AQW 51838/22-27 – Primary education provision in rural areas

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Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to improve primary education provision in rural areas. Minister of Education: I am committed to maintaining access to high-quality education for children living in rural communities. While declining pupil numbers present challenges for some schools, my Department … Continue reading AQW 51838/22-27 – Primary education provision in rural areas

AQW 51242/22-27 – Health and welfare of farmed animals

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Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any recent steps taken to improve the (i) health; and (ii) welfare, of farmed animals. Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department is progressing measures to improve farmed animal health including actions to tackle bovine Tuberculosis … Continue reading AQW 51242/22-27 – Health and welfare of farmed animals

AQW 51086/22-27 – Rural Broadband and Mobile Coverage

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Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy, to detail any steps her Department is taking to improve (i) broadband coverage; and (ii) mobile phone signal, in rural areas. Minister for the Economy: (i) My department is continuing to improve broadband coverage in rural areas through Project Gigabit. In December 2025, … Continue reading AQW 51086/22-27 – Rural Broadband and Mobile Coverage

AQW 51716/22-27 – Guidance to schools on camera-enabled smart glasses

Posted on by pete baker

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether his Department plans to issue guidance to (i) schools; (ii) early years providers; and (iii) other settings attended by children, on the use of camera-enabled smart glasses and other discreet wearable recording devices on their premises. Minister of Education: The Department’s recently published … Continue reading AQW 51716/22-27 – Guidance to schools on camera-enabled smart glasses

AQW 50821/22-27 – Affordability of childcare provision during school holidays

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Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) whether any assessment has made of the (a) adequacy; and (b) affordability, of childcare provision during school holidays; and (ii) any steps his Department is taking to ensure that childcare costs do not prevent parents, particularly women, from remaining in employment. … Continue reading AQW 50821/22-27 – Affordability of childcare provision during school holidays

AQW 50965/22-27 – Education on impact of sexism and misogyny

Posted on by pete baker

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to improve education on the dangers and impact of sexism and misogyny. Minister of Education: Promoting respectful relationships and addressing harmful attitudes remains an important priority across the education system and supports the Executive’s wider work to … Continue reading AQW 50965/22-27 – Education on impact of sexism and misogyny

AQW 51574/22-27 – Support for Lough Neagh eel fishermen

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Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail when the support package for Lough Neagh eel fishermen affected by the closure of the 2026 season will be made available. Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: I am committed to ensuring that support reaches those Lough … Continue reading AQW 51574/22-27 – Support for Lough Neagh eel fishermen

AQW 50819/22-27 – Childcare support

Posted on by pete baker

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made of the effectiveness of childcare support for parents seeking to enter or return to employment. Minister of Education: The Northern Ireland Childcare Survey, commissioned by my Department and conducted by NISRA in 2024, found that 58% of households … Continue reading AQW 50819/22-27 – Childcare support