Foyle MP raises concerns over Programme for Government's Magee campus commitment

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has said that it is unbelievable that the Executive has doubled down on its reduced commitment to university places in Derry. 

In September 2024, Mr Eastwood raised concerns that the draft Programme for Government (PfG) included, what he decribes as a row back on the established commitment that Derry will have a minimum of 10,000 student places.

The PfG published this week promised to ‘work towards expanding the campus at Magee up to 10,000 students’.

Mr Eastwood said that reframing the commitment to Derry university numbers as a maximum rather than a minimum puts a straitjacket on the city’s ambitions for its young people.

The former SDLP leader said: “In September I was shocked that Michelle O’Neill and Emma Pengelly casually and deliberately rowed back on the commitment to at least 10,000 university places in Derry. I cannot believe that they have since doubled down on that position by including it in the final Programme for Government. 

“To be clear - accommodating ‘up to 10,000 students’ is such a wishy washy commitment that they could claim the paltry and totally deficient number of students we currently have meets the goal. They could deliver not one extra place and in three years give themselves a pat on the back. 

 “The Chair of the Magee Taskforce rightly commented that the language in the draft Programme for Government was ‘not as precise as it needed to be’. It really beggars belief that Executive parties have ignored that advice.

“Setting the minimum at 10,000 isn’t arbitrary. It’s supposed to be a marker; it’s supposed to be a challenge and to send a message that investment in Derry is a serious focus of government. That’s why I negotiated the commitment in New Decade, New Approach and secured funding to support it. Abandoning that position is a deliberate decision to deprioritise Derry and Ministers should be ashamed. 

“Derry has huge potential to become a more successful, diverse and prosperous city. We have the people, the talent and the support of a great pool of businesses but the hard truth is that we need our own Executive to show more faith in us and to deliver real investment.”