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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“It was Boris Johnson who did the deal with the EU to leave Northern Ireland subject to EU law, and that deal was done over the heads of, and in complete defiance of, every unionist in Northern Ireland and despite DUP opposition from the outset. That subsequent Conservative Prime Ministers sought to ameliorate the damage that had been done should not be dismissed or underestimated, but the original protocol did much of the damage. <BR /> <BR />The question is: what is to be done? All is not lost. Crucially, today is not the end of the story. Arising out of the vote today, there will be an independent review of the arrangements to help restore cross-community support.”
“The foolishness of the then UK Government in largely accepting that analysis is not. It was, of course, not the Belfast Agreement but the EU single market that was the concern of the European Commission. From the start of the Brexit process, the EU was prepared to play fast and loose with the peace process in Northern Ireland and showed scant concern for the unionist tradition here. Equally, unionists should not lose sight of the fact that it was not the European Union but the previous Conservative Government who were prepared, in 2019, to prioritise the purity of Brexit for Great Britain over the quality of the Union.”
“Notably, the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, rejected the notion of a referendum to determine the issue as this was, and I quote, "just too dangerous". Northern Ireland was trusted with the vehicle by which it could escape the protocol only after the petrol was taken out of the engine. <BR /> <BR />Rewriting the rules in the middle of the game sends out a very dangerous message. Throughout the Brexit negotiations, the EU sought to justify its approach on the basis of the Belfast Agreement. This was always at best a partial and selective reading of the agreement and at worst a deeply disingenuous approach. From 2017, the Irish Government were prepared to weaponise the Belfast Agreement to get what they wanted from negotiations. Whether that was clever politics or recklessness on their part is a matter of debate.”
“These provisions were specifically disapplied by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (Democratic Consent Process) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, which specifically rewrote the cross-community protections in the Northern Ireland Act. Not only is this consent mechanism inconsistent with the underlying approach of the cross-community protections embedded in the Belfast Agreement, but its creation was a deeply cynical exercise. The Irish Government, and ultimately the European Union, only agreed to a consent mechanism by simple majority in the Northern Ireland Assembly because the electoral arithmetic made it unlikely that it could be used to extract Northern Ireland from articles 5 to 10 of the protocol.”
“This motion is also a repudiation of the cross-community concept at the heart of the Belfast Agreement. One does not need to analyse the issue through a constitutional law perspective to know that, in everyday understanding, important decisions at an Assembly level often require a cross-community vote. Indeed, the petition of concern arrangements were specifically included in the Belfast Agreement and legislated for in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This key safeguard is for both the main communities in Northern Ireland. It is an essential mechanism that ensures stability, fairness and shared government in this country, marked by its complex history and divided communities. Indeed, the cross-community concept underpins power-sharing, ensuring that nationalists and unionists are represented at every level of governance.”
“By that very basic yardstick, the motion must fail. We are giving away powers entrusted to us by those who elect us. The rights that are entrusted to us are not for us to give away. They are not our personal property to relinquish or trade away. It is instead our primary duty to preserve and protect those rights. As citizens, we must continue to value and protect the systems of accountability that underpin our democracy. To quote Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States:”
“Effectively, we are saying to our constituents that others in foreign lands are better placed to do the job to which we were elected. We are passing the responsibility for hundreds of key elements of law in Northern Ireland, as set out in annex 2 to the Ireland/ Northern Ireland protocol, to those who are neither elected by nor accountable to the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We are here because, on 31 October, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, formally launched the so-called democratic consent process. However, it is not our present Secretary of State but his father whom I wish to invoke today. His father, the Rt Hon Tony Benn MP, famously posed five questions to assess the democratic credentials of any institution, which were:”
“How times have changed. You might rightly ask how it can be a Europe of equals for the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Much ground has already been covered in the debate, and I do not wish to rehearse arguments that have already been made. In the time available, however, I want to look at a few of the key issues. I will leave others to more fully develop the arguments around some of the practical implications of the operation of the present arrangements, but let me touch on issues of fundamental concern. <BR /> <BR />The motion is not only a denial of the fundamental principles of democracy but a clear abrogation of our responsibilities to the people of Northern Ireland. If passed, it represents a repudiation of the role to which we were elected as a legislature and by which we govern as an Executive.”
