SDLP Ballyarnett councillor Rory Farrell
The Ballyarnett representative gained unanimous support at Thursday’s Council meeting for motion calling on the NI Executive to work with Ulster University and the Irish and UK Governments to finally deliver university expansion.
Speaking in the Guildhall, Councillor Farrell said: “The argument for university expansion was made and won in 1965. Unfortunately, a sectarian decision by a sectarian parliament saw the University of Ulster established in Coleraine.
“55 years on we still feel the effects of that discriminatory decision.
“The failure to expand is due to a lack of action from Ulster University. And a lack of political will from Stormont. Both are needed to make expansion a reality.
“2011’s One Plan envisaged 9,400 students by 2020. It is now 2020 and it hasn’t happened. We now have 4,237 students, a meagre increase of just 172 in the past ten years.
“But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time in history we have a deal, signed by the main political parties and the British and Irish governments, that gives very clear commitments around Magee expansion.
“It’s there in black and white. There is no grey area. The deal to restore Stormont has committed to expansion. It has committed to 10,000 places.
“It has committed to increasing the Maximum Student Numbers. It has committed to the medical school. And it has committed to bringing forward proposals on how these will be delivered.
“We’ve heard in recent days that ‘no funding has been formally committed’ by the British and Irish governments. The task now for the finance and economy ministers is to negotiate that funding with London and Dublin.
“We’ve heard that the business case for Magee is out of date. The simple solution is – Ulster University, update the business case.
“And that the business case for the medical school has not reached the desk of the health minister. The business case needs approved by the minister and his Executive colleagues to allow the medical school to proceed, immediately.
“This is time sensitive and any further delays will jeopardise the intake of students for 2021.
“We also have the proposed £126m bail-out of Ulster University due to funding difficulties around its shiny new Belfast campus.
“Magee expansion is a separate project. A project supported by the Belfast, Dublin and London governments, and its delivery cannot be impacted by finance issues within Ulster University.
“This cannot be allowed to become a distraction or a reason for inaction at Magee.”
Magee Campus in Derry
“We entered Opposition in 2016 because Magee expansion was not deemed a priority by the two dominant parties. That’s how important Magee is to the SDLP. It is important to us because it is important to this city.
“This is an opportunity to right a historic wrong. This is an opportunity for decision makers in Belfast, Dublin and London to show that this city matters. That its people matter. That its future economic prosperity matter.
“This city is at a crossroads. We either adopt a New Decade, New Approach and expand Magee, deliver on this deal and show the people of this city that they’re worth investing in.
“Or we pursue a New Decade, Same Approach where we kick the can down the road, ignore the objective need in this city and continue to have this debate for the next 55 years.”
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