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27 April 2001

FARREN: NEW DERRY PFI BUILDING IS HUGE BOOST FOR EDUCATION

The first ever Private Finance Initiative (PFI) financed building in the Northern Ireland further education sector was opened today in Derry by the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, Dr Sean Farren.

Speaking as he opened the multi-million pound, 7,500 square metres, building at the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education, Dr Farren said: "The opening of this building represents a huge boost for further education, in the North West and throughout Northern Ireland, and is clear evidence of my Department’s commitment to the sector.

"It is the first further education facility to be provided locally through public/private sector partnership and this level of infrastructure renewal would not have been possible if we were restricted to traditional procurement options."

The project was designed, constructed and financed by the Northwin Consortium, which is made up of Braidwater Enterprises Ltd, Farrans Ltd and John Graham (Dromore) Ltd. The consortium will also be responsible for providing catering, cleaning, porterage, security, creche and building and engineering maintenance over the next 25 years.

The new building is located on the North West Institute’s main campus at Strand Road in Derry. It includes a library, an area for advanced catering, a training restaurant, ICT suites, administration areas, a Directors' suite, day nursery and a state-of-the-art Media suite.

The Minister said that the building would bring immediate benefit to the Institute’s 11,500 students and staff. He continued: "The further education sector has a crucial role to play in helping to widen access to education and training and giving people the knowledge and skills they and industry want. That is essential if Northern Ireland is to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.

"But to achieve that objective our colleges and students need to have the best possible facilities and that is something they have not always had in the past. Today’s opening is a clear indication of the commitment of my Department and the Executive to invest in the sector. It is proof of our determination to make a real difference."

The Minister pointed out that there are a number of other PFI projects being developed in Belfast, Omagh and Dungannon and added: "PFI gives us the chance to make better and speedier progress and allows colleges to devote more time to the core business of providing education and training.

"That is good for the staff, good for the students and good for the local communities they serve."

The Minister was welcomed to the North West Institute by the Director, Peter Gallagher, and had an opportunity to meet and chat with members of staff and students. Afterwards, he paid tribute to the hard work and professionalism of all those involved in bringing the project to fruition.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The North West Institute of Further and Higher Education is the second largest Further Education (FE) college in Northern Ireland with over 11,500 students and, like all local colleges, has been an independent incorporated body since 1 April 1998. It provides an extensive range of full-time and part-time courses, from adult basic education to degree level and is also a major provider of the Training and Employment Agency’s Jobskills vocational training programme.

  2. The new building provides new accommodation and support services over the next 25 years for some 1,100 full time equivalent day students and a large number of students taking evening classes.

  3. PFI differs from traditional procurement in that contractors build, design, finance and maintain a public service building. Once the building is complete and operational, the contractors then receive an annual fee for use of the facility, usually for a period of 25 to 40 years.

  4. Other PFI projects currently being undertaken in the further education sector are at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education, which has signed a contract for the provision of a new building on its Millfield Campus, while Omagh and East Tyrone Colleges are in the early stages of a PFI test for the provision of new accommodation in Dungannon and Omagh.

For further information please contact Simon Burrowes on 028 9025 7831 or 07799 711524.