https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/mystery-as-school-that-didnt-apply-for-funding-got-710k-after-meeting-with-dup-ministers/a878562655.html

Calls for transparency over Lisneal College getting a grant for new football pitch despite no formal application process.

Garrett Hargan

Today at 06:00

The Department of Education is facing calls for full transparency after £710,000 was awarded to a school in Londonderry following a private meeting with DUP ministers — despite it not making a direct application for the money.
It comes after the Belfast Telegraph revealed that all bar two schools in Derry city that applied for major funding over the past 10 years were rejected – and both successful schools’ allocations were subsequently paused.

Education Minister Paul Givan, his department and the Education Authority (EA) have been urged to give all schools an equal opportunity after approving the cash for a football pitch at Lisneal College.

Lisneal opened in 2004 after the merging of two predominantly Protestant secondary schools, Faughan Valley and Clondermot High.

EA confirmed that Lisneal College did not apply for funding for the new state-of-the-art pitch.

It and the Department of Education could not state which specific funding pot the money has come from.

Lumen Christi College and St Brigid’s College were to advance to planning under the major capital works programme after funding approval in 2022 — but both were subsequently paused.

A major works programme is one costing in excess of £500,000, according to the Department of Education website.

EA said it decided the existing synthetic pitch at Lisneal had reached the end of its useful life and needed replaced.

The Department of Education said major works projects are “submitted to the department by managing authorities during calls for these programmes”.

Applications are supposed to be “assessed and prioritised under the relevant programme” protocol and the minister announces projects that advance in planning, it added. These normal protocols were not followed in this instance.

After taking days to respond, the department then claimed that its website was wrong in reference to the £500,000 threshold due to inflation, saying the pitch is a “minor work” that can be approved “outside of formal calls”.

It said: “Historically, minor works would have cost less than £500k, and whilst many still do, many projects delivered under the minor works programme will, subject to relevant approvals, exceed this amount.”

Documents obtained by this newspaper under Freedom of Information show that on June 3 last year Mr Givan and DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons met with Michael Allen, headmaster of Lisneal College.

Foyle MLA Gary Middleton was also present, alongside departmental officials and a coach from Maiden City FC.

Minutes show that in 2023 EA had entered a 25-year licensing agreement to allow Maiden City FC to play football on the school facilities and have a full-time base there.

The school and club were said to have an ambition to improve the facilities up to NIFL standard, with a covered dome area, two multi-use games areas and a facility to accommodate cricket teams.

The minutes says it “cannot get the project shovel ready without support from EA to get planning permission”.

Mr Lyons highlighted the potential for ‘Your School, Your Club’ funding, and asked Kate McClements, head of the sports branch in his department, to discuss options with Mr Allen. The minutes added: “Minister Givan offered to make introductions to Ballymacash Rangers (a team based in Mr Givan’s constituency) so that Maiden City could hear about the success of the Ballymacash project in terms of fundraising and find out from education officials how planning permission barriers could be reviewed.”

EA has revealed a pre-tender estimate for the project of £710,000. It added: “Following a funding award from the Department of Education, under the department’s capital funding allocation, in late 2024 the Education Authority approved the project and works commenced in January 2025.”

The DUP and Mr Middleton have been approached for comment.

Foyle SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said there was a need for “full transparency” on the issue.

“Every school must have the same opportunity to access funding and no school should be prioritised over another without demonstrable reason,” she added.

“The lack of funding for schools in Derry over the last decade shows a real neglect from successive ministers, particularly given the huge demand for improvements at local schools. I’m glad that the need for a new pitch at Lisneal College was recognised by the minister; this is a fantastic school that has taken huge steps in recent years, due in no small part to its excellent leadership team.

“I only wish the minister was willing to engage positively with other schools throughout this city in need of similar funding.”

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said while students at Lisneal deserve the “highest quality facilities”, the issue here is “why so many other schools have been turned down for capital funding over the last 10 years”.

“Where is the oversight on this from the Stormont Executive? Where is the oversight on this from parties with MLA representatives from Derry?

“Stormont continues to make decisions that foster division and manipulate communities.”

The Department for Communities said: “The minister was invited to meet the headmaster, along with the Education Minister, to discuss the development of school facilities, including for community use outside of school hours.”

