Just days after Northern Ireland Health Minister, Paul Givan, unveiled a list of 87 schools which need replacing, the Government has announced capital funding for 15 of the projects.

In his capital funding allocations for 2024-25, Givan secured an additional £80m for education this year, which will allow 15 important new-build and extension and refurbishment projects for schools from all sectors to proceed to construction.

Visting Bangor Central Integrated Primary School, one the schools which will now proceed to tender and construction, the Minister said “I am delighted to be at Bangor Central Integrated Primary School where children and teachers will benefit from a £10m new school.

“When the UK Government removed ring-fenced Fresh Start funding, I moved this project and others to my conventional major works programme.

“It will now proceed as envisaged, as too will the project for Millennium Integrated Primary School.”

He added: “Today’s significant announcement will see 15 schools benefiting from new state-of-the-art facilities for young people from Belfast to Ballymena to Enniskillen and beyond.

“The investment will also provide a welcome boost to the construction industry over the next number of years.”

He also announced a ‘series of targeted, smaller-scale investment programmes to support and enhance the delivery of the curriculum in our schools’.

Potential schemes in this area will include specialist curriculum accommodation at post-primary; outdoor play, and PE in the primary phase and curriculum resources and equipment more widely.

“It is my priority to ensure the educational experiences of as many children and young people as possible across Northern Ireland are impacted positively by capital investment,” said Givan.

The opening capital budget for education in 2024-25 is £254m.

This will allow continued investment in 10 major school build projects currently in contract or on site and digital infrastructure across the schools’ estate; keep schools open and safe; and provide much-needed school places for the most-vulnerable pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Over £50m has been earmarked to support Special Educational Needs.

It is also planned to commence construction of the flagship Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh, which will provide five new post-primary schools.

The school estate in Northern Ireland currently includes 1,116 schools with an estimated capital value of over £3bn.

Seven new-build primary schools will now progress to procurement and construction – Bangor Central Integrated Primary School, Crawfordsburn Primary School, Edendork Primary School, Glenwood Primary School, Mary Queen of Peace Primary School, Millennium Integrated Primary, and Scoil an Droichid

Eight primary and post-primary schools will also receive investment through major extension and refurbishment and new build construction projects – Abbey Community College,  Carniny Primary School, Kilronan Special School, Lurgan Model Integrated Primary School , St John’s Primary School (Kingsisland), St Malachy’s College, St Mary’s Primary School (Barr), and St Kevin’s College.