Cullybackey and Dunclug Colleges to get investment boost

Cullybackey College and Dunclug College are among 15 schools from across Northern Ireland which will benefit from an investment announced by the Education Minister today.

John O’Dowd provided an update on his capital programme and named the schools which are to benefit.

The Minister said: “All across the north there are a range of schools which are in dire need of investment. Unfortunately that need far exceeds the funding available. Therefore the schools benefiting today represent the highest priority projects which have successfully come through a rigorous selection process.

“My Department’s strategy for capital investment into the foreseeable future will remain focussed on supporting the development and delivery of a network of viable and sustainable schools, set firmly in the context of ‘Schools for the Future: A Policy for Sustainable Schools’ and shaped by the outworking of the area planning process.

“In developing my investment plans for the schools’ estate, it is incumbent on me to balance the limited capital resources made available to me against the scale of investment needed across, what can only be described as a wide and diverse schools’ estate.”

Concluding the Minister said: “Today represents good news for schools and for their communities. It is also good news for the economy. With £170m of capital investment this will be a welcome boost for the construction industry over the coming years.”