Brexit idiocy from the DUP is at the expense of young people's education, says Durkan

SDLP Foyle MLA, Mark H Durkan, has insisted that “young people are paying the price for the DUP's Brexit idiocy”.

Mr Durkan stated that routes into university education were now less attractive to prospective students in Derry and the rest of the North thanks to funding cuts.

He was speaking after it emerged heard that the Department for Economy (DfE) have been considering measures including cutting university places, increasing tuition fees by nearly 60 per cent and abolishing the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) to make up a £65m shortfall after the department lost £100m in EU funding.

The DUP Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons had told the Assembly last week: “The draft Budget presented by the Finance Minister (Conor Murphy) would result in a cut, in real terms, to my Department of eight per cent in year one, rising to 13 per cent in year three and totalling £259 million across the three years.

“There has been much focus on EU replacement funding. Clearly, regardless of that, many areas of work in my Department would be impacted by the Finance Minister’s draft Budget.

“The Budget would not allow my Department to stand still let alone to support economic recovery from the pandemic by investing in skills, innovation, tourism and green growth.

“Less than one third of my Department’s pressures relate to key DfE services previously funded from the UK Government’s contribution to Europe. That funding has not gone, but will flow directly to Northern Ireland from the UK Government rather than through the European Union.

“The UK Government made a commitment that they would replace, at a minimum, the level of EU funding that flowed into Northern Ireland.”

However, Mr Durkan claimed that the DUP had been making “a mess of this department for the last 15 years” and that their “fanatical pursuit of the hardest Brexit possible” had accelerated the DfE to the position it finds itself in today.

He said: “The proposals brought forward by the Department for Economy have caused serious alarm amongst our young people and the higher education sector.

“The DUP have made a mess of this department for the last 15 years and now it looks as though their fanatical pursuit of the hardest Brexit possible will result in a huge funding shortfall and their plan is to pass the cost for this onto our young people.

“Every person in the North should be able to pursue their education to whatever level they wish and fulfil their full potential. Cutting apprenticeship training, university places, and Education Maintenance Allowance, while raising tuition fees will create serious barriers to education in the North.

“It will also result in less people receiving qualifications, with a knock-on effect for our entire economy.

“We were told by the DUP and other Brexit cheerleaders that leaving the UK would result in huge funding becoming available to spend on public services – the opposite has proved true and vital funding has been lost.

“To remove this funding is to close the door on the futures of so many young people here who rely on these provisions to further their studies. They should not be forced to pay the price of DUP failure.”

In response to Mr Durkan, a spokesperson for the DfE said: As was stated at the time, the figures given in the briefing to the Economy Committee were for planning purposes only, based on the draft Budget settlement.

“No final decisions have been made on future funding for higher education, including tuition fees and student numbers.

“It is a matter for the Executive as a whole to decide on Departmental budget allocations following the public consultation on the draft Budget.”