HMP Magilligan rebuild

Mr Campbell has tabled a Question to the Justice Minister David Ford MLA asking when work will begin on the new prison at Magilligan.

The DUP MP for East Londonderry said: “It is 16 months since the announcement to build a new Prison on the current site at Magilligan, yet there is still no date set for construction to begin. There has been a long running campaign which has included lobbying, petitions consultations etc. by myself and my Party’s MLAs to secure the site at Magilligan for a new state-of-the-art prison and the hundreds of jobs that accompany it.

“In these difficult economic times, construction projects like the building of the new prison would provide a welcome boost to the local economy in East Londonderry, an area which has suffered severe job losses in the last few years.

“Many people will benefit from the construction jobs created by this project commencing. Other beneficiaries will include those who will fill the additional positions that the larger prison will create.

“The Minister of Justice needs to ensure that every effort is made to secure the finance to get the building of the new Prison at Magilligan underway.”

Mr Campbell’s party colleague, East Londonderry MLA George Robinson, also raised the issue of a rebuild for Magilligan Prison with the Office of First and Deputy First Ministers at Stormont.

This follows what Mr Robinson described as a “very disappointing answer” to an earlier question he had put to the Justice Minister, David Ford.

Mr Robinson had asked the Minister for an update on the plans to rebuild Magilligan and the potential benefit to the local economy. In the Minister’s response, he said that there was no guarantee the prison rebuild would go ahead without funding.

Mr Ford said: “I am afraid that, at this stage and without the approval of DFP, I cannot guarantee that the project will go ahead as I would wish, and nor can I guarantee that there will be additional employment.”

Mr Robinson, after meeting with the Office of First and Deputy First Ministers, said: “In light of that reply, I have now asked the ministers to seek answers, as to the current position with regard to the upgrading of Magilligan Prison. Again I cannot emphasise enough the potential benefits to the local economy of progressing this matter sooner rather than later.”