The Department of Education has said Minister Paul Givan wrote to Lisneal College to inform the Londonderry school that plans for a new state-of-the-art pitch were “on hold due to budget pressures” — but the Education Authority approved it anyway.
Politicians and schools have been raising question about how Lisneal College was awarded £710,000 for a Northern Ireland Football League standard pitch without making an official application at a time when many schools are struggling to get essential maintenance work done.
Mr Givan — who met with Lisneal’s headmaster last June to discuss the plan — has told the Assembly that the funding decision was the Education Authority’s, not his.
But now the Department has said Mr Givan put the pitch on hold late last summer due to budget concerns — although it claimed the plans were later restarted by the Education Authority without his knowledge.
Education Minister Paul Givan
“The minister made clear in the Assembly Chamber, at the Education Committee and through previous media responses that he was not involved in the decision-making process for the Lisneal College pitch,” the department said.
“In follow-up to the meeting that took place in June, the minister wrote to Lisneal College on 19 August 2024, to confirm that the scheme to replace the synthetic pitch was on hold due to the current budget pressures.
“The minister was not aware, until recent media coverage, that a decision was taken by the Education Authority, in October 2024, to progress the re-development of the synthetic pitch.”
A spokesperson added: “As projects under the Minor Works Scheme are delivered by the Education Authority, within its delegated approval limit, the department is not informed of what projects are progressing.
“It is disappointing that despite it having been explained that the decision was taken by the Education Authority (EA) in line with normal EA procedures, some continue to imply the minister was involved in the decision-making process and suggest there has been a lack of transparency.”
When Mr Givan was grilled by the Assembly and Education Committee last week, no letter to Lisneal was mentioned.
The Department of Education (DE) has been given an opportunity to respond.
At the Assembly last Monday, Mr Givan had told MLAs that “the project predates my time in office, with the pitch being identified for replacement after a safety inspection in December 2019”.
He added: “A feasibility report was conducted in May 2022 and a business case submitted in June 2022.
“Planning permission was received in 2023 and a construction tender was awarded in December 2024.”
EA had previously confirmed that funding approval was granted in “late 2024” and has now clarified that a decision was made in October 2024. Approval came after a private meeting between DUP ministers, Foyle MLA Gary Middleton and Lisneal School principal Michael Allen on June 6 last year.
Minutes show that among other issues they discussed was the fact “the pitch is 17 years old and the floodlights (previously installed by EA) are broken”.
Before the Assembly on Monday and at an education committee meeting on Wednesday, Mr Givan distanced himself and his department from decision-making around the project saying it was for the EA to answer questions.
During that meeting Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan said funding to Lisneal appears to have been a “DUP pet project, smacking of cronyism”, he added that the “buck stops” with the minister.
Mr Givan denied that, saying £1m is the limit and EA took the decision.
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EA’s Corporate Governance Framework 2022-2025 does, however, make clear that Mr Givan’s department should be given regular updates on public funds.
“On a monthly basis and at the close of each financial year, the Department (of Education) expects a clear account of the use of the public funds it has allocated to EA for use,” the framework notes.
“EA reports its financial position through submission of a Monthly Expenditure Monitoring Return (MEMR).”
EA has said it is responsible for the controlled school estate.
“EA is the decision-maker for prioritising and allocating minor capital works funding,” a spokesperson added.
“The Department of Education has delegated authority to EA for minor capital projects valued up to £1m.
“This delegation level has been operational practice since October 2017, with business cases for construction work above this threshold requiring departmental approval.”
Until last week, the department’s website had said the limit for minor works was £500,000 — a figure the EA website still carries.
Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said: “The Education Minister must think we came up the Foyle in a bubble if he thinks we’ll believe he had no knowledge of the decision.”