Debate contribution: Oakridge Social Education Centre, Dungannon.
Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on .
- MLA
- Mr Colm Gildernew
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 13 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Oakridge Social Education Centre, Dungannon.
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5790026
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It will not take anything like that amount of time, because this is a well-rehearsed issue. I thank the Minister and my constituency colleagues for coming along today, because, while it is well-rehearsed, it is a vexatious and long-running saga. As, I am sure, the Minister will know, Oakridge centre is a day centre for adults aged 18 and older with learning disabilities and severe medical issues. It provides huge support and added value to many people in our community. It serves all of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area. For many years, it has been assessed as needing a new build, and it has been allocated the money. It is and has been for some time the top social care project in the Southern Trust. However, when it comes to the budgeting stage, it becomes merged with other priorities. The question for us today is this: for how long can we allow important social care projects to be assessed alongside crucial, acute care services? We recognise the need for the work that is done in Craigavon, but, in some ways, Oakridge will never be able to compete with that. It will, therefore, take something a bit different. I look forward to attending a pumpkin patch event that the centre is running at the weekend. That is symbolic of the type of above-and-beyond activity that goes on. It is as simple as that, Minister. I am calling on you to see whether you can bring something different to end this 20-year saga and to get something moving on the new build that the centre has been assessed as requiring and that has been budgeted for, for so long. Finally, Minister, I am delighted to invite you to come along with me to Oakridge. I have been in it many times, and I know from working with you in the past that you would enjoy a visit there. I would appreciate it if that could, in some way, help to move this on. Thank you for listening.
343 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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