Mr Mathison – who chairs Stormont’s Education Committee – was responding to the news that contractors had been appointed to deliver the £375m project, with no clear details of a business case demonstrating value for money being confirmed publicly prior to the announcement.

He stated: “This is a huge amount of money to invest in a single project with no information provided about how value for money to the Executive has been established. This is of course good news for the schools involved who will benefit from new buildings and facilities, but I am concerned the Minister is signalling the intent to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to continue educating children separately, seemingly without a value for money business case in play.

“Alliance Ministers again voiced opposition to this project at the Executive and I have now written to the Minister seeking clarity on the status of the business case and if a ministerial direction was in fact required to move to this stage.

“Simply put, this is not a model that will secure good value for money and not one we could sustainably replicate in other settings across Northern Ireland.

“Ultimately, questions need asked if the needs of the schools in question could not have been met in a more sustainable way.

"I wish the individual Strule schools and their pupils every success in the coming years, but we need answers about the process leading to this project being signed off with so little public scrutiny."