Debate contribution: Belfast Metropolitan College, Castlereagh Campus: Proposed Closure

Debate contribution by Mr Peter McReynolds on 21 May 2024.

MLA

Mr Peter McReynolds

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

21 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Belfast Metropolitan College, Castlereagh Campus: Proposed Closure

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4491977

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome today's debate on the impact that the recently consulted-on closure of Belfast Metropolitan College's Castlereagh campus would have on the immediate area of East Belfast, as well as the surrounding areas of Belfast and the local economy. I do so as an East Belfast MLA and a former employee of Belfast Metropolitan College. I was surprised when I first received an email from the college in October of last year. Since then, I have met senior management on two occasions; attended the public consultations; spoken on the issue in the Chamber through a Member's statement; twice questioned Minister Murphy while he was in post; and written to Minister Murphy inviting him to engage with the college. As well as that, my constituency colleague Naomi and I submitted our response to the consultation, calling for the college to be retained and alternative options explored.

Today's Adjournment debate — I thank Ms Bunting for securing it — is welcome and can play a key part in communicating the importance of the college and the key role that it can play in the local economy if it is supported and looked at differently by the Economy Department and the new Economy Minister. We all know that Northern Ireland is one of the world's leading countries for cybersecurity, with the Castlereagh campus having two dedicated, specialist cybersecurity labs. It is a leader in its field here. Moreover, I know, from speaking with data scientists, that Northern Ireland could be in a unique position, using our unique status, to house data from the USA, UK and EU. That is the crux of my argument. It simply does not make sense for us to close a campus that is playing a crucial role in shaping and creating the new tech minds of Northern Ireland. For example, the 10X strategy provides a clear strategic focus on good jobs, regional balance, productivity and decarbonisation. In addition, we now have increased clarity, post-Brexit. The previous Minister said to me in the Chamber that it:

"helps in making sure not only that those internationally who are interested in potential investment here understand what the position is — that means North/South, east-west and the dual access that we have". — [Official Report (Hansard), 26 February 2024, p25, col 2].

We will need skills to deliver on that strategy. The goals of the 10X strategy are essential and the Castlereagh campus plays a crucial role in delivering them and creating the minds that are going to deliver for the economy here in Northern Ireland. Aside from the skills that East Belfast would begin to miss out on, there are passionate staff who care about their students and have been in contact with me, as they have been with Ms Bunting. At one of the public consultations last year, teachers spoke out at the slow erosion of classrooms in the college over the past number of years, which skewed the data that the college had presented to show how enrolments had been steadily declining over the years. That is data that, I must say, I am not so sure about, given the graph that I and Michael Long, a councillor for the area, were shown that compared the enrolments at the Castlereagh campus with those in all the other campuses in Belfast. When we asked for a clearer breakdown, we were told that that data was not publicly available. I know that the staff share my concerns regarding the accuracy of the information, further compounding the uncertainty and distress in the college at this time and over the past number of months. Finally, it would be remiss of me not to highlight the scenario that we were in last year. I was a frustrated MLA and this place lay empty and silent to the concerns that were being raised by staff and students at the proposed closure. As I have said multiple times in the Chamber, with the energy that we now have in this Building — a restored Executive, a Minister in post and a watching public who do not expect us to be perfect at all times — it would be a crying shame for my constituents in East Belfast and for us as elected Members if we allowed the campus to close without so much as attempting to intervene. That is why I again call on the new Economy Minister to take an interest in the proposed campus closure, take up the offer that Naomi and I made earlier this year on behalf of the college to meet them, hear their concerns and challenges and listen to what plans for the future could be realised with government intervention at this time. I appreciate that Minister Murphy was of the view that he would not be able to do that and that it was a campus decision. However, like Ms Bunting, I fear that we are sleepwalking into a decision that we will look back on and wonder whether more could have been done. I call on Minister Hargey to do all that she can to intervene and to engage with senior management as a matter of urgency.

859 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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