McGlone Calls for Progress on Police Training College

SDLP MLA for Mid Ulster, Patsy McGlone, has called on the Justice Minister to make urgent progress on the planned police training college in Cookstown during a debate at the Assembly on the latest monitoring round. The call comes after the Finance Minister confirmed that the training college was still part of the Department of Justice’s capital spending proposals.

Mr McGlone said, “This project has the potential to give a massive boost to the local economy.

“The construction industry has been one of the sectors hardest hit in the economic crisis and the Mid Ulster area has felt the impact more than most.

“As well as the construction jobs there will be associated benefits to the local economy when the college is finally opened.

“The business case for the Public Services Training College was submitted in December 2009, but we have been waiting since the initial announcement by the Policing Board in 2004 for work to actually begin on the Cookstown site.

“The minister must end the uncertainty over his capital spending plans and tell us when the college is to be built.”
 

ENDS