Education Minister announces school building projects to progress to construction stage

Date published: 29 April 2026

The four major works projects are:

• Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Enniskillen;
• Priory Integrated College, Holywood;
• Dunclug College, Ballymena; and
• St Malachy’s Primary School, Armagh

Delivery of each project will be spread across a number of years as delivery of the projects progresses on site.  The total capital investment on these projects is just over £130m across the coming four-year period.

A further nine schools will move to construction on school enhancement projects. 

These are:

• Lurgan College;
• Greenhaw Primary School;
• Antrim Primary School;
• Fairview Primary School;
• Ballyclare Primary School;
• Chapel Road Primary School; 
• Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Belfast;
• St Bride’s Primary School, Belfast; and
• St Mary’s Primary School, Newtownbutler

These schemes address immediate and pressing need through smaller‑scale refurbishment or extension works.  The total capital investment on these projects is just over £50m across the coming three-year period.

Paul Givan said: 

“I have today agreed to release a small number of major works and school enhancement projects to construction stage.

“Many of these projects have been in planning for a significant number of years, serving schools that are in exceptionally poor condition that have seen little or no investment and now urgently require replacement buildings. Whilst I continue to work to secure a Capital Budget settlement that can deliver the investment required for our school estate, it is clear that these schemes cannot continue to be held back.” 

The Minister made the announcement during a visit to Fairview Primary School, one of the nine schools to move to construction of an enhancement project.

Speaking at the school, the Minister said: 

“I believe this is a prudent approach to manage overall capital expenditure by very carefully controlling the number of schemes released to construction procurement, as part of a balanced portfolio of schemes aimed at addressing the decades of underinvestment in our school buildings.”

The Minister concluded: 

“Proceeding to construction stage will be very welcome news for the schools, pupils and wider school communities concerned and for the wider construction industry. 

“I will of course continue to make the case for increased and sustained capital investment across our Schools’ Estate.”