Debate contribution: Oakridge Social Education Centre, Dungannon.
Debate contribution by Ms Diana Armstrong on .
- MLA
- Ms Diana Armstrong
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 13 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Oakridge Social Education Centre, Dungannon.
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5790034
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I also thank the Member who secured the Adjournment debate, and I thank constituency colleagues for being here for the debate. I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the proposed redevelopment of Oakridge Social Education Centre in Dungannon, a project that I believe is necessary and long overdue. As a representative of the constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, I know the difference that services such as Oakridge make to the lives of adults with complex learning disabilities and additional care needs. For those who attend the centre, it provides more than a day's service. It offers support, opportunities for learning and social interaction and the chance for people to live fuller and more independent lives. For families and carers, it provides vital reassurance and practical support. It helps them manage the demands of everyday life. I also pay tribute, as others have done, to the staff at Oakridge. They continue to deliver a high-quality service despite working in facilities that were never designed for the level of specialist support that is required today. Their dedication and professionalism has ensured that service users have continued to receive excellent care, often in circumstances that are far from ideal. That is why we are having today's debate. The current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose, with a building that dates back more than a century, supplemented by temporary accommodation that was added decades ago. The shortcomings of the existing facility have been recognised for many years and are well understood by those who use it and work in it. That is why the proposed redevelopment is so important. A new, purpose-built facility would provide modern, accessible accommodation that better meets the needs of service users and staff alike. It would create an environment that promotes dignity, independence, well-being and inclusion and that gives individuals with learning disabilities the facilities and opportunities that they deserve. I know that the Minister of Health wants to see the project progress, but we must also be honest about the realities facing the Department of Health. With growing pressures across the health estate and a substantial backlog of maintenance obligations, projects such as Oakridge face continuing uncertainty. That is why the issue cannot be viewed solely as being a matter for the Health Minister. If we are serious about improving services, modernising facilities and achieving better outcomes for people, the Executive must provide the funding necessary to achieve those objectives. For that reason, I make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. I urge him to recognise the importance of the project and to ensure that future capital allocations better reflect the scale of need facing our health and social care system. Providing adequate investment for Oakridge is an investment in some of the most vulnerable people in our society and in the families who depend on its services every day. Delaying such projects comes with a cost. In the long run, failing to invest often proves more expensive than making the investment in the first place. The services that centres such as Oakridge provide are life-changing for those who rely on them. If we genuinely believe in supporting people with learning disabilities to live fulfilling, independent and active lives in their communities, we must back those aspirations with the necessary investment. I want to see redevelopment at Oakridge delivered, and the Health Minister wants to see it delivered. I believe that there is support across the House for seeing it delivered. The challenge now is for the Executive, particularly the Finance Minister, to provide the funding that is required to turn that shared ambition into reality.
The need is clear, and the case is compelling. The people who depend on the service have waited long enough.
624 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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