Speaking following the announcement Carla Lockhart MP said, “this is a great day for the two schools locally who have made it onto the Capital build list, under the Major Capital Works Programme. Both schools are in much need of new and enhanced facilities. I have made it a priority since elected as an MLA and latterly MP for the area to try and secure capital investment for our aging controlled sector estate. Portadown College has been to the fore with several Ministerial visits and meetings to highlight the dire state of the building. We were also proud to host a visit from the Minister to Killicomaine recently to highlight again the poor facilities. To have them included on the list today is a major step forward and one that I am proud to be associated with. This is just the start of a process in trying to rebalance the lack of investment over many years within our controlled sector estate. The Dickson Plan is a system of education that works and it is important that the schools involved get their slice of the pie when it comes to investment and support. Under a Sinn Fein Minister this sadly was not the case.

All new builds announced today will be subject to the level of capital resources available towards the end of this decade and into the next. However, todays announcement allows them to advance in planning. It really is a good day for education locally and I want to place on record my thanks to the Minister of Education, Michelle McIlveen and formerly Peter Weir for their efforts over the last number of months/years in helping secure this proposed significant investment across Upper Bann and indeed Northern Ireland. It is imperative that we invest in our children’s education. Today is about the children and future generations who will benefit from these 21^st century facilities.”