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NI schools could get £500m boost, says DUP

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Northern Ireland schools should benefit from extra funding announced by the prime minister, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said.

Schools in England are being promised billions more in spending over the next three years.

That will automatically mean extra money for public spending in Northern Ireland.

The DUP said it will amount to an extra £500m which should be allocated to education.

The system of devolved public funding, known as the Barnett formula, does not mean the money will automatically be spent on education.

Instead, local politicians decide how the extra funds should be allocated.

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Schools in England were promised billions more in spending over the next three years, in an announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson

In the absence of a Stormont government, those spending decisions have been made by civil servants and Northern Ireland budgets have been passed at Westminster.

The BBC understands it is highly likely some of the new money will be spent on schools in Northern Ireland.

School finances have been under intense pressure with school principals warning of worsening budget shortages.

Following Mr Johnson's announcement, DUP leader Arlene Foster said: "This is a much-needed boost for education resource funding over the three years starting from 2020/21.

"I have already spoken with the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson who has confirmed that there will be a Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland of £500m.

"This will be on top of the additional funding which has already been delivered for education through our confidence-and-supply agreement."

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In the DUP's 2017 confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Conservatives, the government agreed a financial package with the party in exchange for support on certain issues.

Mrs Foster said she had asked to meet the permanent secretary in the Department of Education to "press for special needs to be prioritised in Northern Ireland too".

She added that she was "deeply frustrated" with the lack of a Northern Ireland Assembly.

"Sinn Féin continues to place their preconditions above getting on with the job. It's time for them to lift the boycott," she said.

When contacted by BBC News NI, a Downing Street spokesperson said more details of any extra education funding for Northern Ireland were unlikely to be revealed until the chancellor Sajid Javid announces his spending review.