Lisneal College has been contacted for comment.

by Browns_right_foot

27 comments

  1. You know, the more I hear about this Givan fellow the less I care for him

  3. Tl;Dr: DUP education Minister may have stepped in and reallocated funds without following process, potentially diverting them from approved works on Catholic schools to a Protestant school that had no funding application in place. 

    Edit: And I stress may have, based on this article. I am, of course, directly accusing the DUP of nothing more than being the DU (cough red sky RHI cough) P based on the contents of this article.

    Tl;Dr;tl;Dr: Same old shitshow.

  4. Wonder who will get the contract to instal the pitches?

  5. As I’ve said before, Givan is far and wide our worst minister.

    He’s dangerous and a bigoted cunt. And he’s shown that at every possible opportunity.

  7. All the bitter fenians will cry and complain about this, but it’s a actually a very ancient and important Unionist tradition which is fundamental to their identity. And to deny them the right to deny the rights of others is a sectarian hate crime.

  8. Oh it’s our weekly “Paul Given is a slimy cunt” story is it?

  11. I ask myself all the time now. What has actually changed since the founding of this place bar being able to apply for a job without discrimination?

  12. This reminds me of the time Hanan built a gallows for Mordecai

  13. its the brazenness of it.

    >all bar two schools in Derry city that applied for major funding over the past 10 years were rejected – and both successful schools’ allocations were subsequently paused.

    a proper application for £700 000 pitch replacement – no need!!! just ring your mates in the DUP

    >Education Authority confirmed that Lisneal College did not apply for funding for the new state-of-the-art pitch. It and the Department of Education could not state which specific funding pot the money has come from.

    arent we being told there is a massive overspend and we are completely fucked and loads of school side projects have had their funding cut or completely removed. Yet over £700 000 doesn’t even need an official application form just a wee meeting with the DUP ???

  14. Carla Lockhart – Lobbying for an ex-UVF terrorist to be given an MBE and crying about a UVF mural being vandalised.

    Paul Girvan – Standing up for prominent Loyalist and convicted paedophile Mark Harbinson.

    Paul Givan – Making blatantly discriminatory education funding decisions and making policy based on the whims of Loyalist terrorists in the LCC.

    But… but… but… Sinn Féin / IRA!

  17. This is madness! This needs to be investigated and he needs a good fucking explanation for this or he needs removed!

  18. Whoever wrote that headline has a funny definition of the word “mystery”

  20. Who does this shit get reported to? Is there an ombudsman or whatever to keep crooked politicians in check? Or is it just a consequence free free-for-all at the top?

  21. Does anyone know how we can find out more information on this? (e.g. FOI or any other paths)

    Ministerial cars being used for visits, calendar appointments, emails or any other communications regarding this?

    I’m honestly sick to f*** of working in this place, paying more tax each year and seeing this place get worse each day – you can put a cherry on top all you like but this place is a dump.

    If you didn’t already know Omagh & Strabane councillors voted to increase their own pay by >15% pay increase.

    Imagine if we had some real ‘journalists’ and not just mouthpiece script presenters.

    Edit: removed letters and added ***

  22. DUP told a Derry charity if they were based in Belfast they would be funded.

  23. Lisneal College has two full size pitches, an all weather pitch and 5 tennis courts but the DUP believe it secretly needs almost £750k for another pitch that the school didn’t even ask for!

    Just a reminder that Givan also cut and later found £50k, after some pressure from Irish Language Groups, for the Liofa funding….

  24. Ah yes so him going to that bunscoil and doing a wee céilí with the wains WAS the pandering bollocks I thought it was

  26. Look at that, sectarian bigotry and corruption from the dupers yet again.

    [“Every school in Derry city that applied for major investment from the Education Department in the past 10 years has been rejected”](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/astonishing-disbelief-as-every-derry-city-school-seeking-major-funding-in-past-10-years-rejected/a1285882853.html) but this school gets 710,000 after no direct application and a private meeting.

    Givan needs to go and it would not surprise me if the UVF or UDA were the ones involved in the private meeting considering his previous meetings with them.

    How many times does it need to be said-“Northern Ireland will never work.”

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