“The cancellation of summer schemes for over 5,500 children with special educational needs is a damning indictment of an Executive that can’t get its act together,” Gerry Carroll said. “Shamefully, it is the most vulnerable who are paying the price.”
“While Nesbitt and Givan pass the buck between departments, thousands of families are facing a summer of crisis. These schemes are a lifeline. They are crucial for children's development and they provide much-needed respite for parents. That lifeline has been ripped away through political failure.”
“Looking at contingency plans is not good enough. Families deserve concrete action, urgently.”
“These children are not a footnote in a departmental dispute. If ministers can’t deliver for the most vulnerable, they need to ask themselves what exactly they’re here for.”
“I’m calling on families and education workers to come together and make clear that this decision will not stand. If ministers won't act, people will take to the streets and force them to.”