Sixteen schools across Northern Ireland have secured a total investment of £40 million to improve their buildings.

The funding was awarded by the Department of Education under its school enhancement programme.

They will benefit from projects valued between £500,000 and £4m.

Celebrating the news, Ulster Unionist education spokesperson Rosemary Barton MLA said: "This is very welcome news and I am sure it will come as a major relief to each of the schools that have been successful."

She also expressed concerns regarding the number of buildings not on the list which are in "urgent need" of investment.

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"The state of many of the buildings our young people across Northern Ireland are being educated in is frankly outrageous at present," she continued.

"Some schools that have closed or merged in the last two decades on the basis of promised new-builds are still waiting and as a result young people are being taught in premises that are far too small and simply not fit for purpose. Urgent attention must now be given to those schools."

The list of the 16 successful applicants are as follows:

Primary schools

• Antrim Primary School

• Ballyclare Primary School

• Dungannon Primary School

• Fairview Primary School, Ballyclare

• Glengormley CI Primary School

• St Brides Primary School, Belfast

• St Joseph's Primary School, Belfast

• St Mary's Primary School, Newtownbutler

• The Thompson PS, Ballyrobert.

Post-primary schools

• Dominican College, Portstewart

• Methodist College, Belfast

• St Columbanus' College, Bangor

• St Mary's Christian Brothers' GS, Belfast

• St Patrick's & St Brigid's College, Claudy.

Special schools

• Kilronan School, Magherafelt

• Lisanally School, Armagh.

These successful projects will now progress to planning stage.

(CM/MH)