Ministerial statement on PAC report

11 October 2007

Commenting on the PAC Report on the Springvale Educational Village Project, Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said:

“I welcome the publication today of the PAC Report on the Springvale Educational Village Project and a considered reply to all the recommendations in the report will be made in due course.  At this stage I should like to make clear that the proposal to develop a campus at Springvale was put to the Department by the promoters, the University of Ulster and the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education.  These are autonomous bodies and it was for the University to determine its own priorities. The Department could not compel the University to reconsider its September 2002 decision to withdraw.  The Department demonstrated its willingness to consider a viable alternative for the provision of further and higher education at Springvale, by immediately asking the Springvale Board to review the project.

"I entirely agree that the levels of deprivation and low educational attainment in North and West Belfast are unacceptable and that action is needed.  I should be happy to consider any proposal for a potentially viable and sustainable development to provide new educational facilities on the Springvale site.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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