To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) how much the proposed £2,500 lump sum payment to school support staff will cost the Executive; (ii) how he plans to fund this payment; and (iii) in which financial year he intends to make this payment.

To allow staff to receive a gross non-consolidated payment (NCP) of £2,550 (pro-rata according to actual hours worked during the 2023-24 financial year), it is estimated that the cost will not exceed £80 million.

I will be asking the Executive to set aside the necessary funding in the 2025-26 financial year.

It is my intention that the NCP will be made to staff in April 2025.