To ask the Minister of Education whether he has sought cross-departmental funding to reinstate the school sports programme.

The 2024-25 funding envelope that my Department has been allocated faces significant, unavoidable cost pressures and rising service demands associated with delivering statutory and policy obligations. Taking the current budgetary situation and other Departmental priorities into account, I have decided to await the outcome of the October monitoring round before making a decision regarding the possible reintroduction of the Sports Programme.

I have asked my officials to consider if there are other models for funding a programme which I will consider in due course, I have also asked them to engage with sporting bodies including Ulster Rugby, the Irish Football Association, the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association and Ulster Hockey to explore a programme that might be taken forward in the next financial year should funding become available.