PRESS RELEASE

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01AM ON THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 2007

11 OCTOBER 2007

PN 05/07

COMMITTEE CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO LEARN FROM THE SPRINGVALE PROJECT

Launching the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee Report on the Springvale Educational Village Project, Mr John O’Dowd, the Committee Chairperson, said,

“I was bitterly disappointed with the outcome of the Springvale Education Village Project.

The project was stamped with failure; failure to deliver; failure by the Department of Employment and Learning; failure by the University of Ulster; failure to respond to the needs of the local communities and properly acknowledge the huge voluntary commitment made by them.”

The Committee in its report stated:

“In our view, both the Department and the University lost the will to succeed.

There was enormous political goodwill towards this project when it was announced with a great deal of fanfare by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair.

“Unfortunately, when the university’s concerns over the governance arrangements and project affordability emerged, it could have called upon the national and international goodwill towards the project, but chose not to do so.

“We found it particularly disturbing that the department effectively did nothing to save the project when the university disclosed its reluctance to continue.

“If the Department had signalled these difficulties at the time, the Committee believes that the necessary funds could well have been found. Regrettably, however, it was a case of the university not asking for more assistance and the department not offering any.”

Mr. O’ Dowd continued:

“The Committee feels very strongly that the department failed in its role as Government’s representative on the Springvale project by not ensuring that the project promoters had a firm grip on the viability of the project, from the beginning.

“It provided the local communities with an unrealistic and unbalanced view of the risks of failure and its monitoring of the university’s changing financial position was clearly inadequate.

“It was also lacking in its efforts to rescue the project when the university finally withdrew in late 2002.”

Mr O’Dowd added:

“The project team in failing to capitalise on the enormous local, national and international support for the educational complex, missed out on what was an unprecedented transformational opportunity for one of the most heavily deprived areas of Belfast.“

He concluded:

“We cannot continue to fail those in our society who are in greatest need. In the aftermath of the project, the level of deprivation and the educational attainment within West and North Belfast remains unacceptably low.

“The Committee believes that there is as strong a case for substantial economic regeneration and increased cross community interaction now, as there was at the outset of the project and (it therefore believes) that there is a need for positive action.

“The Committee therefore calls on Government to take a fresh look at the potential for establishing a significant educational facility on the Springvale site to complement the existing Community Outreach Centre and planned Workforce Development Centre.

“Such a facility could, in the Committee’s view, act as a conduit for increased participation in third level education from the area, a bridge for progression from further to higher education and an important catalyst for economic regeneration and increased cross community contact.”

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

• The Springvale Educational Village project was aimed at addressing the particular educational, cultural and social needs of West and North Belfast, and Northern Ireland in general.
• The project promoters were the University of Ulster and the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education – now known as the Belfast Metropolitan College - and the Department for Employment and Learning [The Department for Employment and Learning wishes to be referred to as a funder.]
• The project was to have three components, costing a total of £71 million:
• Main Campus: to be shared between 1500 further and 1500 higher education students (£59 million).
• Applied Research Centre: to stimulate inward investment and develop local companies in start-up units (£8 million).
• Community Outreach Centre: a hub for community and outreach programmes and a training facility (£4 million).

Only the Community Outreach Centre was delivered.

The PAC Committee members are:-
Mr John O’Dowd, (SF) Chairperson
Mr Roy Beggs, (UUP) Deputy Chairperson
Mr Trevor Lunn (Alliance)
Mr Jonathan Craig (DUP)
Mr Simon Hamilton (DUP)
Mr David Hilditch (DUP)
Ms Dawn Purvis (PUP)
Mr Mickey Brady (SF)
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin (SF)
Mr John Dallat (SDLP)
Mr Patsy McGlone (SDLP)

5. Standing Orders under Section 60(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 have provided for the establishment of the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee). The main statutory function of the Committee is to consider accounts and the reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland (C&AG) laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

6. The C&AG is head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) and is empowered to investigate any area of expenditure and has a statutory right of access to all files and papers in Departments and public bodies.

Information about today’s meeting can be obtained from the

Information Officer:
Kieran Dougan,
Information Office, Parliament Buildings, Belfast.
Tel. 028 90521642 Mobile 07825146794
Email: kieran.dougan@niassembly.gov.uk
Website archive.niassembly.gov.uk