St. Brigid's and Lumen Christi to get new builds under £794m investment in schools estate

The two Derry schools are among 28 that are to advance to planning for construction, the minister said.

Elsewhere in County Derry Loreto College, Coleraine, and Sperrin Integrated College and St. Pius X College, both in Magherafelt, have been included in the works programme.

"Twenty-eight schools are to advance in planning under the major capital works programme. These schools will benefit from a capital investment in the region of £794 million, with deliverability subject to the level of capital resources available to the Department towards the end of this decade and into the next," the minister told MLAs.

She added: "In making this announcement today, it is my intention that these projects will be taken through to construction. However, I should stress that authorisation to proceed to construction on any individual project will be based on the level of capital funding available at the point when a design is complete and all necessary approvals have been secured.

"Finally, the projects that I have announced today to advance in planning will benefit over 25,000 pupils across the schools estate. These projects have been carefully selected in line with my Department’s strategy for capital investment, which continues to be shaped by the outworking of area planning and the delivery of a modern, fit-for-purpose estate of viable and sustainable schools."

Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson has welcomed what she described as a ‘huge investment’ in the Derry schools estate.

“This is a great day for St Brigid’s and Lumen Christi colleges as we have secured confirmation from the education minister that they will be included in major investment plans to redevelop and modernise the school.

“They are both first-class schools at the heart of our community with thousands of pupils - this investment can help ensure they have access to the very best facilities and opportunities in life.

“Sinn Féin will continue to hold the education minister’s feet to the fire to ensure that these schools receive this funding as a priority, and that other schools in Derry are also invested in," she said.