“Mary Lou McDonald echoed her party colleague, advising:”
“Twelve years ago, however, Sinn Féin and the same Gerry Adams told us that they were committed to ensuring that the Irish people were not subjected to the:”
“We might have been saved much anguish. Such a proposition would surely have been greeted by the mocking laughter of our children. It is even more shocking that Sinn Féin rushed to hand over our rights to an institution that, to quote Gerry Adams, has:”
“Down through the centuries, many have fought and died for the franchise and the right to participate in democratic institutions. From the Chartists to the suffragettes to the civil rights movements in the United States, the direction of travel has been clear. Today, the Assembly is likely to reverse that tide of progress. Today, the Assembly is likely to vote to place more trust in those who vote for Viktor Orbán in Hungary than in the people of Northern Ireland who vote for Members of the Assembly. So much for government of the people, by the people, for the people. <BR /> <BR />If only we had known a generation ago that Sinn Féin would prioritise the rules of Mrs Thatcher's landmark achievement of a European single market over the rights and sovereignty of Irish people, even Northern Irish people, to determine the laws that govern them.”
“Today's democratic consent motion is one of the most significant issues that the Assembly has debated or will ever debate. At one level, it is a complex and complicated matter, but, at another level, it comes down to this very simple question: does the Assembly wish to give away powers and responsibilities that were entrusted to us by those who sent us here, or are we prepared to do the job that we were elected to do? Let us be clear that democratic consent is not merely a theoretical concept but a fundamental pillar of freedom, justice and the rule of law. It ensures that Governments, institutions and leaders remain answerable to the people whom they serve. <BR /> <BR />In many ways, this is a unique moment in history.”
“I thank the Member. He has had me in Foyle on numerous occasions to highlight the needs of the schools estate in his constituency. He asked about preschool providers outside the statutory nursery sector. Yes, they will be included. When it comes to the preschool year group, the funding opportunity will be available to them as well.”
“They were informed by inspection evidence, wider research, my engagement with school leaders over the past 10 months and information that Members have brought to my attention. Over the coming months, I will work closely with educators to shape the annual priorities for future years. Early in the new year, as I indicated in the statement, we will launch a detailed survey for schools. That will aim to pinpoint further areas in which additional investment in equipment, resources and facilities is needed to enhance delivery of the Northern Ireland curriculum.”
“Yes. Mr Buchanan asks an important question about other areas of the curriculum. The programme's aim is to invest in priority areas in order to support, enable and enhance delivery of the Northern Ireland curriculum. It is not envisaged that the programme will be static, but, rather, that the longer-term focus on PE will be supplemented by specific priorities for investment that will be identified annually. That will allow the programme to target investment flexibly and in line with identified areas of need. <BR /> <BR />This year, we are looking at computing equipment to support digital literacy and outdoor play. Those are the first annual priorities for investment.”
“The programme will help to enhance the courses that are available in schools for students who choose to pursue digital skills and to empower the teachers to effectively utilise modern technology.”
“<BR /> <BR />I mentioned in the statement that 42% of principals who responded to the PISA 2022 survey highlighted a lack of digital resources as a key barrier to teaching. That can be compared with 24% at an international level. There is a clear need to provide the technology. It will be fully deployed using Windows 11, so the engine that will run the computers will provide a modern technology framework. That will have a real impact. When people choose their subjects, they will know that that is the kind of computer that they will use . <BR /> <BR />I picked my school because of the PE provision; that is what dictated where I wanted to go. Other people choose a school because they walk in and see incredible technology suites.”
“I thank the Member for his kind remarks. He asks why we are investing in computers and about the need for that technology. There are a number of reasons, which are well evidenced. The ETI report, 'A Baseline Evaluation of the Digital Skills provision in Primary and Post-primary Schools' and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) report, 'Software Skills for a 10X Economy: Digital Skills NI Network' highlighted that we have had a decline in the uptake of digital skills-based qualifications. That is having an impact. The number of girls who choose to study computer and software programming courses is also consistently low. More needs to be done to promote those programme pathways in order to meet the current and future needs of our economy.”
“The new curriculum-led capital investment programme builds on and sits alongside the special educational needs capital programme that we have announced. We are already looking at all 39 special schools to identify opportunities to enhance the provision in those schools. As part of this announcement, the provision of IT and computers will be extended to special schools to make sure that they get the opportunity to avail themselves of the most recent technology as well. The Member is right to highlight the need for an equitable and inclusive distribution of funding so that everybody in our society can benefit from it. That is what the schemes will allow us to do.”
