MLA confident forfuture for Lisneal College

On a wider note, the DUP man said that work was continuing to progress the plans for both Magee and the Foyle/Ebrington sites, and while things might look static, in fact the opposite was true, as behind the scenes a lot of work was being done to improve the lot of education in the north west.

“I am very supportive of the staff within Lisneal College and I am very supportive of the College. I have to say I am quietly confident that the College over the next year, will and can get it’s house in order. I have no doubt of that,” he said, adding: “We all need to walk together to make the College what we all expect it to be.”

Looking at the report in its entirety, Mr Hay said: “I do believe that the College has improved. Much good work has been done and more work needs to be done and I am not going to bash the college because of a particular report, and I believe that over the next year the College will get the support of parents, so that it has the support of the Board of Governors, it has the support of the teaching staff and has the support of the community.

“There is work to be done and certainly the management knows what that work is, and I think there will be a very different report in a year’s time,” said Mr Hay.

“Everybody is very conscious within the school of what needs to be done to make the college successful, and I have no doubt whatsoever all that can be done is being done to make Lisneal College fit for purpose and I am totally in support of Lisneal College moving forward and of everybody working together to resolve the remaining issues,” he said.

Looking at the broader picture for education opportunities for the Protestant community in the north west, Mr Hay said he viewed the Ebrington Primary and Foyle College project as “a work in progress”, and would be speaking to the Minister for Education again in the very near future.

“I think the Minister is serious about moving this project forward. Education generally is in a very poor state in the Waterside and these two projects can only enhance the education provision not just for the Waterside, but for the entire city,” he said.

“The key issue in this is that already £15 million has been spent on the project by the Department and it would be very foolish now if this project did not happen. I am quietly confident that it will. The only question is when. It may not look like

In addition to his support for Lisneal and Foyle Colleges, Mr Hay said he had also spoken many times in the past to the late Prof Jim Allen of Magee and more recently to Dr Deirdre Heenan, about steps to ensure that the university campus was not a ‘cold house’ for Protestant students.

“It is important that nothing is done to make this a sectarian issue. This university should be able to attract students from whatever background, and I will work to make sure, as far as possible, that Magee is not seen as a cold house,” he said.