LOW-INCOME households will bear the brunt of ‘slash and burn’ cuts by the Education Department, Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has warned.
Speaking after meeting with senior department officials today, the East Derry MLA commented:
“A Sinn Féin delegation met with the Department of Education today to challenge their recent budget decisions.
“Children and families living on low incomes will be directly impacted by planned cuts to school uniform grants, the extended schools budget and the Sports Development Programme.
“That is completely unacceptable.
“Officials also indicated that the SureStart and youth services budgets currently remain under threat.
“This is nothing more than a series of ill-thought out, vicious slash and burn cuts which are in the most part directed towards children and families living on low incomes.
“The Department should immediately reverse this course of action and employ appropriate budgeting standards and procedures in line with its responsibilities under the Good Friday Agreement, the Child Poverty Act and the Child Poverty Strategy.
“While we acknowledge that the Department is facing considerable financial pressures we cannot accept their rationale to target children from low-income families in this manne,” added the East Derry MLA.
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