20 April 2026
SDLP Opposition Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA has said she will directly challenge the Minister for the Economy in the Assembly tomorrow over the potential loss of up to 450 jobs at Ulster University.
Ms McLaughlin said the situation raises serious questions about the department’s handling of higher education funding and the growing gap between policy commitments and reality.
Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said:
"The prospect of hundreds of job losses at Ulster University is deeply concerning, particularly for the north west where the university plays such a central role in our economy, our skills base and our future growth.
"The Minister’s own Financial Needs Assessment makes clear 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 jobs being lost. That is a clear contradiction that needs to be explained.
"This is not something that appeared overnight. The pressures on higher education have been building for years, with funding under strain and costs increasing, and yet we are now at the point where staff are being asked to pay the price.
"This also sits uneasily alongside the Executive’s repeated commitments to expand Magee to 10,000 students and to deliver through the Derry City and Strabane City Deal. Those ambitions are important, but they cannot be realised if the workforce needed to deliver them is being reduced.
"Too often we see Ministers seeking the powers of office, but when problems are clearly identified, there is a reluctance to act. We have had the analysis, we have known about these pressures, and yet we are now facing the consequences of that inaction.
"I will be using tomorrow’s Economy topical question to press the Minister on what action she is taking right now to prevent these job losses, whether this issue has been brought to the Executive, and whether staff can be given any reassurance.
"Staff, students and the wider community deserve answers, and they deserve to see leadership at this critical moment.”