“The schools will be able to spend the funding through their normal processes. There is an Education Authority catalogue. There is a detailed list of the various outdoor play equipment. They can draw down from that, and, that way, we can follow an audit to see whether the spend is being appropriately utilised. The range of funding that will be allocated will be between £2,000 and £5,000. It will be distributed to schools within the next number of weeks. That allows schools and those who are best placed to know what they need for their particular setting to be able to spend that funding. Particularly, in early years, they know how much equipment is needed and how often it can break down and need to be replaced. The scheme will be very much welcomed by those early years organisations.”
“We will work through that in establishing the appropriate criteria when we make the call early in the new year.”
“I thank the Member for the question. I have outlined in the broader statement why I believe that the programme is needed. We all know that high-quality learning environments will help to support the delivery of the best outcomes for children and young people. We need to empower the great teachers that we have with great facilities. That combination will maximise the opportunity for young people to realise their potential. <BR /> <BR />Historically, the Department's capital programme focused on new builds, major extensions and refurbishment. This will now allow us to advance into a new of way of doing things, with smaller capital works schemes being able to be developed. Of course, the Member has highlighted the issue of where prioritisation will be.”
“There will be prioritisation, subject to all that criteria, and then the funding will flow. That now gives schools an opportunity to make an application towards those schemes.”
“I suspect that the Member is late in asking me to go to Larne High School. I am pretty confident that my own party colleagues have already asked me to attend. Where I can incorporate other people, I am happy to do that. <BR /> <BR />Larne High School is another example of why I have wanted to take forward the opportunities for that capital programme, because we do not have the provision that we need, particularly when it comes to PE. We now have a new programme and opportunity about which, at least, when I engage with schools, I can say, "Here is a programme to which you can make an application". It is not in the gift of any Minister to be able to show favouritism to one particular school and say, "You have a new pitch facility". We will build the appropriate criteria around all those programmes.”
“We will fund the creation of it, but, if it will be for wider community use, you will often need to go to the local authority. It can fund the provision of floodlights, for example. Schools operate in daylight hours, but, if you want the pitch to be used in the evening, you need to engage with other stakeholders. I very much encourage collaboration on what funding opportunities can be achieved from that and also engaging with local government authorities.”
“It is important to have an extensive list of those opportunities, so that, at the end of the financial year, we are able to move quickly on, for example, an outdoor play project. I want to have a comprehensive list of applications available, so that all of them can be assessed. Like the Member, I very much want to promote synthetic pitches, but it is not for me to tell schools that they want a hockey pitch or a football pitch. Devenish College had an opportunity to have that when the school was being designed, but it chose to go with its current configuration. <BR /> <BR />There are opportunities as part of Your School Your Club that the Department for Communities has advocated. That will also provide an opportunity for schools to link in with other funders. Take a synthetic pitch, for example.”
“When I have met principals, I have encouraged them to engage in developing opportunities to apply to the fund and make sure that planning permission is not a barrier, which was one of the conversations that Diane and I had in Newry High School. We need to make sure that the planning process is in place when I make the call to schools to apply for funding. When we open up the call, schools can engage, and we will lay out the criteria. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we have shovel-ready projects, as Members often refer to them, because, typically, there will be some slippage in major capital projects during a financial year. Although we try to minimise that, it happens in all Departments. We then seek to spend funding on smaller capital-type schemes.”
“The Member highlights the forest school programme, which is excellent; all schools now want to get accreditation in that. You have your Eco-Schools green flag, and you have your forest school; I want to see whether we can develop a physical literacy type of flag. We love our flags in this country, don't we? Imagine if you were at a school that had a green flag, a forest flag and a PE flag. We need to provide the infrastructure, such as outdoor play equipment, for schools to be able to do that. The programme is all about helping to achieve outdoor learning. There is a huge body of evidence that demonstrates how outdoor learning is beneficial to our children and young people. The programme will, undoubtedly, help schools to enhance their facilities in that regard.”
“We follow the handbook standard of what needs to be provided in new builds; they will be given an array of sporting facilities. There are also schools that have next to nothing. That is why the curriculum-led capital programme is so vital. It is a new strand of the Department's wider capital approach. We are standing up that new strand and securing funding for it. We are already releasing £10 million for it this year, and we are well on our way to identifying opportunities for it to be recurrent spend of capital investment to benefit schools.”
