REMOVAL OF ACCESS TO END YEAR FLEXIBILITY FUNDS

That this House notes the decision by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to remove 316 million from the resources available to the Northern Ireland Executive by its decision to end access to funds accumulated under end year flexibility (EYF); recognises that this money had originally been allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive as its entitlement to the share of public expenditure as determined in previous budgets; understands the impact that this is likely to have especially on the education budget in Northern Ireland since the biggest proportion of EYF was accumulated as a result of savings set aside by individual schools; is appalled at the impact that the loss of these funds will have on individual schools; shares the anger expressed by school principals, teachers and parents who in many cases had made sacrifices to accumulate the resources which have without any discussion with the Northern Ireland Executive been removed; and believes that this decision sits at odds with the Government's much flaunted respect agenda towards devolved administrations.