Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has welcomed confirmation from the DUP education minister that she will finally look at moves to make school uniforms more affordable.

The West Belfast MLA said:

“It’s welcome that the education minister is finally set to look at a plan to make school uniforms more affordable but families need action now and cannot afford to wait months for this much needed support.

“If the Minister is serious about making uniforms affordable then she needs to do what Sinn Féin have been saying for a long time and drive down costs by insisting schools have competitive tendering processes, remove requirements for expensive branded items, and instruct schools to permit the use of cheaper high street alternatives.

“It’s time that the DUP set aside their obsession with the Protocol and Brexit and work with the rest of us to provide support to hard pressed workers and families.   

“We need an Executive up and running now so that we can start to put money in people’s pockets ahead of what will be a difficult Autumn and Winter. One party should not hold that important work to ransom.”