First Minister reaffirms commitment to Magee expansion amid funding concerns
Michelle O’Neill has restated her commitment to the expansion of Ulster University’s Londonderry campus amid concerns about funding pressures.
The First Minister said she will be putting Stormont’s budgetary situation “directly to Andy Burnham himself” when she meets the Prime Minister, and she wants “fairness” for “all those in Magee University”.
Ambitious plans to build a multimillion-pound 15,000 square metre Air Dome on the Magee campus that had been hailed as “game-changing” for the north-west region were confirmed to have been scrapped last week.
Ulster University said the plan is “no longer financially viable within our current context”.
The Department for the Economy described the move as “disappointing” but said Sinn Fein minister Caoimhe Archibald “remains fully committed” to growing student numbers at the campus.
Expanding the Magee site to 10,000 student capacity was a central commitment in the Executive’s Programme for Government 2024-27.
Speaking to reporters in Derry, the First Minister was asked about the “nervousness” in the city caused by plans being downgraded.
Ms O’Neill said: “I am absolutely determined to the commitment that we’ve made to Magee, and we’ve shown that over the past two years.
“A record investment in the Magee campus, 22% increase in student numbers. We’re going to continue to build upon that.
“There’s a lot of positivity around the whole Magee campus, and I want us to build each step, continue to do that positively, and I think we can do that.
“But this goes right to the heart of the budgetary situation that we find ourselves in.
“We want our funding so that we can give our universities more money, that we can put more money into our public services, that’s the battle that we now are in with the British government who thus far have underfunded us entirely.
“All of our public services, all of our universities have all been underfunded for well over a decade.
“Whenever I get the chance, over the coming weeks, I intend to put this directly to Andy Burnham himself, the new British Prime Minister,
“He’s now taken up his new post, if he wants to make a difference, then start listening to the needs of our public services. Stop underfunding us to the tune that you have done for many, many years.
“What we want is fairness for all of our people here, including for all those in Magee University.”