“So much for democratic Ministerial Accountability” says McCrea of Education Minister Announcement
Ulster Unionist Education spokesman Basil McCrea said Education Minister Catriona Ruane’s announcement today was made without Executive approval, without proper debate in the Assembly and was consequently a unilateral decision that flew in the face of DUP Manifesto commitment that:
“The DUP forced the Government to back down on its plans to scrap Academic Selection. We will ensure that pupils still can be placed at schools on the basis of aptitude and ability”, and ”The DUP made the retention of the transfer test a precondition for the return of devolution.”
In a statement Mr McCrea said,
“It is my understanding that even senior officials in the Minister’s department were not consulted on this statement, nor were her colleagues around the Executive table. This statement today is also sneakily and deceptively contrived to avoid proper debate on the floor of the Assembly.
This is no way to do business on such an important matter for the parents and children of Northern Ireland.
This announcement also puts paid to the ridiculous assertion from the DUP post St.Andrews and in their 2007 manifesto that Ministers would not be able to act unilaterally.
I pressed the Minister if any of these proposals would require cross-community support, despite repeated attempts to get a definitive answer, none was forthcoming indicating that the Minister does not consider cross-community support either necessary or desirable. So much for democratic Ministerial accountability”