Minister announces £222m schools building programme

Education Minister, Barry Gardiner, has announced a £222 million schools building programme for Northern Ireland.

It is the start of a whole new investment strategy, designed to deliver innovative facilities for children and teachers.

Commenting on the details of the projects selected, Mr Gardiner said "I wish to make a start on a number of pressing projects. I am today announcing that 43 schools amounting to £222m should now proceed. The investment will fund 12 schools through Public Private Partnerships and 31 schools through conventional procurement. The new approach to delivery will include groupings of PPP and conventional projects."

Previously, the schools capital allocations announcements have focussed on a limited group of schools, which are the subject of specific funding.

"In future, we will have a new focus on delivery that addresses more fully the range of needs and demands across the whole of Northern Ireland. By 2010, we will have addressed the existing known capital needs backlog on the schools estate," he said.

Commenting on how the programme would be rolled-out, the Minister said: "It is important that such a programme is carefully managed and that it is rolled out in phases for the purposes of planning by the school authorities and the private sector suppliers in the construction industry, finance and facilities management, all of whom have key contributions to make to our development programme and its success.

"Our top priority is to deliver quality buildings through efficient processes and we will be working with the Strategic Investment Board and the Department of Finance and Personnel to assess how we can achieve the quality and delivery gains.

The schemes announced today signal a rolling programme that heralds the largest ever school renewal programme in Northern Ireland’s history, reversing a long period of under-investment in our schools’ estate.

The investment will be used to help drive forward a more efficient and effective delivery to rebuild or refurbish all our high priority school projects based on educational need.

The aim is to provide flexible, inclusive, attractive learning environments that teachers want to teach in and in which pupils want to learn.

(MB)