentum with our own commitment to investment, innovation and transformation. The Education Authority, in close partnership with my Department, has developed comprehensive and forward-looking plans to expand the special school estate and increase SEN places in mainstream education.”
“Our children require more tailored and innovative solutions. School staff need the right environments and resources to deliver the high-quality education that every child deserves. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: I cannot plan, build or deliver the facilities that children need without additional annual earmarked capital funding from the Executive. It is not a marginal issue; it is a central challenge facing our education system and our society. We must act now. The pattern of increased need and investment requirements is not unique to Northern Ireland; it is a challenge echoed across the British Isles. In the Republic of Ireland, for example, no fewer than 16 new special schools have opened since 2019 to cope with the significant growth in pupils requiring a special school placement.”
“With regard to specialist places, the number of pupils attending special schools has increased by 47% in the same period, and the number of children in specialist provision classes in mainstream schools by no less than 169%. To meet that need, my Department has invested £110 million in the past two years to provide 242 new specialist provision classes and 98 additional classrooms across the special schools estate. That is a huge achievement, but make no mistake: this is not the peak. Those numbers are set to increase year-on-year for the next decade. The scale of demand is staggering. Almost 6,000 additional special school places and over 5,000 additional specialist provision places will be needed. However, this is not just about numbers, it is about need, and the complexity of those needs is deepening.”
“We are at a pivotal moment, a fork in the road. Working closely with my Department, the Education Authority (EA) has today published comprehensive plans to expand, modernise and transform our special schools estate. However, that vision can be realised only with significant dedicated capital investment. Without an Executive-funded programme, we will remain trapped in a cycle of emergency planning, unable to provide the specialist facilities that every child deserves. <BR /> <BR />The facts are stark and urgent. Over 70,000 pupils in Northern Ireland are registered as having special educational needs: that is 20% of our children. The number of pupils with a statement of SEN has risen by an unprecedented 85% in 10 years to almost 30,000 pupils.”