Northern Ireland’s education budget needs another £1 billion, the Stormont minister has said.
Paul Givan outlined challenges to his department’s funds, including building projects and workers’ pay increases, saying it is “underfunded”.
Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Mr Givan said his department’s budgetary position before the allocation of additional funding was £2.582 billion.
He said that while there were some further allocations as part of the financial package, including for pay awards for education workers, he said he would be asking for another £1 billion in the next budget.
“I have outlined even in this question time the vast pressures that sits within the Department of Education, and this is because of the needs within our constituencies that individuals have in order to get the support that they need,” he told MLAs.
“What I will be putting forward for the Finance Minister’s consideration, and ultimately the Executive, would be to increase the overall requirement of my department to £3.595 billion.
“That is a £1 billion uplift that my department needs to meet the objectives that we have.
“That will be going forward as part of the budgetary process for next year.”
Asked if he believes this bid will be supported by other ministers in the Executive, Mr Givan said it will be a challenge for the other parties.
“It certainly will put the challenge with Executive colleagues when it comes to the bid that I’ll be putting forward, if they’re able to match that ambition,” he said.
“But it also does put into stark focus why my party (DUP) leader (Sir Jeffrey Donaldson) at the time of these discussions with the Government said it was not enough.
“Other parties said get the Executive back up and running, our position was constitutional, not based on financial considerations, but we did make it clear this would not be enough.”
Meanwhile, Mr Givan said he will be highlighting with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan later this week some of the challenges facing his department.
Mr Givan said he will also raise the Safeguarding the Union agreement between his party, the DUP, with the UK Government earlier this year.
“Within that, members will see when it comes to east/west relations, a focus on educational matters, and that is something that I will be pressing on the UK Secretary of State to develop with me so that we can deliver upon those commitments that the UK Government entered into,” he told MLAs.