A FLAGSHIP university campus beset by delays remains on course to welcome students this year - but the opening will be phased.
More than 100 workers walked off the Ulster University (UU) Belfast site in the latest setback to befall the overdue building project.
The massive city centre development is not expected to open fully until at least 2022 - four years behind schedule.
The price tag is now estimated at £363.9 million - 43 per cent in excess of the original budget.
Being led by Somague from Portugal and the Spanish construction company Sacyr, there are about 45 other companies working across the site.
Dowds Group, one of subcontractors, told The Irish News that it was working to resolve issues with the main contractors.
This followed reports of a walk out.
UU said the programme review status provided by Somague/Sacyr informed "the current planned opening schedule from September 2021".
"However, due to the inherent complexity of a project of this scale and nature, one of the largest capital builds in Europe requiring coordination of multiple specialist contractors, as well as the need to remain fully flexible and responsive to the demands of Autumn Covid regulation that is yet to be issued, we will not be specifying course level timetabling at this stage," a spokeswoman said.
"Accordingly, further details of our phased opening from September 2021 will be confirmed in due course."
The latest issue has been raised with members of the assembly economy committee.
SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin said the Belfast campus was UU's most important project for many years.
"It is surprising and distressing that the university has had so many problems with the project and that it has gone massively over budget - 43 per cent at the time the audit office looked at it - especially given the university's internal expertise on property management and procurement," she said.
"But while the project will be very beneficial for Belfast, its economy and the city's skills offer to employers and investors, it is essential that we also remember that Ulster University's remit is as a multi-campus higher education institution, which services the north beyond Belfast.
"I remain concerned that the focus on Belfast, and the major financial problems the campus has suffered, may distract the university from its wider focus. In particular, there is a commitment in New Decade, New Approach that the Magee campus should reach 10,000 students. That is only possible with the support of the Department for the Economy and ministers from across government."
Stewart Dickson of the Alliance Party said, as a former senior conciliation officer at the Labour Relations Agency, he would encourage those in dispute "to seek resolution through their trade unions and if necessary with the help of the LRA".
"The university building project is vitally important for students and for the economy of the Cathedral Quarter area of north Belfast," he said.
"This last year has been one of turmoil for students and universities trying to work with the restrictions of the pandemic.
"Hopefully the year ahead will see a return to more normal times for students and staff at UU as they look forward to teaching and learning in these new facilities. The economic benefits to this part of the city are vital to the regeneration of the area."
