AQW 19170/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 02/12/2024
Answered On Date: 09/12/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the budget provided to the Addressing Bullying in Schools Implementation Team each year since its creation.

Answer:

The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 came into effect in September 2021. The Addressing Bullying in Schools Implementation Team (ABSIT), within the Education Authority, was established in September 2022.

The Department’s total funding for ABSIT for the 2022/23 financial year was £275,000. As a consequence of wider budgetary pressures across the Department, in financial year 2023/24, funding was reduced to £270,000. For the current financial year, 2024/25, funding has remained at £270,000.