“I thank the Member for the question. We carried out a survey in November to help to inform the decisions that have been announced today. We surveyed all 190 post-primary schools, and 125 responded. Of those 125 schools, 31 do not have a sports hall that is separate from their multipurpose hall, 71 do not have a synthetic pitch on their school site and 12 have access only to a shared synthetic pitch. That information from the survey demonstrates the need. <BR /> <BR />I was recently in Newry High School, to which my colleague Diane Forsythe invited me. It has one gravel pitch. There is no synthetic pitch or grass pitch. It was pointed out that all of the neighbouring schools have not just one but two pitches. It is often the case that we see inequality in the school estate.”
“There is now a gateway for that school to make an application and a dedicated curriculum-led capital programme that focuses on the early years of its development on physical education. I cannot guarantee to the Member that a sports hall will be provided for the school that he has highlighted, but I can say to him that there is a way forward that can be advanced by the school in Limavady and other schools across Northern Ireland to meet that need. We can now take that forward to the next stage.”
“The Member articulates well the need that exists. I have been at that high school. The Member has had me there, engaged in this area and highlighted that need. As a part of his engagement, we are having a new policy created. He and other MLAs have highlighted the inadequacy that exists, and I have witnessed that when I have been in schools. I was very fortunate. My school had three grass football pitches, a gravel pitch and a sports hall. That was at a secondary school in Lisburn. I have been at schools where they have none of that, or they maybe have one gravel pitch. They often look with envy at other schools that have world-class facilities, and that is something that we need to address. <BR /> <BR />The Member highlighted a school in his constituency.”
“The Member raises an important point. That is why I want to make sure that we address the inequality of the haves and have-nots in our society. Outside of school, it is a challenge. I have visited, now, upwards of 100 schools. I have been in some facilities where there is state-of-the-art digital technology, and in others where the technology is completely antiquated. Therefore, we need to make sure that there is a levelling right across Northern Ireland so that, at least when you are in school, you get the same opportunities to access the best possible technological equipment. That will help address the various different socio-economic factors that can have an impact on the educational outcomes of our young people.”
“I went to school not necessarily for the academic education but because of my love of playing football. Often, on a Tuesday afternoon, it got me out of double award maths classes, and that was the highlight of getting picked for the team when I was at Laurelhill. However, it created a lifelong desire to be engaged in sport from that very young age. Tonight, I will be playing with a group of fellas that I went to school with, and now, in our early 40s, we are still engaged in sport. That is something that we need to cultivate with the younger generation and get them involved for the many different benefits that we can achieve from that.”
“We collect information to monitor that, and the ETI carries out inspections in that respect. That informs the decisions that we take. It is also why we are making it a condition on those 20 pilot schools for the outdoor cover that, to secure that funding, they need to guarantee two hours of PE. Recently, I was at Forthill Integrated Primary School, where they have been developing their physical education literacy as part of the curriculum. They showed examples of how they can do that, and the benefits of it are well understood by people who engage in it. <BR /> <BR />This is an important announcement. It is one that will enhance the opportunities for physical education and create that lifelong experience. I loved playing sport when I was younger.”
“As I said, the announcement will make sure that every school, nursery and pre-nursery will benefit. We are moving from major capital investments and school enhancement programmes, which are important, but those are for the few. The many are not getting what they need, so the £4 million that I have announced will be with schools before the end of this calendar year — within the next number of weeks. The funding that will be distributed will depend on the size of the school, but it will range from £2,000 up to £5,000 to every preschool, nursery and primary school across Northern Ireland. That will enable them to spend the funding on equipment that is important for meeting their needs.”
“I thank the Member for North Belfast, who rightly harasses me to try to get as much funding into his constituency as possible — as do you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“<BR /> <BR />I would like that programme to be reinstated but not necessarily in the same format as it was previously — only the IFA and the GAA were involved in it — because other sports could benefit from that programme. The caveat that I always have to mention, unfortunately, is that all that is subject to finance. If we can secure the resources that we need, I would like to develop the scheme again.”
