AQW 43350/11-15 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education how a reduction of the Early Years Fund would impact upon the most disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 6 March 2015
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 6 March 2015
- Answer due by
- 24 March 2015
- Answered
- 13 March 20157 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
During 2014/15 there were 153 recipients of the DE Early Years Fund. The Fund was established to help sustain certain early childhood services in areas of greatest need which were facing funding difficulties when Peace II funding ended; and to support of a number of Capacity and Development posts aimed at enhancing quality and good governance within the early childhood sector.
The Fund is effectively “closed” as applications are generally only accepted from previous recipients to the Fund.
Following a reduction of £2m the residual Fund will have a value of £941k in 2015/16. This will enable all recipient groups to receive continued funding to the end of the current academic year i.e. 31 August 2015.
I will continue to review my budget to establish if a fund can continue beyond 31 August 2015. However any such fund will have to be open to all and reflect the policy priorities of DE