Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson Danny Kinahan MLA has said no one should be fooled by Minister O’Dowd’s continual buck passing on his education cuts.

 The South Antrim MLA said:

 “Minister O’Dowd cannot be allowed to use the ‘blame Westminster austerity’ line for what are his decisions on his education budget.  His reported comments at the recent teacher union conferences are buck passing of the highest order.  If the Minister really wants to know what austerity looks like, he need only look south to the Republic of Ireland, an economy which he wants us to be shackled to.

 “The fact is that in January, when Sinn Fein and the DUP voted for the budget, Minister O’Dowd claimed, “There is no reduction to schools delegated budgets”.  His party colleague Mr Hazard added, “This additional money will go a long way in helping to protect frontline services such as the jobs of teaching and non-teaching staff.” 

 “However, three weeks ago, with less than a month to the start of the new financial year, the Minister told the Education committee that school budgets would be hit after all; “Approximate number of redundancies would be around 500 teachers and 1,000 support staff.”  

 “In addition to this, Minister O’Dowd has announced massive cuts to the Youth Service, Early Years, Sure Start, and the ending of the modern languages programme for primary schools.  Make no mistake about it, these are Sinn Fein cuts.

 “Sinn Fein was waxing lyrical about the final Education 2015/16 budget in January.  It is their budget; therefore the cuts are their responsibility as well.  To constantly repeat the ‘blame Westminster for austerity’ line is simply not credible.”