Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has welcomed confirmation from the Northern Ireland Executive that £150 million is to be provided over the next three years to enable construction of the Strule Shared Education Campus to proceed.
Six Omagh schools will be brought together onto a shared site on a former military base in Omagh.
In the statement, Cllr Thomas O’Reilly says the council has always been a committed advocate for this project, and prior to the restoration of the Executive, he led a cross party delegation to meet with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education, Dr Mark Browne, to reiterate the need for the necessary funding to be found to enable the project to proceed.
Earlier this week, he and other Councillors joined in a tour of the site with students from each of the six schools, and it was wonderful to witness at first hand their enthusiasm for the project and commitment to the shared vision of Strule.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, he says, very much welcomes this announcement of £150 million over three years, and looks forward to seeing construction work begin.
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Statement in full –
Council welcomes funding announcement for Strule Shared Education Campus
The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly, has welcomed the announcement by the Northern Ireland Executive to award £150m funding over the next three years to enable construction of the Strule Shared Education Campus to proceed.
Speaking following the announcement, Councillor O’Reilly said:
“I am delighted that the necessary investment has been secured to enable the progression of the Strule Shared Education Campus which will bring together six Omagh schools onto a shared site. The Council has always been a committed advocate for this project, and prior to the restoration of the Executive, I was pleased to lead a cross party delegation to meet with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education, Dr Mark Browne, to reiterate the need for the necessary funding to be found to enable the project to proceed. Earlier this week, I and other Councillors joined in a tour of the site with students from each of the six schools, and it was wonderful to witness at first hand their enthusiasm for the project and commitment to the shared vision of Strule. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council very much welcomes this announcement and looks forward to seeing construction work begin”.
The Vice Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor AnnMarie Donnelly also welcomed the announcement stating:
“This is a great day for Omagh and the wider district. The Strule Shared Education Campus is a truly transformational project; through collaboration and sharing, our young people will be better connected, with access to state of the art facilities and resources. The local community will also benefit from the sporting and associated facilities for community use and improved connectivity to the town centre. It has been a long road to reach this stage and I would like to commend the Principals of the six schools, and the wider school communities, for their ongoing commitment and dedication to the Campus, all their hard work has at last paid off”.
