Silence on Magee ‘an actual insult’ to Derry

Speaking to fellow Councillors at the Full Derry City and Strabane District Council meeting, Councillor Farrell said: “My issue is with response to motions or in this case a lack of response to a motion.

“It’s about the Executive’s commitment to bring forward proposals for the expansion of Magee to 10,000 students. 

“We wrote to the First Ministers in March. They haven’t responded. We wrote to the first Ministers in June. They haven’t responded. We wrote to the First Ministers again after the October Council meeting and yet again they haven’t responded. That’s three times in nine months that we have written to the First Ministers about this and they are just ignoring our correspondence. 

“Magee is our baby and I would have expected that after nine months we would have some form of delivery and I am conscious that next month sees the first anniversary of the New Decade, New Approach agreement which actually saw this commitment put to paper and there’s been no meaningful movement since then.

“I am particularly concerned by the abject failure of the First Ministers to engage with this Council – it’s an actual insult to every man, woman and child from this city and across the Council area.”

By Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter