Paul Givan

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) and the Children’s Law Centre (CLC) resigned in August from the Department of Education’s restraint and seclusion task and finish group.

Earlier this week, they said in a joint statement that the minster, Paul Givan, had failed to acknowledge or respond to the letter explaining their decision.

They said they had “lost all confidence that this process will lead to child rights-compliant change” and believed it could instead “regress children’s rights”.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) announced its own withdrawal from the group in March.

In a statement to Irish Legal News, Mr Givan said he was “disappointed” at the decision of NICCY and CLC to “disengage from a process that remains critical to the welfare of children and young people in our education system”.

“My Department has consistently welcomed constructive contributions from stakeholders through a fully transparent process, including from NICCY and CLC,” he said.

“I do not accept the characterisation of the draft guidance as a regression in children’s rights.

“It reflects a balanced approach that considers legal obligations, operational realities within schools, and the safety of both pupils and staff. The process of finalising the guidance is still ongoing.

“My Department will take the views from NICCY and CLC into consideration alongside a wide range of stakeholders who have an interest in this area and will continue working diligently to finalise guidance that is both rights-respecting and operationally viable.”