Ms Martina Mannion:

That is what we hope but it is more than a hope. We have put in the additional teaching, resources and supports. If one looks at the increase in special education teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs, we are putting them into the system so that they can target those children who most need them. When we talk about giving schools the flexibility to use those supports that is because schools know where the need is. We want to ensure that schools are able to make those decisions in line with having the resources to do it. We talked earlier about one in three posts of responsibility going back into schools. We are putting in a great deal of additional supports.

Since 2017-18, for example, we have had the restoration of over 2,600 posts of responsibility back into our school systems. That is the equivalent of 1,300 middle management posts at assistant principal 1 and 2. The sectoral bargaining process under the Building Momentum: Public Service Agreement 2021-2022 which has been agreed will see an additional 1,450 posts of responsibility at primary level and in special schools in the 2022-23 school year. All of that is going to assist targeting students.