Omagh principal ‘dismayed’ as school’s £7M development shelved

THE principal of Drumragh Integrated has expressed profound ‘dismay’ over the sudden shelving of a £7 million development plan for the school.

This setback is due to the withdrawal of £150 million earmarked from the Fresh Start Agreement 2015, leaving ten school projects, including Drumragh’s expansion, in limbo.

“The Board of Governors and principal of Drumragh Integrated College are dismayed and concerned by the recently announced changes to Fresh Start funding, and the subsequent impact on a proposed expansion project at the college,” Imelda Kirk, school principal, said.

She added, “The plans for an extension to the college are currently at an advanced stage of development following intensive work over the last three years.”

Planning permission for the Drumragh Integrated development had been granted by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. The expansion plan encompassed crucial enhancements, including a new-build single-story extension, upgraded sports facilities, new classrooms and special education needs accommodation, as well as improved traffic management within the school site.

Cllr Stephen Donnelly, a former pupil of the school, described the funding withdrawal as an ‘act of vandalism’.

“Alliance will be working to secure a reversal of this decision, which is an act of bad faith that is utterly unacceptable,” he added. The Education Minister, Paul Givan, has also written to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to request that funding is restored to support these projects.

The Department of Education said that the £150m of funding from the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement has now been placed in the UK Government’s financial settlement for the NI Executive ‘for wider public sector transformation’.