Lollipop staff recruitment freeze could put children’s lives at risk

The Education Authority say that they are attempting to cut costs amid increased budget pressures.

Last year, a hole in the public finances worth hundreds of millions was revealed by the then Finance Minister Conor Murphy.

The powersharing gridlock meant no budget could be agreed by Northern Ireland's political parties, and in November a budget was introduced by the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris that meant significant cutbacks needed to be made by the Department of Education.

The Education Authority (EA) has been asked to find savings worth over £100 million by the end of the financial year, on March 31.

But Councillor Wilson said freezing lollipop staff recruitment was “completely unacceptable”, and could result in putting the lives of children and their parents at unecessary risk.

While acknowledging the financial pressures the Education Authority was presently under, he believed this was not the way to go about it and would not be popular with the general public.

"The Education Authority needs to have a serious look at this decision and reverse it because lollipop staff provide a very important service outside out local schools,” he said.

“Pupils and there parents depend on them and reducing their numbers will lead to safety issues at our school gates. You cannot put the life of a child at risk to save money.”