Givan warns of ‘difficult’ funding pressures facing education budget

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The education budget in Northern Ireland is facing funding pressures of more than £400 million in the next financial year, Paul Givan has warned MLAs.

Mr Givan said that while he wanted to support all schools in Northern Ireland, he is currently “not able to do so in the current financial environment we operate in”.

The Education Minister was asked about financial pressures facing his department at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday.

Mr Givan said he was confident the budget would be balanced in the current financial year, although this was down to the resource “not being put into the areas where it was required”.

However, he said that the next financial year “presents a really difficult challenge”.

DUP MLA Phillip Brett asked the minister to set out the challenges facing his department in the draft budget for 2025/2026.

Mr Givan said: “The latest assessment of the draft budget for my department indicates an inescapable resource pressure totalling £261 million.

“The £261 million shortfall means that the department won’t be able to fund a number of areas, including the EA’s (Education Authority) block grant, when it comes to SEN (Special Educational Needs) non-pay pressures, maintenance pressures.

“This issue is increasingly a cause for significant concern.

“There will be increasing school deficits in place, non-SEN pressures that are funded by the EA block including but not limited to home to school transport, catering, ICT.

“There are other high priority pressures of around £76 million.

“Those that are deemed inescapable and high priority come to £337 million.

“And my capital (budget) is forecasting a gap of £91 million.

“The picture for the next financial year is really difficult.”

Mr Givan added: “I say that to colleagues in this Assembly who rightly challenge me to do more for schools, but I can only do what I have available to me.”

“All of my colleagues are facing these challenges and the Executive as a whole is not being funded at a suitable level.

“But we need to be giving education the priority it deserves.”

The minister told MLAs that at least 60% of schools in Northern Ireland are now operating at a financial deficit.

He said: “I want to be able to support all of our schools across Northern Ireland…but we are not able to do so in the current financial environment we operate in.

“Only through significant increased investment in our school estate are we going to be able to make the difference.”

Alliance Party MLA Stewart Dickson asked the minister why funding had been cut for the School Enhancement Programme, which allows smaller-scale works to be carried out.

Mr Givan said: “He and some other colleagues have raised concerns in other schools about this.

“It is a matter that I discussed with my officials today.

“I have not taken any decision to end the work that was taking place in school enhancement projects.

“My officials are urgently engaging with the Education Authority to find out why they have taken this approach.

“I certainly do not agree with it.”