AQW 27315/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 19/05/2025
Answered On Date: 28/05/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education if there are plans to remove the Education Authority (EA)'s Essential Car User Allowance payment for staff from the EA Special Education Needs Transition Service.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) has informed me that it is currently reviewing its Travel and Subsistence Scheme in order to ensure a fair and appropriate reimbursement policy is in place for all staff.

A 12 week engagement period with Trade Unions is ongoing, after which a revised scheme will be implemented for all staff. This engagement includes discussion on both the eligibility criteria for essential car user allowance and the mileage rates that apply.

It is not possible at this stage to confirm the impact of the revised scheme on any

group of staff as the discussions with trade unions are not yet complete and the

detail of the revised scheme is not yet known. EA is committed to keeping staff up to date as these discussions develop.