Strule shared campus cannot proceed without restoration of funding – Givan

Mr Givan told his Stormont scrutiny committee that work on the Strule shared campus in Omagh, Co Tyrone, is at a “critical juncture” and that the planned project would inform the future direction of education in Northern Ireland over decades.

It will involve more than 4,000 pupils being taught in six schools with some shared facilities.

However, the cost of the delayed project has increased to more than £340 million, and Mr Givan has previously said his department does not have the funds to cover a £170 million shortfall.

During an appearance before the Education Committee, Mr Givan told members that his top priority is to secure a “sustained and meaningful” increase to education funding, both resource and capital.

He said: “I am deeply concerned that next year’s budget outcome could leave us in an extremely difficult position.

“Significant additional funding is urgently required to stabilise the education sector.”

Mr Givan drew attention to the withdrawal of ring-fenced funding for a number of integrated and shared education projects in Northern Ireland.

Funds for the building projects were ringfenced in the Fresh Start Agreement in 2015.

Last month, the Department of Education said £150 million of that funding was no longer available for the schools, having been reallocated to become part of a £3.3 billion financial settlement for the recently restored devolved government.

Mr Givan told MLAs: “The recent loss of Fresh Start funding has been widely discussed in recent weeks.

“This funding was long promised to develop and promote both shared and integrated education and provide much needed new facilities.

“It needs to be returned to the education sector as a matter of utmost urgency.”

Mr Givan said he had submitted high priority bids to the Department of Finance for the projects to be supported through the major capital schemes budget in his department.

He added: “I have also submitted proposals to ask the Executive to recommit funding equivalent to that removed from Fresh Start to support the delivery of the Strule campus.

“The Strule Shared Education Campus is a new and pioneering approach to the delivery of education provision in Northern Ireland.

“It will bring together six post-primary schools from the grammar, non-selective and special schools sector on the former Lisanelly army barracks site.

“The schools will share facilities and delivery a shared and enhanced curriculum.

“The campus is a longstanding Executive priority and it will provide a large scale model of shared education which will be evaluated to inform the future development of education in Northern Ireland over the coming decades.

“Strule will produce a wide range of educational, societal and reconciliation benefits and it is a key element of the department’s promotion and development of shared education.”

Mr Givan added: “The Strule programme is currently at a critical juncture.

“After a lengthy procurement process it is shovel-ready with a potential contractor in place and the full business case is being finalised.

“However, without the return of the previously ring-fenced Fresh Start funding, the Strule programme will not proceed.

“The Strule programme, unlike the other former Fresh Start projects, is not affordable solely from within the department’s conventional capital project budget.”