Vol. 567 No. 5
225 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on media reports that the Government is prepared to pay ?30 million towards the cost of a new police training college for Northern Ireland in Derry to replace the old training college in Belfast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14261/03]
The Patten commission laid considerable stress on police training, education and development, identifying change in these areas as being essential for the delivery of effective policing. It also specifically recommended that the Northern Ireland police should have a new purpose-built police college and the funding for it should be found in the next public spending round – recommendation No. 131. The oversight commissioner, Tom Constantine, and the PSNI Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, have both commented that the current arrangements for training police officers are flawed and have identified the provision of a new purpose-built police college at the earliest possible opportunity as a key policing objective. This matter is now being taken forward by the Policing Board and Chief Constable.
At its meeting of 6 February 2003, the board approved the PSNI business case for the new college and signalled its intention to request approval from the Northern Ireland Office to proceed with the project. It is intended to award the building contract in 2005, with a completion date in 2007. As Patten indicated, funding for the college will be provided by the British Exchequer. At the meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London on 20 May last, I inquired about progress on the new police college and was informed that the search for a suitable site is ongoing. There has been some speculation in the media regarding the possibility that the Government may make a financial contribution towards the cost of a new police college for Northern Ireland located in Derry. However, as I have outlined above, funding for the college will fall to be provided by the British Government.
