To ask the Minister of Education to detail any collaborative work being undertaken with his Executive colleagues in order to prioritise and accelerate the development and implementation of a comprehensive childcare strategy.

With the support of my Executive Colleagues, I secured £25m for early learning and childcare provision in 2024-25 and £50m within the draft budget for 2025/26. The draft Programme for Government also commits the Executive to prioritising the development of an Early Learning and Childcare Strategy by autumn 2025.

At an operational level, I have established a senior officials cross-departmental Task and Finish Group to support this work. In addition to my own department, the group has representation from The Department for the Economy, the Department of Health, the Department for Communities, the Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs, the Department of Finance, Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Sub-groups on specific themes have also been formed.