Ministers Apologize for Special School Summer Schemes U-turn

0:00It's March 31st. This is Europe News Today, AI-powered stories from across the continent. Education and health ministers Paul Jivan and Mike Nesbitt just apologized for announcing that special school summer schemes in Northern Ireland. Wouldn't happen this year. The plans for kids with special needs got canceled over a dispute about nursing support. But after huge backlash, they flipped the decision in just 24 hours. Now the schemes are back on with nurses provided at every site. The trouble started when the education authority said they needed on-site registered nurses, but the health department claimed it wasn't required. Everywhere. Parents in schools freaked out over the sudden news right before summer recess, calling it a nightmare for vulnerable families planning their kids. Care. In a special assembly session, politicians from all sides ripped into the ministers, labeling it executive chaos and saying these children were being. Treat it like pawns in political games. Alliance's EO in Tennyson called it a dereliction of duty, while Sin Fine and others accused Jivan of neglecting home issues for overseas trips.

1:08Jivan thanked Nesbitt for stepping into direct his team after months of talks, and both ministers owned up to the stress they caused with. Unconditional apologies. Critics like the SDLP and TUV pointed out ministers were quick to blame each other until public pressure forced a fix. This mess highlights how fragile support for special needs kids can be, but at least families get their schemes now. Let's hope ministers lock in. Better planning so no one plays games with these vital programs again.