11 August 2026

SDLP Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin has said the Department for the Economy has admitted that the ongoing Higher Education funding crisis is now putting the delivery of key City Deal projects – including the new School of Medicine at Magee – at risk.

Responding to correspondence from the Department to the Economy Committee, Ms McLaughlin said:

"This correspondence confirms what many of us have been warning about for months. While the Department says City Deal capital funding has been secured, it also accepts that the financial pressures facing our universities could delay or undermine delivery of some of the most important projects for our economy.

"That is deeply concerning for Derry and the wider North West. The School of Medicine at Magee is not simply another capital project. It is central to expanding our university, addressing workforce shortages in our health service and creating long-term economic opportunities for this region.

"The Department acknowledges that Ulster University is reviewing the scope and scale of the School of Medicine because of the current budget situation. That inevitably means delays and uncertainty for a project that local people have waited far too long to see delivered.

"The Executive cannot continue to treat higher education funding as a separate issue from economic development. If we are serious about growing our economy and delivering regional balance, ministers must now provide the funding needed to keep these transformational projects on track. Derry cannot afford any further delays."