To ask the Minister of Education what work has been undertaken to address the cost of division in education, as identified by the Department of Finance commissioned Ulster Economic Policy Centre independent audit, to be up to £95 million per year.

This audit was published in 2016 and used “surplus” places as a proxy for an estimate of the cost of division.

My Department does not recognise the term “surplus places” – the term used to consider the level of flexibility in the system is “available places”.

The Department does not fund available places. Schools are funded on the basis of their actual enrolment number, not their approved enrolment number.

In the intervening period since the publication of the audit, the Executive commissioned the Independent Review of Education. I will consider the Panel’s recommendations when my officials have completed their review.