30 September 2026
SDLP Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA has said Education Minister Paul Givan cannot be allowed to withdraw departmental officials from the Education Committee, warning that the move represents a serious interference with Assembly scrutiny.
Speaking ahead of today's meeting of the Education Committee, Cara Hunter MLA said:
"Departmental officials appearing before Assembly Committees are there to do their jobs and deserve to be treated with respect. Nobody should face bullying or personal abuse at work, and any concerns raised must be taken seriously. We all have a responsibility as MLAs to conduct ourselves appropriately while carrying out the robust scrutiny that is expected of us.
"However, the Minister’s decision here is completely disproportionate and an extraordinary overreach. An issue concerning the alleged behaviour of one member has resulted in officials being withdrawn from the entire Committee until the Chair provides assurances about future questioning. The Minister accepts in his own letter that scrutiny will inevitably involve difficult and direct questioning. There were other ways to address these concerns without preventing the Committee from doing its job.
"This comes at a critical time for education. Significant changes to our curriculum and wider system are being pursued, with real questions around the pace of reform, the evidence underpinning it and what it will mean for our schools and teachers. MLAs need to be able to interrogate those proposals properly. The Department should be answering more questions about its plans, not making itself less available to answer them.
"There is also more than a little irony in the tone adopted by Paul Givan. He is hardly known for holding back when dealing with political opponents, while questions have also arisen about the treatment and removal of senior officials within his own Department. He should reflect on his own approach before setting himself up as the arbiter of anyone else’s conduct.
"For the SDLP Opposition, committees are one of the main opportunities we have to get underneath decisions and challenge the evidence Ministers are relying on. Holding the entire Committee to ransom in this way is completely unacceptable. Paul Givan should withdraw this instruction immediately, engage with the Chair on any legitimate concerns and get his officials back before the Committee."