Summary

  • MLAs on the Education Committee hear from education officials on new budget and area planning

  • Public Accounts Committee continues inquiry into "flawed" Renewable Heat Incentive scheme

  1. 'Difficult to give certainty to schools on finances'published at 10:56 British Summer Time 26 October 2016

    It is "very difficult" for the Department of Education to give "certainty to schools" on what money they will have available on a long-term basis, Mr Connolly says.

    That is because the next budget will only cover one financial year.

    Teacher and pupil in class

    "It's much easier for us to know how to plan things when you have the funding allocation for the next three years," Mr Connolly adds.

    "Unfortunately, due to the circumstances we're in post-Brexit, we're going to have a one-year 2017-18 [budget], followed by a two-year budget."

  2. 'Too early to judge Brexit impact on education'published at 10:45 British Summer Time 26 October 2016

    It is "too early to say" how Brexit will impact on Northern Ireland's education budget, Mr Connolly says.

    Trevor Connolly

    In response to a question from Sinn Féin's Catherine Seeley, he says he has no "other information than what's in the public domain".

    "We just need to wait until all of those discussions [between the UK government and the EU] are sorted out until we understand what Brexit does mean."

  3. 'Significant number of projects in pipeline'published at 10:43 British Summer Time 26 October 2016

    The Department of Education has "built up quite a significant pipeline of projects and major works" that it can begin if it is "successful in having an increased budget allocation".

    "There is potential to move a lot of projects forward that are in planning," official Philip Irwin says.

    Philip Irwin
    Image caption,

    Philip Irwin

    His colleague Trevor Connolly, the department's finance director, says its capital budget is in a "healthier position" than the resource budget.

    "For resource budget, by 2019-20, the executive's resource budget will have reduced by 4.5% in real terms, but by 2021 the capital conventional capital budget is forecast to increase by 12% in real terms," he adds.

  4. In the chairpublished at 10:13 British Summer Time 26 October 2016

    Barry McElduff

    Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff gets proceedings under way at the Education Committee, and officials from the Department of Education are briefing members on its resource budget for next year.

  5. Good morningpublished at 10:06 British Summer Time 26 October 2016

    Welcome along to Wednesday's Stormont Live coverage of committee business up here on the hill.

    Parliament Buildings at Stormont

    First up, the Education Committee discusses the department's new budget and its consultation on area planning.

    And later, we'll follow the Public Accounts Committee as it continues its inquiry into the "flawed" Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.