Integrated Education Bill: Consideration Stage

Part of Private Members' Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 5:00 pm on 17 January 2022.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Robbie Butler Robbie Butler UUP 5:00, 17 January 2022

I deliberately did not put my name down on the normal running order of Members who wish to speak, because I am interested in listening to what all Members have to say, especially those who have proposed amendments. At the Second Stage of the Bill, we had a really good debate. I was very clear about the Ulster Unionist Party's position on the Bill. Our position has not changed. We want a single education system. Is integrated education a single education system? No, it is not. The Bill sponsor will accept that it is just another sector along with the controlled, maintained and Irish-medium sectors.

We made a commitment at that time that we would work with the Bill, consult with those whom we needed to consult and listen with both ears open to hear about what could be done with the Bill, because we could not support it in its original form. There are many clauses that, today, we still cannot support if they are not amended. However, amendments have been proposed by the Committee, and we welcome the Department's amendments. We can see that there is a move from the sponsor to amend the Bill to address some of the concerns that were raised. That will be done. I do not propose to go through all of those, because I have a sheet here and it would take me quite a while to detail all the voting intentions of my party.

It is worth reiterating the words of Dolores Kelly with regard to the other sectors. Sometimes the debate, and the public debate, seems to be that some people seek to put the caveat that the integrated sector is seeing itself as above and elite, and that is definitely not the case. Again, I am a product of a controlled school, a bit like Daniel, from different ends of the country, and the product is the same and the intent is the same. It is the education of our children. The methodology is important here.

With regard to the amendments, we will be supporting the amendments that we see as allowing the integrated sector to come onto an even platform. There is one in particular that I will ask the Bill's sponsor to respond to, and that is one with regard to, I think, clause 5, that refers to not allowing religious demographics or empty desks or spaces to be considered with regard to establishing demand. I do not know how you can do that if you are going to be fiscally responsible, and one of the intents of the Bill is to be fiscally responsible. We know that the Department of Education is under extreme financial pressure. It is £2·4 billion out of our block grant annually. We know that, over the next five years, the pressure is going to increase. The amount of money spent per head on our pupils does not augur well when we look at other jurisdictions. I spoke to the Bill's sponsor about this earlier, and she is aware of it. I hope that she addresses that issue later.

The Ulster Unionist Party will work positively with the Bill and the amendments to see a Bill that is fair and just.