Debate contribution: Ulster University: Potential Job Losses

Debate contribution by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 20 April 2026.

MLA

Mr Matthew O'Toole

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

20 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Matter of the Day

Heading

Ulster University: Potential Job Losses

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5493169

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I was not going to speak on this matter because my colleagues have covered it all fairly comprehensively, but I want to reflect for a couple of minutes on where we are with the situation at Ulster University. First and foremost, my thoughts are with those directly affected at the institution, the first being staff who are worried about their jobs and livelihoods. I stand in solidarity with them. I know that the University and College Union will campaign hard to try to establish the position, to defend against compulsory redundancies and to give those staff the maximum help. My thoughts are also with the students. I met a group of Ulster University students from the student council when they came to Stormont just last week. I sponsored them to have their student council meeting here. They talked about a range of issues, including their own prospects. They are very passionate, brilliant young people, and, if we can, we want to keep them here to grow our economy, contribute to public services and grow this society. Some of them are perhaps thinking about leaving for onward education or employment. Everything about the announcement from Ulster University goes against those priorities and what the Minister and her predecessor have said about the priority being placed on higher education here in Northern Ireland, both in relation to the expansion of Magee and, more generally, when it comes to building a high-skill economy here in the North. The problem is the failure to take responsibility. We have had successive Ministers claim credit and take photo opportunities when it suits, whether that is at the Ulster University campus in Belfast or when progress has been made at Magee. Although we welcome that, those Ministers then fail to support higher education when it matters. As the Member who spoke previously said, we have been promised a review of the funding of higher education, but that still has not arrived. We do not know where it is. You can add that to a long list of other things at the Executive and at Stormont that we have been promised but that have not been delivered, including a plan for NI Water so that houses can be built and Lough Neagh can be defended; and an investment strategy to set out to the public and private sectors the infrastructure and investment priorities of the Executive over the next number of years. The list goes on and on. Prime among that list is the multi-year Budget. All the things that we want to build in the long term when it comes to our public services and our economy cannot be done without a multi-year Budget, but the Executive have failed. The Minister has not stood up and accepted responsibility, because the culture in this Executive is to shift responsibility to someone else. The students, staff and faculty at Ulster University and, indeed, our economy more broadly deserve better than that. They deserve proper accountability, and we in the Opposition will be pressing for that.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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