Major cash boost for Northern Ireland's schools

The Secretary of State, Peter Hain, has announced a major cash boost for Northern Ireland's schools, following the publication of the Chancellor’s Budget.

Yesterday, Chancellor Gordon Brown announced that Northern Ireland would receive an additional £26 million over the next two years, £10 million in the coming year and £16 million in the next.

The Secretary of State said: "I intend to invest the bulk of this money into the new Children and Young People Fund that I recently announced, with the lion’s share going direct to schools across Northern Ireland."

The Children and Young People Fund is already worth over £75 million pounds, with nearly £15 million of this going directly to the voluntary and community sector.

The additional £26 million will take the fund to over £100 million over the next two years.

Mr Hain added: “I have already announced that, in each of the next two years, £10 million of the Children and Young People Fund will go direct to Head teachers of schools in the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland. This money will enable them to turn their schools into ‘extended schools’ – open from 8am to 6pm and offering a range of breakfast clubs and after school activities. The Budget announcement will mean we can significantly increase the number of schools that will benefit, with many more pupils enjoying new before and after school activities."

The Secretary of State also welcomed the other Budget measures that also go towards helping the people of Northern Ireland.

These include support for families, by increasing the child element of the Child Tax Credit at least in line with earnings to the end of this Parliament, further payments into Child Trust Fund accounts at age 7 of £250 for all children with Child Trust Fund Accounts, with £500 for children from lower-income families, and an increase in the starting threshold for stamp duty on property to £125,000 to help first-time buyers.

A new Environment and Renewable Energy funding package has also been announced, with nearly £60 million going to Northern Ireland.

Mr Hain added that the Budget has backed his commitment to the environment and demonstrated the government’s commitment to renewable energy by backing small grants for micro-generation schemes.

He said: "The Environment and Renewable Energy Fund that I announced recently will enable people across Northern Ireland to help the local environment by applying for grants to fund micro-generation for their own homes."

Commenting on the overall economic picture of the Budget, the Peter Hain said: "In recent years the performance of the Northern Ireland economy has been stronger than the UK average, especially growth in the retail and business services sectors and a more stable manufacturing base. We also have a record number of jobs and low levels of unemployment. The Chancellor’s forecast growth figure, reaching 3.25% by 2008 indicates that this economic success will continue and further improve the lives of people in Northern Ireland."

He concluded that the £16 billion Investment Strategy he announced in December would ensure that the province could enjoy many more years of record spending and prosperity as part of the governments drive to make Northern Ireland "truly world-class."

(EF/SP)