'Stop blame game and save the I Can Centre'

I Can, based at Ballynahinch Primary School, provides integrated therapy and education to 20 pre-school pupils - most of whom are from the Lisburn area - who have significant communication and speech difficulties. But 85,000 is needed to fund the unit each year and teacher Margaret Hannigan recently received a letter from the SEELB saying there could be redundancies and the unit would have to ask the Education Minister for more money to enable it to stay open.

Mr Givan said that as a former member of the South Eastern Education and Library Board he was 'acutely aware' of the work that is carried out in the facility.

"It is vital that facility is retained" he said. "The Ministers for Health and Education must urgently address this situation and stop the blame game. There is a statutory duty on the Education Board to identify any educational needs children may have and meet those needs."

During the Assembly debate Mr Givan asked who was responsible for funding the I Can Centre.

The Minister of Health, Michael McGimpsey, told him: "The Health Department undertook to provide a speech and language therapist at the I CAN centre, and it will continue to do so.

"The Department of Education is required to provide the premises, teacher and classroom assistant, and that is where the difficulty lies. As I understand it, the Department of Education is unable or unwilling to do that.

"For two years in a row, the local trust stepped in to provide support and to maintain the service. It is not in a position to do that now. Nevertheless, the speech and language therapist, provided by the Health Department, continues to be available at the I CAN centre. However, as part of the package, we require the premises, teacher and classroom assistant."

Finance Minister Sammy Wilson told Mr Givan: "The Education and Library boards have a statutory duty to identify children over two years of age who have special educational needs and determine the provision to meet those needs. The boards were established on an arm's length basis so that they could respond to local needs, and that was based on legislation that was set by the Department. If they do not adhere to that legislation, they know the consequences."

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