Stormont has 'rowed back' on Derry student target

The Northern Ireland Executive has “rowed back” on a commitment to increase student numbers at Ulster University's Londonderry campus, the city’s MP has said.

A 10,000 student target was included in New Decade, New Approach (NDNA), which restored Northern Ireland's executive in 2020.

Now, in the new draft programme for government (PfG), the executive said it was continuing its commitment to expand the campus "up to 10,000 students".

Foyle SDLP MP Colum Eastwood said that marked a shift away from previous commitments to expanding student numbers.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme on Tuesday, Mr Eastwood said "woolly language" avoids accountability.

He said the PfG commitment to Magee was "flimsy".

"In New Decade, New Approach agreement it was a minimum of 10,000 [students]," Mr Eastwood said.

"What they [Stormont] are saying now is 'up to 10,000' - which means 10,000 is a maximum.

"These things matter and when governments make commitments, if they put those particular words in, that's the words that you can hold them to."

NDNA stated in 2020 that the executive would bring forward proposals for the development and expansion of the campus "to realise the 10,000 student campus target".

There are currently more than 5,000 students studying at the Derry-Londonderry campus, previously known as Magee.

There has been a long-running campaign to boost student numbers at the campus.

A taskforce was set up in March by Economy Minister Conor Murphy to develop a “comprehensive plan for expansion” for students at the campus.

Ulster University had previously told Stormont officials it had identified a way to increase student numbers to 7,500, but it estimated that a capital investment of £385m was required to accommodate that number.

Previously, concerns were raised that the 10,000 figure may not be achievable.

Stephen Kelly, chair of the taskforce, said the language in the PfG was "not as precise as it needs to be".

However he stressed the document was currently in a draft stage.

"What we have been tasked to do is deliver that NDNA commitment as soon as we possibly can," he told BBC Radio Foyle.

The taskforce is due to deliver its interim report on Wednesday.

Mr Kelly added: "That interim report will be laying out what we have discovered as part of the process that we have been engaged in until this point in time and that will be the basis for an action plan that we have been tasked with and committed to before the end of the year."

The campus in Derry is one of three Ulster University campuses in Northern Ireland, the other two being in Belfast and Coleraine.

The university also has a sports village located in Jordanstown, County Antrim.