Alex Easton MLA met with the Chief Executive Gregory Butler of the SEELB on Thursday afternoon with parents of children with Special needs to discuss the on-going issue with the Ballymagee Youth Club.

Speaking today Alex Easton MLA said;

“This was a useful meeting which was frank and open, and a deputation of parents was allowed to express their deep hurt and sense of frustration to the Chief Executive Gregory Butler at the SEELB change to the age criteria of special needs children attending Ballymagee primary school, without consultation of parents with vulnerable children attending the youth club at Ballymagee. After much discussion it turns out that the decision to change the criteria was as a result of Social Services bringing to the attention of the SEELB about the ages of the children with special needs and the SEELB felt it had to take action to resolve this age issue. There was an apology from the SEELB for the way the process was handled and the SEELB have promised that they are to relook at the issue with Social Services and are to set up a meeting to discuss if there can be any other options available to keep the children together, we expect this process will take several weeks, and hope that some common sense will prevail and we can get a satisfactory outcome on the issue.”


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