“Like the Member, I have played in those covered outdoor sports facilities. A covering makes the facilities accessible all year round and protects people from the weather conditions, which often change in our country. Having those covered outdoor spaces will enhance opportunities for play. That is why we want to take it forward. <BR /> <BR />The Member highlighted another issue, and, while I announced £10 million of funding, Members will always say, "Give us more", and I understand that. I have been engaging with the different sporting bodies on the scheme that he mentioned, which was developed a number of years ago and which was worthwhile and beneficial. I have met the GAA and the IFA, as well as Ulster Rugby and Ulster Hockey, and I am keen for those conversations to continue.”
“I thank the Member for North Antrim for welcoming this good news story. He rightly outlines the importance of sport being accessible to everybody. I very much want people who have additional needs to be supported by making equipment available and sports halls accessible to all. I have visited schools where those facilities are not accessible to all, and those schools are having to overcome challenges. The initiative presents an opportunity to enhance our infrastructure provision, and disability access is a vital part of taking that forward.”
“I thank the Member for the question. The Chairman of the Committee asked how we would break down the spend this year. Obviously, there is £10 million for outdoor play, desktop computers and defibrillators, which will all be delivered in this current financial year. The £10 million is allocated for those purposes. We have already commenced the process of procuring the appropriate computer equipment. In the next number of weeks, we will provide that funding to schools, which can then procure the outdoor play equipment.”
“Absolutely. As regards supporting the Irish-medium sector, I have met the sector. I have been in many of the Irish language-speaking schools. One of the themes coming out of those visits is the ability to have the appropriate resources for those who choose to have their education immersed in the Irish medium, so it is important that that support is being provided and that I continue to engage with the sector to make sure that we can support them as best we can.”
“That will look primarily at issues around synthetic pitches and sports hall provision. When the call goes out, the applications will come in, and the funding will then be aligned to make sure that we can take forward as many projects as possible for that element of the programme next year.”
“I thank the Chair of the Committee for welcoming the announcement today. It is good news. <BR /> <BR />I have outlined the £10 million that we are spending now, in this current financial year. It is around £5·4 million for the computer roll-out in our post-primary settings; £4 million for the primary-school funding that will be allocated; and the defibrillators come to around £750,000. That is the spend that we will roll out this year for our curriculum-led capital programme. <BR /> <BR />I have outlined that, early in the new year, we will make that open call to all of the post-primary schools to bring forward their applications for the physical education component of the curriculum-led capital programme that I want to take into the next financial year.”
“I thank the Member for his warm words in welcoming the announcement today. It is absolutely good news for our children and young people across Northern Ireland. We will take forward the pilot scheme, which I referenced, for the 20 primary schools. We will set out the criteria that we will use to do that as we seek applications. I assure the Member that I will seek to have as wide a geographical spread as I can, but I can provide more details to him on how we will take forward that pilot project in due course.”
“I finish by reminding the Assembly that money spent on our schools is never a cost; it is an investment in the future.”
“From technology upgrades to sports and play equipment and outdoor learning spaces, high-impact, lower-cost capital projects offer opportunities to enhance the learning environment for pupils across Northern Ireland. By making thoughtful, strategic investments, we can create school environments that are more engaging and supportive of pupils' learning across the curriculum. Effective spending in schools is not just about the quantity of funding but about how well that money is used to empower teachers and inspire pupils. A well-resourced classroom is a powerful engine of possibility. The right tools do not just support learning; they inspire it. <BR /> <BR />Our children need and deserve the investment, so, today I set out my unwavering commitment to providing the best resources possible for our children's physical and academic success.”
“It is an investment that ensures that every child has better access to the resources, equipment and opportunities that will unlock their full potential. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: I will continue to make the case for much-needed higher levels of capital investment in our schools estate. There has been a legacy of underinvestment. We have to address the ageing schools estate and the requirement for additional specialist places for the rapidly increasing numbers of children with special educational needs, yet I am equally determined to make the most of the capital funding that is available to enhance learning and teaching for all our children.”
“In the coming months, I will work closely with our educators to shape the annual priorities for future years. Early in the new year, my officials will launch a detailed survey for schools that will aim to pinpoint further areas where additional investment in equipment, resources and facilities is particularly needed and will significantly enhance curriculum delivery. <BR /> <BR />The curriculum-led capital investment programme represents a major step forward in our commitment to providing the best possible education for every child. By investing in equipment and facilities that directly support the curriculum, we are ensuring that our education system is aligned with the needs of the modern world. It is an investment not just in buildings and infrastructure but in the future of our education system.”