The Northern Ireland education minister Paul Givan has criticised the UK government for “letting down” schools by withdrawing funding for new buildings.
Funds for new buildings at a number of integrated schools and shared education campuses were ringfenced in the Fresh Start Agreement in 2015.
Last week, an NI Department of Education spokesperson said that £150 million of that funding was no longer available for the schools.
However, funds will still be allowed for nine new-build projects that are currently in a construction contract to be completed.
‘Urgent meeting’ demanded
This week, Mr Givan noted that the UK government had put some of the Fresh Start funding into the financial settlement for the recently restored devolved government at Stormont.
He also said that the government needed to be held to account for “reneging” on a financial commitment made to integrated schools.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, Mr Givan said he had asked for an urgent meeting with the NI secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris.
In his letter to Mr Heaton-Harris, Mr Givan said that 11 of the 28 Fresh Start projects, including nine integrated schools and two shared education campuses, are without funding to proceed to construction.
The education minister said he wrote to Mr Heaton-Harris to underline the importance of the projects, and will also make a bid to the executive for funding to complete them.
On Monday, Mr Givan told MLAs that 10 schools would be placed within his department’s conventional major works programme: Millennium Integrated Primary School; Forge Integrated Primary School; Bangor Central Integrated Primary School; Priory Integrated College; Fort Hill Integrated College and Primary School; Slemish Integrated College; Hazelwood Integrated College; Integrated College Dungannon; Drumragh Integrated College; and Brookeborough Shared Education Campus.
Moves to reassure schools
Mr Givan pointed out that £150 million of funding previously earmarked for Fresh Start projects has been placed in the UK government’s financial settlement for the executive.
“In addition, construction costs for the Fresh Start projects have risen considerably in recent years. The remaining Fresh Start funding is therefore sufficient only to cover those projects currently in construction contract,” he told MLAs.
“To give clarity to the remaining Fresh Start projects not yet in contract, they will now be delivered within my department’s conventional major works programme and will continue to advance in design and planning.
“I hope this will provide reassurance to the schools on the immediate way forward.”
He added: “I have also written to the secretary of state to set out the strategic importance of this programme for Northern Ireland and to seek additional capital funding for these projects.”
Mr Givan insisted he had highlighted that the situation was a “real cause for concern” from his first day in office earlier this month, and that the treatment of the Fresh Start funding was flagged before the devolved government was restored.
He added that the schools moved into the conventional programme would “continue to be advanced and I am making the case to the secretary of state for the funding to be provided”.
