AQW 34784/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 05/11/2025
Answered On Date: 20/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of times he has met with the Minister of Education to discuss specialist educational needs provision and the relevant workforce, since coming into office.

Answer:

Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision is a matter that has been raised across the Executive on a number of occasions. I am fully committed to working with Minister Givan and welcome the ongoing engagement via the Executive and the priority in the Programme for Government in relation to SEN.

My Department is fully committed to the SEN Reform Agenda and accompanying Delivery Plan, which were published earlier this year, and considerable engagement continues between Health and Education with senior Health Officials represented on a number of structures within the Governance Framework as well as the Joint Health/Education Oversight Group.

Most recently the DE Permanent Secretary has written to my Department seeking Allied Health Profession and nursing input, a meeting has been scheduled to take place to consider the workforce implications between DE, PHA and DoH.