21 April 2026
SDLP Opposition Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA has challenged the Minister for the Economy over the potential loss of up to 450 jobs at Ulster University.
She also raised serious concerns about the impact on Magee and the wider north west.
Speaking after Economy Questions in the Assembly, Ms McLaughlin highlighted the scale of the proposed cuts, which include 221 posts in Belfast, 114 in Coleraine, 108 at Magee and 7 at Jordanstown, representing around 15% of the university’s workforce.
She said the situation exposes a clear contradiction at the heart of the Department’s approach.
Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said:
“In the Assembly, I challenged the Minister on the fact that her own Financial Needs Assessment states that Ulster University is not facing the kind of imminent financial crisis seen elsewhere, yet we are now facing the possibility of up to 450 job losses. That is a clear contradiction, and it raises serious questions about how this situation has been allowed to develop.
"I raised directly with the Minister the fact that 108 of these job losses are at Magee, at the same time as we are being told that the campus will expand to 10,000 students. You cannot talk about expansion and growth in the North West while allowing capacity to be reduced on this scale. Those two positions simply do not add up.
"I have also spoken directly with trade unions representing staff, who have made clear the level of pressure the workforce at Magee is already under, and the real concern about what these proposed cuts would mean in practice.
"The Minister pointed to British austerity as the reason for the pressures facing higher education, but that cannot be used as an excuse for inaction. Of course we need more funding from Westminster, but we have known about these challenges for years, and it is the responsibility of the Minister and the Executive to respond to them. Simply pointing elsewhere does not address the situation facing staff and students here.
"I asked the Minister what she is doing right now to prevent these job losses, whether this issue has been brought to the Executive, and what reassurance can be given to staff. This is about the credibility of the Executive’s commitments to the North West.
"Too often we see Ministers aware of problems but unwilling to take responsibility when action is required. We have had the analysis, we have known about these pressures, and yet we are now facing the consequences of that inaction.
"Staff, students and the wider community deserve answers, and they deserve to see leadership.”