To ask the Minister of Finance what representations he has had from the (i) Education Authority; and (ii) Department of Education, on the £268 million deficit in the Education Authority budget.

As an Arm’s Length Body, the Education Authority does not engage directly with my Department; rather, engagement is between the Department of Education, as the sponsor department, and the Department of Finance.

In the absence of an agreed Budget, my Department provided all departments with contingency planning envelopes at the start of the 2022-23 financial year to assist with financial planning. The Education Minister has discretion to prioritise her Department’s expenditure in line with her priorities. I understand that the deficit you have referred to is against the planning envelope that the Education Minister has provided to the Education Authority.

In June 2022, the Department of Education provided my Department with a list of its anticipated pressures, including pressures within the Education Authority.

The Department of Education provides my Department with monthly Outturn & Forecast Outturn returns, which has also highlighted financial pressures for 2022-23 for the Department of Education, including within the Education Authority, and which my Department continues to keep under review. My officials also hold regular meetings with DE Finance officials, at which pressures have been advised and discussed.