AQW 23688/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 03/03/2025
Answered On Date: 12/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance to detail (i) the source of the £11.6 million for Fresh Start Shared Education and Housing, as listed on page 27 of the 2025-26 Draft Budget; (ii) what percentage of this amount is for (a) Shared Education; and (b) Shared Housing; and (iii) why the Department has removed references to Integrated Education from the references to Fresh Start.

Answer:

ANSWER

The Department of Education bid for a total of c.£59.9 million for the remaining Fresh Start Shared and Integrated Education projects in Budget 2025-26. As only £48.3 million of Treasury funding remains available, the Executive agreed to allocate the additional £11.6 million to Education from mainstream Capital DEL to meet the bid in full.

The shortened title of Fresh Start Shared Education & Housing, reflects the title used by Treasury when providing the funding. It does not preclude the funding being used for integrated education projects. Indeed, £26.7 million of the funding allocated was for integrated schools.